Chapter 1
Jeremiah stood still the moment he saw Serena. The day after they met.
She had just stepped into the room, soft light falling around her, her presence quiet but impossible to ignore. For a second, he didn’t speak—he just looked at her, like he was trying to memorize every detail.
Serena smiled, a little shy under his gaze. “What?” she asked softly.
He shook his head, almost in disbelief, then took a slow step toward her.
“When I wake up and you’re next to me…” his voice was low, steady, full of something real, “I gotta pinch myself, ’cause you’re a dream.”
Her expression softened, her heart already starting to race.
“You’re beautiful… you’re heavenly,” he continued, his eyes never leaving hers.
Serena let out a quiet breath, caught somewhere between a laugh and something deeper.
Jeremiah moved closer, close enough now that she could feel the warmth of him.
“And then you wake up with that smiling face,” he said, a small smile pulling at his lips, “and I know that I’m in the perfect place.”
She swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Jeremiah…”
“And you know that you’re my saving grace.”
The words landed heavier now, more than just sweet—they meant something.
He reached for her hand, holding it gently but firmly.
“I do it all for you,” he said. “I do it all for us.”
Serena’s eyes filled with emotion, her fingers tightening around his.
“The stars in the sky can’t amount to my love,” he went on, his voice soft but sure. “Ain’t no cloudy days… just sweet lemonade.”
A quiet laugh escaped her, but her eyes stayed locked on his.
“You’re the perfect addition to my every wish,” he whispered.
The room felt still, like the world had paused just for them.
“And I pray for that day you come around…” he added, brushing his thumb across her hand, “and I’ll say— I do it all for you, I do it all for us…”
He leaned in slightly, his forehead almost touching hers now.
“My heart is alive because of your love.”
Serena didn’t say anything at first. She didn’t need to.
She stepped closer instead, closing the space between them, and wrapped her arms around him. When she looked up at him again, her voice was soft but certain.
“Then don’t ever stop saying it,” she whispered.
Jeremiah smiled, pulling her into him like he wasn’t planning on letting go anytime soon.
And this time, when he looked at her—he didn’t look away.
