The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the windows of Moonlight Pages, painting golden patterns across the wooden floor.

Amelia hadn’t slept all night.

One by one, she had opened every letter Ethan had written over the past two years.

Twenty-four letters.

Twenty-four pieces of his heart.

Some were cheerful, describing London’s streets, old bookstores, and rainy evenings that reminded him of Rosewood. Others carried the loneliness he had hidden from everyone else.

One letter made her stop breathing for a moment.

Dear Amelia,

Today I received another award.

Everyone stood and applauded.

They called me successful.

But all I could think about was the empty chair beside me.

Success means very little when the person you want to celebrate with isn’t there.

I hope you’re smiling today.

— Ethan

Amelia gently wiped away her tears.

For two years, she had believed he had forgotten her.

Instead…

He had carried her in every chapter of his life.

She folded the letters carefully and placed them back inside the ribbon.

“I was wrong,” she whispered to herself.

“I was so wrong.”

---

At the same time, Ethan sat alone in his apartment.

He had barely touched the breakfast his assistant had ordered.

His thoughts refused to leave Amelia.

Daniel knocked on the door before walking inside.

“You look terrible.”

“I feel worse.”

Daniel sat opposite him.

“So… did she forgive you?”

Ethan smiled sadly.

“I don’t know.”

“You told her the truth.”

“Sometimes the truth arrives too late.”

Daniel remained silent for a moment.

Then he reached into his pocket and placed a small velvet box on the table.

Ethan looked at him.

“What’s this?”

“You bought it before leaving for London.”

Ethan slowly opened the box.

Inside rested the same engagement ring he had purchased two years ago.

Simple.

Elegant.

Exactly the kind of ring Amelia once said she loved while they were walking past a jewelry store.

“You kept it?” Ethan asked quietly.

Daniel smiled.

“I knew you’d come back one day.”

Ethan held the ring tightly.

“I don’t even know if she still loves me.”

Daniel stood.

“Go find out.”

---

That afternoon…

Amelia stood outside the bookstore, watering the flowers her father had planted years ago.

She heard footsteps behind her.

She didn’t need to turn around.

She already knew who it was.

“You always overwater those roses.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“My father used to say the same thing.”

Ethan stood beside her.

For a few moments…

Neither of them spoke.

Finally, Amelia looked at him.

“I read every letter.”

Ethan lowered his eyes.

“I’m sorry they reached you so late.”

“They still reached me.”

Her voice trembled.

“And that’s what matters.”

She took a deep breath.

“I spent two years hating you.”

“I know.”

“I told myself you had chosen your career over me.”

“I never did.”

“I know.”

Tears slowly filled her eyes.

“I know now.”

---

They began walking toward the small lake where they had often spent quiet evenings together before Ethan left.

The water reflected the bright afternoon sky.

Everything looked exactly the same.

Only they had changed.

Amelia sat on the old wooden bench.

Ethan remained standing for a moment before joining her.

“I blamed you for everything,” Amelia admitted.

“I blamed myself too.”

She looked at him.

“Were you ever angry with me?”

He smiled softly.

“Never.”

“Why?”

“Because loving someone means believing in them even when life tries to convince you otherwise.”

Amelia couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

“They stole two years from us.”

“They did.”

“But they didn’t steal my love.”

She looked at him in silence.

“I tried to forget you.”

Ethan laughed quietly.

“So did I.”

“Did it work?”

He looked into her eyes.

“I failed every single day.”

For the first time in two years…

Amelia laughed.

A small laugh.

But it was real.

Ethan felt something inside him heal.

---

As the afternoon turned into evening, they walked along the lakeside path.

The breeze carried the scent of blooming jasmine.

Everything felt peaceful.

“I have something to show you,” Ethan said.

He reached into his coat pocket.

Amelia watched curiously as he took out the small velvet box.

Her eyes widened.

“I bought this before leaving for London.”

He slowly opened the box.

The diamond sparkled beneath the setting sun.

“I planned to ask you two years ago.”

Amelia covered her mouth.

“But life had other plans.”

Ethan stood before her.

His hands trembled slightly.

Not from fear.

From hope.

He slowly knelt on one knee.

People walking nearby smiled as they noticed the scene, but Ethan saw only Amelia.

His voice was calm.

Steady.

Filled with every emotion he had carried for years.

“Amelia Carter…”

He smiled through tear-filled eyes.

“I don’t want another chance at love.”

He paused.

“I only want another chance with you.”

A single tear rolled down Amelia’s cheek.

“I can’t promise that life will always be easy.”

He continued.

“There will be storms.”

“There will be mistakes.”

“There will be days when the world feels too heavy.”

“But I promise…”

He looked directly into her eyes.

“…you’ll never have to face them alone.”

The world around them seemed to disappear.

Only two hearts remained.

Waiting for the same answer.

---

Amelia slowly walked toward him.

She didn’t speak immediately.

Instead…

She gently held his face in both hands.

“I waited for you.”

Her voice broke.

“Even when I thought I hated you…”

Another tear escaped.

“My heart never stopped waiting.”

Ethan closed his eyes for a brief moment.

The weight he had carried for two years finally disappeared.

Amelia smiled through her tears.

“Yes.”

His eyes opened.

“What?”

She laughed, crying at the same time.

“Yes, Ethan.”

“Yes… I’ll marry you.”

Before he could say another word, she wrapped her arms around him.

He held her as tightly as he could, afraid this beautiful moment might disappear like a dream.

Around them, strangers began clapping.

An elderly couple smiled warmly.

A little girl whispered to her mother,

“That’s just like the stories.”

Her mother smiled.

“The best stories are the ones that are true.”

---

Later that evening, Ethan and Amelia returned to Moonlight Pages.

The bell above the door rang softly as they stepped inside.

Amelia looked at the framed photograph of her parents resting on the shelf.

She gently touched it.

“Dad…”

She whispered with a smile.

“You were right.”

Ethan stood beside her.

Robert’s words echoed in both their hearts.

“If people truly love each other… they’ll always find their way back.”

Amelia looked at Ethan.

“We found our way.”

He intertwined his fingers with hers.

“We always would have.”

---

One week later, wedding preparations filled the bookstore with excitement.

Flowers arrived every morning.

Friends volunteered to decorate the café.

Daniel insisted on planning everything, even though he admitted he had no idea how weddings worked.

The laughter that had disappeared two years earlier finally returned to Moonlight Pages.

For the first time in a very long time…

The bookstore felt like home again.

But neither Ethan nor Amelia knew…

Life still had one final surprise waiting for them.