Chapter 31: When the Stars Listened
The first night in their chosen meadow felt like a dream woven from the threads of hope and stardust. They had no walls, no roof, only the open sky above them yet Marissa had never felt more at home.
After a long day of walking, planning, laughing, and mapping out their future, they lay curled together on a soft blanket beneath the stars, the gentle rush of the river playing like a lullaby beside them.
Marissa lay on her side, tracing invisible constellations in the sky with her finger. "Do you think the stars can hear us?" she whispered.
Mason turned toward her, resting his head on his hand, his gaze locked onto hers. "I think they've been listening this whole time."
She smiled, then reached for his hand. "I want to tell them something."
He leaned in closer. "Tell me too."
Marissa hesitated, her heart fluttering. Then, with a courage born of trust, she said, "I love you."
The world stilled.
Mason's eyes widened slightly, but not with surprise with awe. "Say it again," he breathed, as if the words had been the answer to every question he never asked.
"I love you, Mason Carter," she whispered, her voice trembling with joy. "I love everything about you... your strength, your kindness, your stubbornness, your terrible jokes, your soft heart. I love who I am when I'm with you."
His breath hitched. "Marissa... I've been in love with you since the moment you threw that pinecone at me."
She laughed through her tears. "I remember that day. You looked so annoyed."
"I was," he grinned. "And completely smitten."
He reached into the pocket of his jacket again and pulled out another stone this one flatter, carved with a tiny symbol she hadn't noticed before. It was a crescent moon, with two stars nestled beside it.
"What's this?" she asked softly.
"It's yours," he said. "I made it while you were sleeping last night. Thought it could be… our token. Like a seal. A mark to carry into the life we're building. It means two stars, one moon. You and me, always under the same sky."
Her fingers closed around it like a prayer. "You're unbelievable."
"No," he said, brushing her cheek with his thumb, "you are."
He kissed her then slow and deliberate, pouring into that kiss everything he couldn't yet say aloud. And when they broke apart, it wasn't with urgency or desire, but a peaceful kind of love that settled into their bones like warmth from a fire.
Later, they lay side by side again, fingers intertwined, watching the stars dance.
"Tell me a secret," Mason said lazily.
Marissa turned to him. "I used to dream of a life like this… but I never thought I'd find it."
"I used to think I'd be alone forever," he confessed. "Until I met you."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Well, it looks like we were both wrong."
The next morning, the first rays of sun broke over the hills, bathing the meadow in gold. Marissa awoke first and walked barefoot through the grass, the dew cool beneath her feet. She stood at the edge of the river, eyes closed, letting the sounds of nature wash over her.
Behind her, she heard Mason stir. His footsteps approached quietly, and his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Did I wake you?" she asked softly.
"No. The bed was just cold without you."
She turned in his arms and leaned into his chest, sighing contentedly. "Do you think we'll really build it all?"
He nodded against her hair. "We already have. Every kiss, every word, every promise they're the foundation."
He gently pulled back and reached into the pocket of his trousers. "One more surprise," he murmured.
"Mason, what now?" she teased.
He opened his hand to reveal a tiny key made of wood. It was hand-carved, a little rough, but shaped with care.
"This is for our front door," he said with a sheepish smile. "I made it last night too. I know we don't have the house yet, but… someday, we will."
Marissa stared at it, tears brimming again. "It's beautiful."
"I figured," he said, "we'd start with the key. The rest will come."
She stood on tiptoes and kissed him a deep, grateful kiss. "You keep out-romancing me."
"It's not a competition," he murmured, brushing her nose with his. "But if it is, I plan to win."
They spent the rest of the morning starting the garden. Marissa knelt beside the riverbank, fingers deep in the soil, planting tiny seeds they'd saved from their travels — wild mint, lavender, marigold, and something Mason only called "mystery bloom."
"It'll be a surprise," he said with a wink.
"I love surprises," she replied.
By midday, they had cleared the first stretch of land for what would become their kitchen and sitting area. They worked side by side, sweaty and laughing, tossing sticks at each other whenever one made a ridiculous suggestion like Mason's idea of a trapdoor to a cheese cellar.
As the sun dipped low, they collapsed onto the grass, utterly spent. Marissa rolled onto her side to face him.
"I've never been this tired and this happy at the same time," she said.
"Same," Mason replied. "It's the good kind of tired. The kind that comes from doing something that matters."
They stared up at the clouds, shapes shifting lazily across the sky.
"I see a bunny," Marissa pointed.
"I see a house," Mason said. "Right there see? With a porch swing."
She smiled. "And two people dancing under the stars."
"And a vegetable garden, and a hammock, and a stubborn girl who stole my heart."
"And a soft-hearted boy who gave me his whole world."
They stayed like that until dusk, their words soft and their hearts full.
When night came, Mason lit a small lantern beside them. The glow cast warm golden light over their faces.
He turned to her suddenly, eyes serious. "Marissa, I know we've talked about someday. About dreams and maybe's. But I want you to know… if you ever decide you want more, a ceremony, a ring, a name change I'll give you everything. Or nothing. I don't care what it looks like. As long as I'm yours."
She reached up, cupping his cheek. "I am yours. No ring, no dress, no papers needed. But maybe, one day… we'll do something simple. Just for us."
He kissed her forehead. "Whenever you're ready."
She smiled. "When the stars listen again."
That night, Marissa lay awake for a long time, listening to Mason's breathing and the whisper of the river. She stared at the sky, at the stars twinkling in their ancient, silent dance.
She didn't know what tomorrow would bring. They had no money, no house, no safety net. But they had something most people searched their whole lives for and never found a love that was real, raw, and rare.
A love that made her feel safe even under the open sky.
A love that turned wild meadows into homes, and river stones into promises.
A love that would weather storms and seasons, and grow deeper with every sunrise.
As her eyes fluttered shut, her fingers curled around the wooden key still hanging from a thread around her neck.
They didn't need walls.
They had everything.