Echoes of that night

​"Marry me," he said. His voice was deep, his face a stoic mask, and his eyes stayed fixed entirely on her.

​Liana could hardly believe it.

​"What?" she replied immediately, shocked and confused. Maybe she hadn't heard him correctly. Maybe he was speaking another language entirely. Either way, she needed some type of clarification right now before her brain completely short-circuited.

​"You heard me..." he started, standing up from his heavy leather chair and walking around the sleek wooden desk to place a thick white document right in front of her. "One year. That's it."

​Looking up at him, Liana was left completely speechless. Who on earth would have imagined that this dead-serious conversation was going to end up being about this?

​Several weeks earlier...

​Liana stepped out of the bustling airport terminal and took a long, deep breath of the cool city air. She felt strangely refreshed—partly because the main building had been packed to the brim with a suffocating sea of travelers, but mostly because she was finally, truly back home.

​The original plan five years ago had been simple: go to Berlin, stay hidden just long enough to have the baby, and then figure out a way back. 

But the modeling industry was brutal, unforgiving, and obsessed with momentum. Returning after taking a full nine-month break would have been near impossible for her career, let alone trying to balance long photoshoot days with a newborn. So, she had made the quiet, painful choice to give up on her runway dreams altogether and stay put.

​Now, five full years had flown by in the blink of an eye. Five years of quiet routines, late-night fever checks, and building a simple life out of nothing. It should have been more than enough time for the chaotic world back here to completely forget who Liana Mercer was.

​"Ma... aren't we going home yet?"

​Ava’s small, tired voice rang out from beside her, instantly snapping Liana out of her heavy thoughts. Liana turned, looking down at the tiny four-year-old clutching her stuffed bunny, and let out a gentle smile.

​"Wait just a little longer, baby. Nina’s almost here," Liana said softly, guiding Ava toward a nearby wooden bench and pulling their matching luggage closer.

​Ava was her absolute world—her little bundle of pure joy and the very reason she had boarded that one-way flight to Berlin in the first place. 

Leaving five years ago was something Liana had zero regrets about. Sure, there were a few terrifyingly difficult moments in that tough first year when money was tight and sleepless nights felt endless, but right now? Looking down at her daughter, Liana was genuinely happy. A bit nauseous from the turbulent flight and running on three hours of sleep, but deeply happy.

​After getting Ava settled comfortably on the bench, Liana pulled out her phone to dial Nina. It rang once, twice, three times, before finally connecting with a sharp static click.

​"It’s been thirty minutes, Nina. Where the hell are you?" Liana spoke straight into the receiver without bothering with a greeting.

​"Well, hello to you too! Someone’s certainly not excited to see their absolute favorite best friend after five long years!" Nina’s voice sang out smugly through the speaker.

​Yes, you guessed right. Nina was Liana’s best friend—and pretty much her only true friend right now—plus the house they were going to be crashing at for the foreseeable future belonged entirely to her.

​"I am excited, trust me, but it’s taking you an awfully long time to pull into a simple arrivals lane," Liana sighed, turning around to keep an eye on Ava, who was currently tapping aggressively away at a coloring app on her iPad.

​"I'm literally pulling up right now, dramatic queen. Give me five more minutes," Nina said, and before Liana could protest, the line went completely dead.

​Liana sighed again, too exhausted to even muster up a proper reaction, and sat down on the bench next to Ava. She rubbed her tired temples, silently praying her daughter wouldn't get bored of that iPad game before Nina actually showed her face.

​Thankfully, it wasn't even up to three minutes before Liana caught sight of a very familiar, ridiculously extra silhouette weaving through the crowd of waiting passengers.

​She could see someone strutting toward them in a long, dramatic beige coat and oversized dark sunglasses, walking with a confident bounce like she owned the entire airport terminal. With her vibrant, fiery red hair drawing curious glances from practically every person walking by, it was impossible to miss her. So loud, so dramatic—so classic Nina.

​"Took you long enough," Liana beamed, standing up as Nina finally reached them. She threw her arms around her best friend, enveloping her in a tight, desperate hug.

​"Hey, cut me some slack! I live pretty far from the airport!" Nina protested defensively, hugging her back tightly before pulling away. But before Liana could even say another word, Nina’s eyes dropped down to the bench.

​Sitting right there was the small human who had stopped playing her game and was currently staring up at the bright-red-haired stranger with big, curious eyes.

​"Oh my gosh... is that my Ava?!" Nina gushed, her jaw dropping.

​Without hesitation, Nina gently pushed Liana out of her way like a child who had suddenly grown bored of an old toy after catching sight of a shiny new one. She crouched down right in front of the bench and scooped Ava up into a big, warm hug.

​"Look at you! You are so tiny and cute! Oh, I could just squeeze you!" Nina squealed, lifting her slightly.

​Ava blinked in complete surprise at the sudden explosion of energy, but she didn't cry. Instead, she held onto her stuffed bunny tight and looked Nina up and down. "Are you the red-hair Auntie Nina Mom talks about?"

​"The one and only!" Nina grinned broadly, tapping Ava’s nose. "And I brought snacks in the car just for you."

​Ava’s eyes lit up instantly. 

"Chocolate ones?"

​"Obviously. Only the best for my favorite niece."

​"Rude much? I'm standing right here, you know," Liana chimed in with a smirk, folding her arms over her chest.

​Nina didn't even bother looking back at her, completely captivated by the little girl. "Sorry, Liana, your reign as my favorite person is officially over. Ava has taken the crown."

​"I can live with that," Liana laughed softly.

​Eventually, the three of them dragged the mountain of luggage to the parking garage and loaded up the backseat of Nina’s sleek black sedan. By the time they merged onto the main highway, the gentle hum of the engine and the dim afternoon sunlight took their toll. Ava was already fast asleep, her head resting peacefully on Liana’s lap in the backseat, clutching a half-eaten chocolate bar in her little hand while Nina navigated the light traffic up front.

​"Good to be back, isn't it?" Nina asked after a long moment of quiet, catching Liana’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

​Liana looked down at her daughter, brushing a soft stray curl off Ava’s forehead, feeling the steady rise and fall of her small chest. A wave of peaceful warmth washed over her, replacing the nervous tightness she had carried since boarding the plane.

​Liana smiled softly, meeting Nina’s gaze in the mirror. "Yeah... it really is."

​"Good," Nina said, a knowing smirk playing on her lips as she adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. "'Cause we have a whole lot to catch up on."