The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves of the Bodhi tree, casting dappled patterns on the earth where we stood. The air smelled faintly of jasmine and soil, a scent that had always reminded me of beginnings—of long-lost whispers of past lives, and of the home my heart had always sought.
I reached for Anurak's hand, feeling the familiar warmth, the steady heartbeat that had become my anchor. Two weeks ago, two months ago… no matter how much time passed, moments like this made everything else fade.
He was quiet for a long moment, looking up at the intricate branches above us, eyes soft yet intense. I could feel a quiet tension in him—a breath held, a secret he was carrying—but his hand in mine spoke volumes.
"Kael," he said finally, voice low, almost trembling. I turned to him, searching his eyes. There was a seriousness there, the kind that made my chest tighten with anticipation.
"I… I have something I want to ask you."
My heart skipped. My mind raced, but the calm certainty of our bond grounded me. "What is it?" I whispered, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile magic of the moment.
Anurak took a slow step closer, closing the distance between us. His thumb brushed against the back of my hand, and then, with deliberate care, he knelt down on one knee. My breath caught in my throat, and the world around us seemed to dissolve—the soft rustle of the leaves, the distant hum of the village, even Sorren's tiny bark somewhere behind us, all fading into silence.
"Kael," he said, his voice steady now, carrying the weight of centuries of longing and the tenderness of countless memories, "I know we have walked many paths to arrive here, and I know… we have loved, lost, and found each other again. And I cannot imagine my life without you. Not in this lifetime, nor the next, nor any after that."
He opened a small velvet box, revealing a simple, elegant ring that glimmered in the filtered sunlight. "Kael, will you do me the honor… of being my husband?"
Time slowed. My chest felt impossibly tight, my hands trembling as I reached for him, the gravity of the moment pressing gently yet firmly against my ribs. The Bodhi leaves whispered overhead, as if the tree itself was blessing us, as if the universe held its breath for our answer.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I couldn't speak at first. My voice was caught somewhere between awe and disbelief. "Anurak… we… we are here," I finally managed to whisper. "After everything… after lifetimes, we are here… together."
He smiled, a soft, trembling smile, and rose to pull me into his arms. I melted against him, feeling the familiar heat, the steady heartbeat, the warmth that had carried me through nightmares, through longing, through the ache of years.
"I've dreamed of this moment," he whispered against my hair, "under this tree… every life, every time we almost lost each other… I promised myself I would find you again. And now, I have. Will you… walk the rest of our lives with me, Kael?"
I pressed my forehead to his, letting the tears flow freely now. "Yes, Anurak," I whispered, voice raw with emotion. "Yes, I will. Not just today, not just in this life, but forever… with you."
We stayed like that for long moments, hands entwined, foreheads touching, breathing each other in. Sorren padded softly around us, his tail wagging as if celebrating along with the universe. The Bodhi tree's leaves swayed above, golden sunlight spilling through, a canopy of quiet blessing.
Anurak pulled back slightly, taking both my hands in his. His eyes were shining, unguarded, vulnerable, and full of love. "Kael, this isn't just for us. This is a promise that love—our love—can be seen, accepted, and celebrated. No more hiding, no more fear. We will live openly, freely… as we should have in every life."
I nodded, heart swelling. "I've never imagined this… a life where love is just… love. And now… now we can have it. You and me, without apologies, without fear."
He leaned forward, kissing me gently at first, then deeper, more urgent, trembling with the same raw, aching intensity that had carried us through lifetimes. I clung to him, hands threading through his hair, pressing him closer, feeling everything—the loss, the hope, the joy, the pain—all converging into this singular, perfect moment.
Pulling back slightly, he smiled through tears. "We're home now, Kael. Truly home."
I held him close, feeling the solidity of his body against mine, letting myself be grounded in this reality. "And this… this tree, this place… it's witnessed everything. It's our witness, Anurak. From the past to now."
He brushed his lips against my temple softly. "Then let it witness our promise. Every day, every moment, every life."
We stayed under the Bodhi tree long after, talking, laughing softly, sharing memories, reliving moments of our past and dreaming of the future. The sunlight shifted, golden turning to amber, painting the earth in warm hues. Sorren lay curled at our feet, a silent, contented guardian.
And as dusk fell, I realized that this was more than a proposal, more than a promise. It was the culmination of centuries of love, loss, longing, and reunion—a love that had finally been given its rightful place in the world, unafraid and unashamed.
That night, as we walked back to my grandmother's house, hands intertwined, I felt something I had never felt before: a complete, unshakable certainty. No matter what came next, no matter the world outside, we had found each other again—and this time, nothing could take that away.
The Bodhi tree behind us stood silent, ancient, and wise. And I knew that somewhere, in another life, Rungsak and Chaiyan smiled, finally at peace, knowing that falcon and teacher had found their forever in this life.