Chapter 29: The First Sunrise
Marissa awoke to the soft golden hue of dawn spilling across the meadow. She blinked slowly, the warmth of Mason's arms still wrapped protectively around her. For a long moment, she just stayed there, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest against her back, the steady reassurance of his presence.
Everything was different now.
Better.
She smiled to herself and turned carefully in his arms, facing him. His dark lashes fluttered as he slowly woke, a lazy grin pulling at his lips when he saw her.
"Good morning, beautiful," he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep.
"Good morning," she whispered, brushing a stray curl off his forehead. "Did you sleep well?"
He chuckled, pulling her closer. "Best sleep I've had in years."
They lay there a little longer, watching the sky shift from gold to a soft, pale blue. Somewhere nearby, birds were singing a hopeful melody for a new day.
After a while, Marissa propped herself up on her elbow, looking out over the open landscape. In the distance, the ruins of the old city were still visible, shadowed and silent. But out here, it felt like a different world one waiting for them to fill it with life again.
"We should find a place to call home," she said thoughtfully. "Somewhere... ours."
Mason stretched, his shirt riding up slightly to reveal a sliver of skin, and Marissa found herself smiling fondly at him.
"I was thinking the same thing," he said. "Somewhere by a river, maybe? So we can fish, grow stuff. Build something real."
Marissa imagined it a small house surrounded by fields of wildflowers, a vegetable garden, a swing hanging from a big oak tree. Laughter. Warmth. Love.
"I want that," she said firmly. "With you."
Mason sat up and took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Then let's find it. Together."
Hand in hand, they set off across the meadow, following a winding path that led into a dense forest. It was a little wild, a little uncertain but so were they. And somehow, that made it perfect.
Hours later, after a lot of wandering, laughing, and stolen kisses, they stumbled upon it a clearing by a sparkling river, surrounded by towering trees and soft, mossy ground. The sunlight danced on the water, and the air smelled fresh and clean.
Marissa turned to Mason, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's perfect."
He smiled, that boyish, heart-melting smile she adored. "Then this is home."
They spent the afternoon making plans where they would build their shelter, what they would plant, how they would decorate the inside with pieces of their story.
As the sun dipped low again, they stood by the riverbank, watching the colors bleed across the sky.
Mason wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder.
"I can't wait to build a life with you," he murmured against her skin.
Marissa leaned back into him, her heart full to bursting.
"Neither can I," she said. "This is just the beginning."
And as the stars returned overhead, they stood there two souls who had survived the worst, now daring to dream of the best.
Together.
Always.
Marissa turned in Mason's arms, facing him fully. The last traces of sunlight bathed his features in a soft, golden glow. She reached up, tracing her fingertips lightly over the rough line of his jaw, the familiar curve of his cheek. He caught her hand and pressed a lingering kiss to her palm.
"I love you," she said simply, the words falling from her lips like a vow.
Mason's eyes darkened with emotion. "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anything."
For a moment, the world fell away no broken cities, no lost time, no pain. Only them, standing together at the start of something beautiful.
He leaned down slowly, giving her the chance to pull away but she didn't. She lifted her face to his, meeting him halfway. Their lips brushed once, twice, then deepened into a kiss that stole the air from her lungs. Mason's hand slid into her hair, cradling her head gently, while his other arm tightened around her waist.
It wasn't just a kiss.
It was a promise.
When they finally pulled apart, Marissa was breathless, but smiling, her heart soaring.
Mason rested his forehead against hers, his voice a whisper. "No matter what happens... we'll build this life. I'll make you happy. I swear it."
"You already do," she whispered back.
They decided to stay by the river for the night. Mason quickly gathered wood for a fire while Marissa searched for large leaves and stones to create a makeshift space to cook. As twilight deepened, the forest around them came alive with gentle sounds crickets chirping, the distant rush of the river, the occasional hoot of an owl.
When the fire was finally crackling, they sat close together, sharing a meal of roasted fish Mason had caught earlier. It was simple and a little messy, but Marissa wouldn't have traded it for any grand feast.
"I want a garden," she said suddenly, looking at him across the fire. "With tomatoes and sweet peppers. Maybe even sunflowers."
Mason chuckled. "Sunflowers? Why?"
"Because they always face the sun," she said softly. "No matter what happens. They keep reaching for the light."
He watched her with that soft, tender gaze that made her feel like the most important thing in the world. "Then we'll plant a whole field of them."
Marissa felt tears prick her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly, laughing instead.
"You and your grand promises," she teased.
He grinned. "I plan on keeping every single one."
Later, when the stars glittered like diamonds overhead, they lay together on a soft bed of moss, wrapped in a shared blanket Mason had kept tucked in his pack. Marissa curled into his side, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"We made it," she murmured.
"We did," he agreed, pressing a kiss to her hair. "And the best part is still ahead."
She closed her eyes, smiling into the night, and whispered, "I can't wait."
The river sang them to sleep, and the stars stood watch above silent witnesses to the first chapter of a brand-new life, written by two souls who refused to give up on love.