Daniel had faced many things in life — heartbreak, loneliness, even rebuilding himself from scratch — but nothing quite compared to the nerves he felt as he sat beside Ira on the train to her hometown.
He was quiet, fingers clasped in his lap, eyes looking out at the blurring countryside. Ira noticed.
"You're nervous," she said gently.
He gave a slight smile. "Of course I am. I'm going to meet your parents… as the man who wants to marry their daughter. A man who's already been married."
Ira took his hand. "They'll love you. I promise. I've told them everything… and they still want to meet you. That means something."
He nodded, but didn't say much.
She squeezed his hand tighter. "You're not just someone I love, Daniel. You're someone they'll be proud to know."
---
When they reached, the sun had already dipped below the hills, casting everything in golden twilight. The front yard was dotted with flowering plants, and the old wooden swing creaked gently in the breeze.
Her mother opened the door with a wide smile, apron still tied around her waist. Her father followed, eyes soft and kind.
"There you are!" her mother beamed. "Come in, come in!"
Before Daniel could even introduce himself properly, her mother had already pulled him into a half-hug and said, "So you're the one stealing our daughter."
Daniel chuckled awkwardly. "Only if she lets me."
They sat in the living room, warm tea poured into mismatched cups, the scent of spices drifting from the kitchen. Ira's father asked about his work, his hobbies, his life in the city — and Daniel answered all, politely, honestly.
Then came the moment he had quietly dreaded.
Ira's father set down his cup and looked at him seriously.
"We know about your past, Daniel."
Daniel nodded slowly.
"I was afraid you might…"
"—think you're not good enough?" her father interrupted, reading him like a book. "Son, let me tell you something. Life is long. And messy. If we judged people for their scars, none of us would ever deserve happiness."
Her mother chimed in, "Ira told us everything. And we know the difference between someone who breaks a heart and someone who tries to keep one whole."
Daniel felt something in his chest loosen — a knot that had sat there for months.
They continued, asking him about his parents.
"I was very late after marriage," Daniel admitted, his voice softer now. "My mother passed away a few years after I was born. My father… he died a few years back. I don't have anyone now. No family, I mean."
There was silence for a moment.
Then Ira's mother reached over and touched his hand. "Now you do."
"Yes," her father added. "From this day, think of us as yours too. You're not just marrying our daughter. You're becoming our son."
Daniel had no words. Just a quiet, grateful nod and a blink to keep the tears from spilling.
---
Dinner was warm, hearty, and filled with laughter. They spoke late into the night — about old memories, silly family tales, and plans for the future.
By the end of the visit, Daniel no longer felt like a guest.
He felt like he had come home.
---
Before leaving, Ira's father handed her a folded paper. "We picked a date," he said with a smile. "If you both agree, it's one month from now."
Daniel looked at Ira. She smiled back, eyes sparkling.
A month. That's all the time that separated them from the next chapter.
And this time, Daniel was ready — not to survive, not to recover — but to live fully, with her.
Together.