The soft glow of the city lights seeped through the tall windows of their apartment, casting long shadows across the room where Zariah stood, waiting. The faint scent of sandalwood incense curled lazily in the air, wrapping around her like a protective cloak. Her freshly glossed lips parted slightly as she exhaled, fingertips gently tracing the edges of the layered chains that draped around her neck. Every detail of her look was intentional the subtle smoky eye, the signature laid edges, the perfectly manicured nails that told stories of late-night hustle and self-love.

Her phone vibrated on the marble countertop a single message that sent a ripple through her chest.

"Landed. Thirty minutes out."

Almost a year. Twelve months of hearing his voice only through cracked phone calls and the occasional late-night text. Twelve months of watching his face light up on social media, thousands of miles away, living the life they dreamed of but apart from her. She had held the fort steady, fierce, and glowing but now the countdown was over.

The soft click of the front door opening made her heart stutter.

There he was. Standing in the threshold, like a vision etched from all her dreams, taller than she remembered, wearing that familiar, effortless confidence that made her stomach flip. His eyes, deep and intense, locked onto hers, searching, holding, remembering everything that time and distance couldn’t erase.

"Zariah," he said, voice low and rough from exhaustion but charged with something raw and alive.

She stepped forward, the soft click of her boots against the hardwood floor the only sound breaking the quiet between them. "Look who finally came home," she said, voice steady but threaded with the rush of relief and something electric.

His arms opened wide, and she didn’t hesitate stepping into the space between them, letting herself be pulled close. The moment his hands found her waist, strong and sure, it was like the world had realigned. She felt the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm, felt the familiar warmth of his body against hers, and knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.