Washington, DC October 2021

I settled into my seat and stored my bag, then clicked my seat belt as my fellow passengers boarded around me.

For the first time since Palau, I’d packed a full suitcase. Swimsuits, cover-ups, sundresses, all of it. I hadn’t heard from Nate since leaving Kabul, and sure, my pulse skyrocketed when I thought of the minute possibility of him actually meeting me at the layover stop. But even if he didn’t—which was more than likely—I was going to check into our bungalow in the Maldives, sleep until noon, lie out in the sun, and dream about him.

Because that’s what he would have wanted me to do.

I was pretty damn sure he was still deployed, given the state of the world, and as he’d told me, there would always be somewhere they were needed.

Somewhere in the last six weeks, between watching my phone for a call that didn’t come and staring at my door when my darkest thoughts got the best of me, I’d come to a conclusion. If I wanted to be with Nate, really honestly be with him, then I needed two things: strength and patience.

Strength to know that he loved me, and he’d come to me when he could, and patience to wait for those days.

Oh, and a little more freedom from the job I actually abhorred when push came to shove.

I took out the novel I’d picked up in the airport bookstore and cracked open a fresh highlighter as the couple across the aisle took their seats. By

the time Nate got home, I’d have a full library of marked-up books for him to devour.

Whenever Nate got home.

The sun shone through the clouds for a moment, streaming in the window beside me and making the diamond on my right hand sparkle. A ring like that wasn’t meant to be covered by electrical tape and hidden away. It was made to shine, which it would do from my right hand until Nate either took it back or slid it to my left.

I crossed my legs and leaned back, reading the first page.

“Excuse me, but may I walk past?” His deep voice slid over me like the softest silk, and my heart jolted as I slowly lowered the book and looked up.

It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him. But it was.

“I have the window seat.” He smiled, flashing that dimple at me, and my jaw dropped as he slid right past me to sink into the seat on my right.

“You . . .” My breaths came erratically as I looked into my favorite pair of blue eyes. “You’re not supposed to meet me until Boston.”

“I switched flights.” His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Figured if we were going to spend a week in the Maldives, we should get as much travel time together as possible.”

I nodded, because of course that made sense . . . in a world where Nate wasn’t constantly deployed. A world where he actually showed up on the flights he scheduled.

“There are a few things I need to tell you.” The smile fell away from his face.

“Well, it appears that we have time.” I closed the book and turned toward him. “There are a few things I should tell you too.”

“Oh?” He reached over and took my hand. The simple contact was absolute heaven.

“I really hate being in politics.” I scrunched my nose.

“That’s not news.” His thumb moved in small, reassuring circles on my skin.

“I may have quit my job.” It came out a rushed whisper.

He grinned. “Funny you should mention that. I may have quit mine

too.”

My lips parted as I looked for words. Any words.

“It was time.” He lifted his hand to my face and cupped my cheek. “I am wildly in love with you, and I don’t want to be your possibility anymore. I’m not leaving us up to fate.”

I leaned into his palm and stared at him, terrified to close my eyes, scared that this would all be a dream and I’d wake alone in my bed, reaching for a figment of my imagination.

“I think it’s about time we took our shot. What do you say?” His gaze dropped to my mouth. “I mean, you should probably know that I’m going through some therapy, and that might not be something you want to stick around through—”

“Yes.” I nodded, my heart pumping so wildly I half expected it to burst out of my chest. “I say yes. Let’s take our shot. Let’s go slow or move fast. Let’s do everything we talked about and dream up new stuff. I don’t care where we live or what we do, as long as I get to do it with you. I love you.”

“Izzy?” He leaned across the armrest as the plane rolled backward, leaving the gate.

“Nate?” I moved closer. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

I smiled as his mouth met mine, then sighed when he deepened the kiss and kept going all through takeoff. By the time we lifted our heads, we were far above the clouds.

I didn’t know what this new future looked like, but I knew it was ours. And that was everything.