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Ros's smile was tender and full of understanding. She reached over, placing her hand on Scarlett’s. “You’re not going to be still, love. We’re going to be busier than ever, just in a different way. We’ll have the time to do all the things we’ve always talked about. Visiting new places, learning new things, maybe even picking up some hobbies we’ve never had time for.”

Scarlett’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Hobbies, huh? You mean like knitting?”

Ros laughed, shaking her head. “No, not knitting. I was thinking more like hiking, maybe some photography. Hell, we could even take cooking classes together and learn how to make something other than pasta.”

Scarlett snorted. “I’m not that bad at cooking, am I?”

Ros gave her a playful look. “Let’s just say you’re better at fixing helicopters than you are at making lasagna.”

Scarlett laughed, the sound light and full of warmth. “Okay, fair. But seriously, Ros,” she said, her tone growing softer again. “What if it’s weird? Not having the routine, the orders. I’m just used to it.”

Ros leaned forward, cupping Scarlett’s cheek with one hand, her thumb brushing gently against her skin. “You’re going to figure it out, just like I did. And you won’t be alone. We’re in this together. And trust me, we’ll have plenty of adventures to keep us busy.”

Scarlett leaned into her touch, her eyes softening. “I can’t wait for that. To just live. With you.”

Ros smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Scarlett’s lips. “We’ve got our whole future ahead of us, Scarlett. And it’s going to be amazing.”

Scarlett pulled back slightly, her eyes shimmering in the fading light. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“I do,” Ros said, her voice firm and full of certainty. “We’ve been through hell and back, and we’ve come out stronger. We deserve this. We’ve earned it.”

Scarlett let out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing as she smiled. “Yeah. We really have, haven’t we?”

They fell into a comfortable silence once more, watching as the sky deepened into night, the stars beginning to twinkle overhead. The world around them seemed to settle into stillness, the peaceful hum of the evening wrapping around them like a blanket.

After a few minutes, Scarlett broke the silence. “So, what’s the first place we’re going to visit once I’m officially retired?”

Ros smiled, her mind already racing with possibilities. “Well, we did say we wanted to do a road trip across the States, didn’t we? See all the national parks, the little towns, maybe stop by some of those diners you love so much.”

Scarlett grinned. “That sounds perfect. And after that?”

“Europe,” Ros said with a glint in her eye. “We’ll rent a car, drive through the countryside, stop wherever we feel like. Maybe spend a few weeks in Italy sipping wine and eating pasta by the sea.”

Scarlett’s smile widened. “That sounds like heaven.”

Ros chuckled. “It will be. And after that? Who knows. We’ve got the whole world to explore.”

Scarlett leaned back in her chair, her eyes drifting back to the stars. “I can’t wait, Ros. I really can’t.”

Ros squeezed her hand, her heart full. “Me neither, love. Me neither.”

As the night settled in around them, they sat together in peaceful silence, the weight of the past lifting from their shoulders. The future stretched out before them—wide, open, and full of possibilities. And for the first time in a long time, they weren’t worried about what lay ahead.

They had each other, and that was all they needed.