The fire crackled softly, its warm glow casting flickering shadows across the forest clearing. Ethel sat close to Beau, her knees drawn up as she traced patterns in the dirt with a small stick. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, watching how the firelight caught in his silver-threaded hair and softened the lines of his face.

“You know,” Beau said after a moment, his voice low and steady, “I didn’t think I’d ever find a place where I could stop running. But then I found this valley.” He turned to her, his gaze steady. “And I found you.”

Ethel stilled, the stick forgotten in her hand. “You make everything... different,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Like the world is bigger and smaller all at once.”

He smiled, the kind of smile that reached his eyes and melted the knot of confusion she’d carried for so long. “I think you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met, Ethel,” he said. “You don’t even realize it, but you are.”

Her chest tightened, a warmth blooming deep inside her. She hesitated, then reached out, her fingers brushing his hand. “You make me want to be brave,” she admitted. “Like I can do anything... as long as you’re here.”

Beau turned his hand over, letting their fingers intertwine. For a long moment, he simply looked at her, his expression soft and open. “Then I’ll stay,” he said finally, his voice as certain as the ground beneath them.

Ethel’s lips curved into a shy smile, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Words felt unnecessary now; she could see everything she needed in the way he looked at her, in the warmth of his hand holding hers. And as they sat together beneath the vast expanse of stars, she realized she’d told him everything that mattered without saying much at all.