New Light

Fali grinned as he lowered the landline phone from his ear.
Mele tilted her head, smiling back.
“Good news?”

He nodded, excitement flickering behind his eyes.
“Yup. Real estate agent. We’ve got the shop.”

Mele gasped, then squealed in delight - so loudly it startled even her. She tried to stand up out of habit, forgetting entirely that her legs wouldn’t follow. The wheelchair tipped forward dangerously.

“Mele-!”

Fali darted across the room, sliding on his knees just in time to catch her. The chair clattered to the floor behind him, but she was safe in his arms, her legs draped limply as she blinked in surprise. A heartbeat passed - then her face broke into radiant laughter.

She threw her arms around his neck, almost shouting into his shoulder.
“We did it! We’re homeowners!”

He mumbled against her hair, still holding her tight.
“Well, not quite homeowners yet. They haven’t signed off-”

“Oh, shut up!” she interrupted, laughing into his chest. “Celebrate! This is amazing!”

He couldn’t help but grin as she pulled back, her joy contagious. Their eyes met, and without a word, he leaned forward. She closed her eyes just before their lips met - brief, soft, full of everything they’d been working toward.

When they parted, her smile outshone the morning light.
“What should we do to celebrate? Something really special!”

He reached up and brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face, tucking them gently behind her ear.
“Whatever you can think of,” he said. “Let’s take the day off.”

Her breath caught, then she hugged him again - so tightly he almost lost balance. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes, but she was still laughing.
They’d done it.
Together.

The day flew by like a montage - bright, easy, full of laughter.

Their first stop was the local nature reserve, Mele’s idea. They wandered beneath the wide, sheltering arms of the trees, listening to the chirping of native birds and talking happily about their dreams. The sunlight dappled through the leaves, scattering onto the path in fluid, moving patterns. Fali pointed them out.

“Hey, I should try to paint that.”

Mele laughed.
“What, the sunlight?”

Fali’s birthday had come and gone a few days earlier. He’d tried painting for the first time and discovered that it was more enjoyable than he’d imagined. There was something soothing about watching the brush glide across the canvas, leaving behind color and meaning. He wasn’t a good artist - not yet - but the thought that he could be kept him going. That, and Mele’s quiet encouragement.

He grinned.
“Yeah. Why not? It looks pretty.”

She leaned forward a little in her chair, smiling up at him from below.
“It’s incredibly difficult to make glow look nice.”

He shrugged, still pushing her along the winding path.
“Might as well try.”

“I think you should paint what interests you.”

He chuckled.
“Like what, planes? Freyla?”

She nodded, smiling.
“Yeah.”

He thought for a moment.
“Hm. Maybe I’ll give that a try. Still gonna paint the sunlight pattern, though.”

“Good luck.”

He laughed, and they moved on.

Their next stop was the village café. The overenthusiastic cashier earned a shared glare before they ordered their usual - two hot chocolates, rich and steaming. They took a table by the window, watching life drift by outside.

Mele cupped her hands around her mug and looked up at him.
“How will you get Freyla II and the car to our new home?”

He shrugged, blowing lightly on his drink.
“I guess we’ll drive down together with all our stuff, then I’ll get someone to take me back, maybe fly me, if possible.”

She pouted playfully.
“Can I not come…?”

He laughed.
“Of course you can come. Sorry.”

She grinned.
“I’m just teasing. I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind.”

He smiled back.
“Well, I might’ve. You never know.”

She gasped theatrically, placing a hand on her chest.
“Why! How rude!”

He laughed, and she joined him, their mugs cooling between bursts of warmth and chatter.

Their final stop was, naturally, home. They collapsed together on the couch, a lazy dinner of pizza on the way, watching as the sun descended beyond the distant hills.

Mele sighed contentedly, leaning against his side. She couldn’t quite curl up the way she wanted to, so she said what she meant as simply as possible.
“Hold me closer, please.”

He did as he was told, heart pounding, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her nearer. But it wasn’t enough.

“No, like… really close,” she whispered, glancing down at her legs.

He hesitated for a heartbeat, then gently lifted her legs, curling her up into his lap. She fit against him perfectly, her body soft against his chest.

She sighed again, melting into his warmth.
“That’s better…”

He chuckled quietly and rested his chin atop her head, their closeness erasing the need for words.

Outside, the sun disappeared behind the horizon, painting their quiet little home in gold and shadow. Inside, two hearts beat in unison - steady, content, and tethered by the kind of peace that doesn’t need to be spoken.

They ate the pizza at a relaxed pace, in no hurry to be anywhere. They had the whole night together - why rush it?
Mele swallowed, the tomato base clinging to her teeth, and reached for her drink before speaking. Setting the cup down, she smiled at Fali.

“I wish we could do this day all over again.”

He smiled back.
“So do I. I’ve… I’ve never felt so… alive before. I think that’s the word.”

She grinned.
“Yeah, I reckon you’ve nailed it. I feel the same way. It’s like I’ve been reborn.”

Her eyes dropped for a moment.
“Even if I very clearly haven’t.”

He chuckled. She was fine with mocking her own existence - but only for him. She avoided the news as much as possible, but she always hissed when a photo of herself appeared, healthy or otherwise.

“What are you going to do with your song now?” he asked.

She’d finished it the previous day. It still needed a little polish, but he had to admit - it was beautiful.

“Record it, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “But I want to wait till we’ve moved.”

He raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure? It’s quieter out here.”

She nodded.
“Very sure. I want it to be one of the first memories we make in that house.”

He smiled.
“Sounds good to me.”

She sighed, resting her chin on her palms.
“You know, this day was amazing and all, but it could still be better.”

He gave her a questioning look, though he already suspected what she meant.
“Really? How’s that?”

Her eyes gleamed, her lips curling in a sly smile.
“I think you know how…”

He swallowed hard, heart racing. A hundred thoughts collided at once - but only one escaped, barely.
“You want… you want…”

She nodded, her tongue tracing softly over her lips.
“Yeah… I want you-”

The phone rang.

She straightened immediately, huffing in irritation, and rolled toward the receiver mounted on the kitchen wall. When Fali started to rise, she shot him a glare that froze him in place. Whoever was on the other end of that call was about to meet fire and fury.

She snatched up the receiver, voice dripping with hostility.
“Hello?”

Silence. Then-

“What do you want?”

Fali couldn’t hear the voice on the other end. But when Mele’s eyes went wide, he knew something was terribly wrong. She replaced the phone in the cradle and turned to him, tears already forming.

He stood up at once.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”