Iris's POV

We walked back home together, my fingers firmly intertwined with his, my heart beating faster and faster with anticipation. The roughness of his skin and the warmth of his palm against mine grounded me in this new reality. Victor was beside me, telling me that he had chosen me.

When we turned the corner toward the bakery, the weight of reality settled over me. The storefront, filled with the smell of freshly baked cake and warm bread, seemed to belong to an entirely different worl