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“I love you,” I tell him.
“I love you, Tara.” He pauses. “Mom.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, happy tears pressing against my closed lids. “See you soon.”
Faiz and I climb into the limo, and the door closes with a soft thud, sealing us inside this cocoon of black leather and tinted glass.
“Can you believe it?” I murmur, the city lights dancing across Faiz’s face as we pull away from the venue. “We’re actually married.”
He squeezes my hand, and the gold band on his finger glints. “Every time I look at you, Tara, it hits me all over again.”
“Ali seemed so proud today,” I say, the memory of his small arms around my neck still vivid in my mind. “He’s really taken to this whole royal-life thing, hasn’t he?”
Faiz’s smile softens, contemplative. “He has. And I’m grateful for that every day.” His gaze lingers out the window, thoughtful. “But I still want to shield him. To give him some semblance of normalcy.”
I lean into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. The responsibility he feels towards Ali is immense, yet he handles it with such grace. “You’re doing an amazing job, Faiz. He’s happy, and that’s what matters.”
“Thanks to you, too,” he replies, tilting my chin up so he can plant a tender kiss on my lips. “You’ve made us both happier than I thought possible.”
“Everything is changing, isn’t it?” I muse aloud, tracing circles on the back of his hand. “In the best way possible.”
“Change is good,” he agrees. “It means we’re growing, evolving. And we’re doing it together.”
There’s comfort in his certainty, in the strength of his presence beside me. The fears that once gnawed at me — the fear of rejection, of always being alone — have quieted in the face of his unwavering love.
As the limo turns onto the highway, whisking us toward the airport, my heart swells with the knowledge that no matter where we go from here, we’ll navigate it as one. The road ahead is filled with unknowns, but the warmth of Faiz’s hand around mine tells me we’re ready to embrace every joy, every challenge, every precious moment as husband and wife.
And I think, yes, this is happiness — complex, daunting, and beautiful in its infinite promise.
The End