Atlas made a dinner reservation as we entered the car. My heart kept pounding throughout the ride, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. He pulled me closer, saying, “Call your parents and tell them you won’t be home tonight.”

I had no strength to argue or think about anything else. I just wanted to find peace in Atlas’s arms as it melted away all my worries and anxieties. Soon, we returned to the resort. I felt a sense of belonging, like this was our home.

His previous question still en