"My wife."

"We'll go into town tomorrow and register the marriage." Dante said.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

He really agreed.

"You're serious?"

He nodded once.

"Yes."

The tears that filled my eyes this time weren't born from grief, they were relief.

So overwhelming that I had to blink several times before I could see him clearly again.

"Why?" I whispered. "You just told me your life is dangerous."

"I did."

"Then why would you do this?"

He looked toward the fading sunset outside the window before answering.

“Because your father didn’t deserve what happened to him and you don’t deserve to lose the only home you have left. Besides you saved me and I haven't made it up to you.”

My chest tightened and for the first time since Dad died, it felt as though someone had reached into the darkness surrounding me and lit the smallest candle.

"Thank you, Dan."

The words felt too small for what I wanted to say.

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You don't have to." His voice was as steady as ever.

"Go get some sleep."

I nodded and walked towards the door.At the doorway, I looked back one last time.

"Goodnight... Dan."

"Goodnight, Ava."

I closed the door gently behind me.

As I leaned against the wall outside, I pressed a trembling hand over my racing heart. For the first time since losing my father...

I felt like I wasn't completely alone anymore.

The farmhouse felt strangely empty the next morning. I woke before sunrise, though I wasn't sure I'd slept at all. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dad's face beneath the oak tree and every time I opened them, I remembered the promise Dante had made.

We were getting married today.

The thought still felt unreal as I stood in the kitchen, staring blankly at the kettle while the coffee brewed. Dad always made the first pot every morning. He would hum old country songs while flipping pancakes or complain that I used too much sugar.

The silence hurt more than I expected.

I wrapped both hands around the warm mug, trying to steady myself when footsteps echoed behind me.

I turned and for a moment… I forgot how to breathe. Dante stood in the doorway wearing Dad's white button-up shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. The sleeves were rolled neatly to his forearms, exposing the clean bandage wrapped around his side.

The shirt had always looked soft and familiar on Dad but on Dante… It looked completely different.

The broad shoulders, the narrow waist and the quiet confidence with which he carried himself.

His eyes met mine.

"What?"

Heat rushed into my face.

"N-Nothing."

"You've been staring."

"I haven't."

"You are staring now."

I looked away so quickly my neck almost hurt.

"The shirt just..." I cleared my throat. "It looks different."

A corner of his mouth lifted.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I didn't say it was one."

His amusement deepened just enough for me to notice.

An hour later, we were driving toward town in Dad's old pickup truck. I sat in the passenger seat, twisting my fingers together until they ached.

Was I really about to marry someone I'd known for barely two days?

Every sensible part of me screamed that this was insane but every time I imagined Harold taking our farm… I knew I couldn't walk away.

Dante drove with one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel, his attention fixed on the road while I awkwardly directed him. He didn't look nervous or uncertain.

If anything, he looked as though he had already accepted whatever came next and I wished I could do the same.

The courthouse was a modest old brick building with white-framed windows and faded wooden doors. When we entered, few locals looked up while whispers rippled through the hallway

“Isn’t that Thomas’s daughter?”

“Who’s the man with her?”

“I heard her father just passed…”

I fixed my gaze on the floor as I walked while Dante walked beside me like a silent shadow.

An elderly registrar smiled warmly as we entered her office.

"How may I help you today?"

I swallowed hard. “We… we’re here to get married.”

The woman blinked in surprise, then offered a warm smile. “Congratulations, dear. Let’s get the paperwork started.”

She filled out several forms before looking toward Dante.

"Your surname?"

For the first time all morning, he hesitated.

His eyes flickered toward me and then he answered.

"Hart."

I turned so quickly I nearly dropped the pen.

"You don't have to."

"I know."

The registrar chuckled softly.

"Taking your wife's surname?, That’s not something we see every day.”

Dante simply signed the papers with no explanation or hesitation which made something tighten unexpectedly inside my chest.

Why had he done that?

He didn't owe me even that much.

The ceremony lasted less than five minutes. A few signatures, two witnesses and few official words. Then…

"You are now husband and wife."

There were no kisses,no celebration,no applause. Just two strangers standing side by side, bound by necessity and a piece of paper.

The certificate was placed into my hands as I stared at the names:

Ava Hart.

Dante Hart.

The names blurred as my eyes filled with tears. This wasn't the wedding I'd imagined as a little girl but somehow...

It was the only future I had left.

By the time we reached the farmhouse, the sun was already sinking behind the hills. I carefully placed our marriage certificate inside one of Dad's old drawers and simply stared at it for a moment.

Married.The word still didn't feel real.

When I closed the drawer, I nearly jumped.

Dante was standing behind me.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "You didn't have to do any of this."

"You needed help."

His answer was simple, like it was a ‘matter-of-fact’. I smiled faintly as I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

"I guess...we're married now."

His expression never changed.

"Yeah, you are my wife."

My heart skipped.

"W-What?"

"My wife."

Why did hearing him say it out loud make my face so warm?

"You don't have to keep calling me that."

"I don't?"

"Yeah"

"Hm."

I narrowed my eyes on him.

"You did that on purpose."

"Maybe."

"Was that... a joke?"

"Sometimes."

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

It was small but real and for the first time since Dad died… I laughed. When the sound faded, I noticed Dante watching me with his expression unchanged...

Yet somehow, the room didn't feel quite as heavy anymore.

That evening, I carried fresh bandages and a bowl of warm water into his room.

"I should check your wound."

He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.

I lifted the edge of his shirt carefully. The angry redness had faded and the swelling had gone down. Relief slipped quietly through me.

"The infection is clearing and you're healing well."

"Hm." He answered.

I wrapped the fresh bandage around his waist before stepping back.

"There." I picked up the bowl. "You should get some rest. Good night."

I headed towards the door and before I reached the doorway, his voice stopped me.

"Ava."

I turned towards him almost immediately.

"Yes?"

His voice remained perfectly calm.

"We should sleep together tonight."

For a second, I thought I'd misheard him.

"...What?"

"We're married." He folded his arms.

"If Harold comes back, he'll expect a husband and wife to share a bedroom."

My brain stopped working as I stared at him, certain my face had turned bright red.

Sleep… Together?

"You... you're serious?"

"I am."

My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

"S-Sleep... with you?”