I then kissed her forehead, allowing my lips to stay a bit longer. “I love you… with all my heart,” I whispered. 
I felt her smile on my chest. “I love you more than you know.” 
Kissing her hand, I replied, “I love you most.” 
To finally hear those words from her, for us to profess our love for one another was what I’ve hoped for the longest time. And truth be told, I never expected much when I met Laura. I only knew one thing from the moment we met: she would be one of the people I treasured the most. And nothing in this life or the next could stop me from being with her. As my arms tightened around her, it added even more confirmation. This lovely mortal would be the rare treasure I would protect until my very last breath. 
We then looked up and marveled at the beauty of the night sky. Tonight was the beginning of something new for us… as one. 
♔♔♔ 
We decided to lay down after a few minutes. Her head laid on my chest, my hand on her hair. We didn’t do much talking after we admitted our love for each other. We just held each other and stared at the moon and stars. 
Laura finally broke the silence as she said, “Thank you.” 
I looked down at her, meeting her gaze. “For what?” 
“You saved me.” 
My brows knitted together. “Saved you?” 
“You saved me from the colorless life I was in. If it weren’t for you, my life would’ve continued as meaningless. You broke the chains that held me back from moving forward. And I’m grateful for that,” she explained. 
“Come here,” I tapped on my arm. 
Slowly, she moved up and laid down on my arm. I turned my body towards her. I reached out to her face and held her cheek. “It wasn’t just you who was saved. But I was saved by you as well,” I caressed her cheek as I replied. “And you have been the most wonderful thing that’s happened in my life.” 
♔♔♔ 
I was awakened when the gentle rays of the sun hit my closed eyes. Squinting, I opened my eyes and saw that the sun was coming out of its resting place. I looked to my left and there she was, sound asleep. Her head still rested on my arms. She kept herself close to me with her arm wrapped around my torso.
I faced her entirely. A grin slowly crept on my face as I admired her beauty. Everything about her, I took in slowly. The peaceful look embedded on her face. Her calm breathing, secured within my reach. She then moved closer to me, which made my heart skip a beat. 
How lucky was I to be able to have someone like her? 
I’ve met all the eligible ladies, both in our court and other kingdoms. And yet, none of them came close to what I have with Laura. Her beauty wasn’t based on hollow titles, physical traits or mounted riches behind a powerful name. Her simpleness has given her an exquisite kind of beauty. It has set her apart from most of the women I’ve seen throughout my life. 
It’s uncertain if the ancient gods planned our meeting. But if they did, I’m truly grateful for having such an angel. I truly believed I was the one who was saved. She pulled me out of my miserable life. She gave me the strength to carry on during my worst moments. Though we lived in different worlds, she never felt far from me. 
My thoughts were then interrupted when she groaned and stretched. Her eyes slowly opened. As soon as her emerald gaze landed on me, she smiled. “Good morning,” she greeted, closing her eyes from the sun. 
I gave a light peck on her nose. “Good morning.” 
When her eyes adjusted, she sat up and looked around. “I think we enjoyed our midnight picnic a bit too much,” she giggled as she turned back to me. 
I sat up and leaned in to her, our noses touched. “I don’t mind it all,” I returned a smile. I stood up and helped her get up. I put my arms around her, pulling her closer as we watched the sun awakened the world. 
“I shared the sunset and night sky with you,” I laid my head on top of hers, rubbing her arm to keep her warm. “And now,” I removed my head and lifted her face, making her meet my gaze, “I’m sharing the sunrise with you. I already shared so many yesterdays with you, Laura. Starting today, I want to look forward to the future with you by my side.”
She reached out and touched my face. Her thumb caressed my cheek as she smiled, “And I would gladly accompany you with your new beginnings.” 
After I laid another peck on her forehead, we turned back to the sunrise. Our hold on one another grew tighter at every second, like there’s no tomorrow for the both of us. 
♔♔♔ 
A crowd already swarmed the bakery when we got back. Customers lined up from the inside to the very door, probably waiting for their morning bread and pastries. As we approached the entrance, Grandpa Ben appeared with a stern look on his face. 
“Good morning,” he greeted, his hands rested on top of his cane. 
“Good morning, Grandpa Ben,” we greeted with our heads low, avoiding his stare.
“You two enjoyed your midnight rendezvous too much,” he remarked. I slowly looked up and Grandpa Ben’s face wasn’t in a forgiving mood. He then turned to Laura, “Young lady, you know very well that you’re not allowed outside at night, especially midnight.” 
“It was wrong decision-making on my end, Grandpa Ben. I’m sorry,” Laura muttered, her voice shook. 
“If I may, Grandpa Ben,” I carefully intervened, “Laura has no fault in this. I was the one who thought of the idea and invited her along. She told me she wasn’t allowed but I insisted. Please, don’t punish her for my wrongdoing.” It wasn’t the right time to act all noble. But I had to say something. I was the one who got Laura into so much trouble. It was my mistake and I have to own up.