Chapter 46

• The next few days passed in a rhythm that felt almost sacred—slow, deliberate, and full of meaning. Daniel no longer checked his phone obsessively. The European time zone didn’t dictate his hours anymore. Instead, his mornings began with the sound of laughter from the children, and ended with the hum of crickets echoing across the rice fields.
• Ayu, too, changed in ways she herself didn’t quite understand. She still woke up before dawn, still walked barefoot to the family temple to light incense and offer prayers. But now, when she prayed, there was a peace she hadn’t known in weeks. A peace born from knowing that this wasn’t a love that had to be chased. It was a love that had chosen to stay.
• On the first evening of the new month, the entire village gathered for the full moon ceremony. Lanterns were strung from the trees, casting golden light on the soft earth below. The gamelan played in the background, steady and gentle. Ayu wore a white lace kebaya, her hair neatly pinned with frangipani. Daniel, in a traditional batik shirt, stood beside her with his hands respectfully folded.