They began to eat in silence, the clink of cutlery the only sound, the warm light from the chandelier wrapping them in a moment that felt too soft to last.

“Where have you been?” he asked, his voice gentle but uncertain.

Sarah paused, her hand tightening around the spoon as she searched for words. Instead, she looked up at him with a small, hesitant smile.

“Thank you for the seashell necklace,” she said softly. “I didn’t get the chance to say that before.”

Nathan’s face lit ...