MARIE

My mother sighed, the tension finally draining from her frame as she pushed her plate aside, the steam from the cooling meal curling into the air.

"I don’t even feel like eating anymore," she murmured, a soft, misty smile playing on her lips. "What I saw today... seeing you two... it’s made me full. It’s a feast for the heart."

I couldn't help but echo her sentiment, though my own stomach was tied in knots of excitement rather than hunger.

"Me too," I breathed, my fingers ...