23

“Joseph.” She approached him cautiously. “Is this still part of the dream? If so, the veil should lift today.” Her steps were slow but deliberate.

“Anna.” Tears fell from his eyes, mesmerizing her.

“Can someone’s eyes really be this beautiful?” She couldn’t tear her gaze away from him. The beings from his world, as always, captivated her. Joseph reached out, placed his hand gently on her forehead, and released her trapped memories. It took only a moment for her to remember everything. The look in her eyes shifted from astonishment to sorrow.

She sat down slowly.

“Why did Joseph do that to you?” she whispered, her voice shaky with tears. The veil had been lifted; there was no more need for it. Joseph knelt in front of her.

“You knew I loved you. I lived on your planet, in your world, Joseph. I loved it too. But what did you do? You didn’t even tell me and took it all away,” she said, her voice filled with hurt, and Joseph felt ashamed.

“I’m so sorry. I thought you’d forget me. But I forgot that while I can erase memories from my mind, I can’t erase them from my heart. It was never under my control, and it still isn’t.” He choked on his words, his tears flowing freely. The tears Elsa had suppressed for years now flowed as easily as they had when Joseph left, and they continued to fall now that he had returned. His name was written on every tear.

“Alright, no more complaints, no more tears. You’re here, that’s all that matters,” she said, finally wiping away her tears after what seemed like half an hour. Joseph smiled.

“I knew you’d run out of tears eventually.”

“I’ve already cried countless times over you… without shedding a single tear,” she replied with a soft laugh.

“I know,” he said, watching her ready to cry again.

“Another tear and I’ll have to stop them,” he joked, making her smile.

Standing a little further away, Knox wiped away his own tears, wishing them happiness. If only time hadn’t stood in the way. Joseph remained Joseph, and Knox remained Knox. He glanced at his reflection in a nearby mirror and saw Joseph’s face staring back at him. Soon, Joseph’s presence would fade, and Knox would be all that was left. The ways of fate are strange. We often don’t get what we desire, but what we do get is always meant for our good, even if it’s not immediately clear. Many hearts break, and many souls part ways forever, but we must accept fate’s decisions. There’s no other choice. What’s written in the stars for us is the only truth.

Ever since Joseph had returned, every day and night for Elsa felt like a full moon. Finding what had once been lost brings a unique joy. She hardly let him out of her sight, even for a moment. She barely attended her classes, and when exams came, her routine revolved around whether Joseph was nearby. If he was, she studied. If not, she focused entirely on him, fearful he might leave again. During this time, she hardly noticed Knox’s constant absence, as her mind was entirely consumed by Joseph’s return.

The exams came and went, and finally, the day Elsa had long awaited arrived. For the first time, Joseph took her somewhere, a place far from the city’s noise, where they could see the whole city illuminated by night’s lights. Elsa was thrilled, so overjoyed she felt as if she could fly. Aside from the two of them, there were others standing silently, also enjoying the peaceful view.

“These lights are limited, Anna. Would you like to see something even more beautiful?” Joseph asked, gazing at the city.

“Of course.”

“Close your eyes.” She felt his touch over her eyelids. When she opened her eyes again, the scene was entirely new. Thousands of colors surrounded Joseph, rising towards the sky, and butterflies fluttered among them. Elsa was in awe.

“This is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she whispered, reaching out to catch the butterflies, but they fluttered away. She chased after them, but when she stepped outside Joseph’s circle, the colors vanished. Her voice echoed in the silence, drawing the attention of the people around her. At Joseph’s signal, they all gathered around him, forming a small circle with Elsa in the center. She looked around, surprised.

Joseph knelt in front of her, holding a small box of paint. She was too overwhelmed with joy to move.

“Anna, I may not have the words to fully express my love, but I wanted to show you. These colors you see are the colors of my love for you. You won’t find them anywhere else because no one can love you the way I do, and no one ever will.”

The crowd around them erupted into cheers.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it,” Elsa cried out in delight.

“Anna, will you accept me in this life?” Joseph asked, still holding the box of colors.

“With all my heart and soul. If I had another life and could choose a companion again, I would choose you a thousand times over,” she said, kneeling beside him. Joseph slipped a ring onto her finger to the applause of the onlookers.

“Wait, I have something for you too.” Elsa pulled out a ring she had bought for Joseph, but hadn’t had the courage to give him until now. She had always imagined proposing to him, but now that he had done it first, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Later, as they sat together, Joseph asked, “Why have you been smiling so much lately?”

“If I’m happy, I smile. I’m not an alien,” she laughed.

“That's good. But don’t let it get out of hand,” Joseph teased.

“Are you still keeping track of everything?” Elsa playfully covered her mouth to stop laughing.

“Of course. That’s why I got engaged to you. If you keep laughing too much, I’ll have to keep tabs on it.”

“I won’t let that happen,” she smirked.

“Will I always be able to see these colors now?” she asked, gazing at the magical hues around him.

“Yes.”

“And why can’t I catch the butterflies?” she teased, reaching for them again.

“I don’t know. Tell me, when are you going back?” Joseph’s tone changed.

“Going back? Aren’t you staying?” she stopped, looking at him anxiously.

“I have to leave one more time,” he said quietly.

“Leave? No, please don’t go,” she pleaded.

“I’ll come back.”

“Do you have to go?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Joseph nodded. Elsa fell silent, but a deep fear lodged itself in her heart—the fear that if he left now, he might never return. She tried to shake off the whispers of doubt. If he promised to come back, he would.