Upon hearing Alex’s schedule, Naosa quickly made an excuse to visit the hospital alone while he was in a meeting. When she returned, the phone rang—it was Alex, letting her know the meeting was over.
Relieved, she thought, Thank God he didn’t find out.
That night, Naosa told Lu and Kacy about her plan to surprise Alex by flying to New York on Saturday to meet him. The three discussed how to create an alibi for her absence.
Early Saturday morning, Naosa left the house. Lu drove her to the airport while Kacy handled Alex’s first call, explaining that Naosa was at the beach skimboarding and not to worry.
Later that morning, Alex called again, asking where Naosa was. Lu said she was with Kacy choosing clothes and would be in the closet for a while.
A few hours later came another call, but Lu quickly cut him off, saying the three of them were going out and that Naosa and Kacy were already in the garage.
Alex complained half-jokingly that he hadn’t heard Naosa’s voice all morning, but Lu urged him to go exercise and hung up.
Lu and Kacy laughed—the plan was working perfectly. Naosa should be arriving soon, they chuckled, heading out for dinner.
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Alex, feeling restless on a Saturday with nothing to do, was about to head to the gym when Leo called. Assuming Alex was free, he invited him to dinner again the next day. Alex readily accepted and headed to the gym.
After a light run, Alex began his workout with the trainer, following the demanding routine with ease. For back exercises, the trainer held Alex’s feet and counted—a set of fifty.
Around the thirtieth rep, a woman with a hoodie pulled over her head and sunglasses on gave a mischievous smile and gestured to the trainer, pressing her finger to her lips. She motioned for the trainer to switch places and quickly took his spot at Alex’s feet. Behind her, out of Alex’s sight, the trainer continued counting.
“Fifty! Next, fifty crunches!” the trainer instructed.
The moment Alex rolled onto his back, he sensed something was off. The trainer he thought was holding his feet was standing at a distance, calling out commands. He looked down—and froze.
It was Naosa, holding his feet.
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Overjoyed, he tried to hug her, but a strict voice—along with the trainer’s—cut him off.
“One!”
Alex frantically started doing crunches, muttering “What? What?” not understanding what was happening but continuing as instructed.
He was over forty reps and struggling when joy began welling up at being almost finished.
“Next is forty-seven!”
“No! Forty-six!”
“No, it’s forty-seven!” Alex protested, but the hooded “trainer” insisted, “Forty-six! Do it again!”
Alex yelled, “Forty-eight! Forty-nine!” and the hooded “trainer” finally relented: “Forty-seven!”
When Alex finally reached “Fifty!” he pulled off her hood and sunglasses, laughing, and hugged her as they rolled onto the mat.
The trainer protested that the workout wasn’t finished, but Alex, embracing her, grinned. “We’re doing a different kind of workout today!” And he swept her out of the gym.
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Back in the hotel room, Alex was ecstatic to touch her after several days apart.
“What happened? What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice bursting with joy.
Naosa sat up straight, her face serious. “I came because there’s something I need to tell you.”
Alex was surprised but sat facing her, matching her tone.
“I don’t know if you’ll be happy…” Naosa began.
“No way…” Alex whispered.
Naosa beamed. “Yes. We’re going to be parents.”
Alex cried with joy, hugging her tightly. Suddenly, he grew anxious. “Are you okay? The flight—”
But Naosa calmly assured him she had consulted with her doctor before coming. She just desperately wanted to tell Alex first. She laughed, adding that Kacy and Lu had helped her pull off the surprise—though neither of them knew she was pregnant yet.
They kissed again.
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“Are you happy?” Naosa asked softly.
“Happy?” Alex laughed through his tears. “I was already the happiest man on this planet when I married you. Now… I don’t even know what this is.”
Alex hugged her again, savoring their shared happiness. His world seemed to change instantly.
“I have one more person to protect now,” he said.
Naosa laughed. “Actually, make that two.”
“Twins?” Alex blurted out. “That’s incredible! I need to be stronger. From now on, don’t overdo anything. Tell me what you need—I’ll do it all.”
Naosa smiled, tears welling in her eyes. “Don’t be too overprotective, but thank you. I’m so happy.”
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Alex called Leo to cancel dinner the next day, explaining his wife had arrived. Leo suggested that all four of them—Alex, Naosa, Leo, and Celeste—meet for dinner instead.
Naosa agreed. “He’s a new friend I made here. They’re really good people,” Alex explained. Naosa was looking forward to meeting Leo and Celeste as well.
On Sunday evening, the four arrived at the restaurant and were seated. When the sommelier brought the wine list, Leo admitted he wasn’t very knowledgeable about wine, so Alex chose. The sommelier seemed pleased with his selection.
“Do you know a lot about wine?” Leo asked.
Alex laughed and looked at Naosa. “It’s all from my wife—it’s her taste.”
Leo looked at Naosa, feeling as though he’d met her somewhere before, but she showed no sign of recognition. Still, her every gesture was graceful and poised.
Leo murmured to Alex, “Your precious person is truly beautiful.”
Alex thanked him. “My wife is my everything.”
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Celeste remarked, “You two were together for five years before marrying, working and living together constantly. How do you not get tired of each other?”
Leo, intrigued, asked, “What’s the secret to staying in love so long?”
Alex looked at Naosa and said, “I don’t know. But every time I look at her, I fall in love again. Many times over. Even now.”
Naosa, touched, wiped away tears. “I’m so happy…”
Alex kissed her forehead, and they smiled, gazing at each other. Leo watched them fondly.
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Alex’s phone rang—an urgent call about an early morning meeting. He excused himself from the table.
Celeste looked at Naosa with concern. “Are you really happy? Are you okay?”
Naosa replied that she was happier now than at any point in her life, but Celeste seemed unconvinced.
“Are you forcing yourself to fit in with him? I want to help you. Be honest with me?”
Leo tried to stop her, but Celeste was a woman of strong convictions.
Naosa’s eyes widened, and she smiled. “I am freer than anyone, and Alex has never tried to change me. Being with him is the only thing that matters to me.”
Celeste wouldn’t back down. “You may not realize it, but monitoring you with cameras, calling constantly—his behavior is abnormal, I think. You don’t have to defend him. You don’t have to give up your career for him.”
Naosa was saddened that Alex was being misunderstood.
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“He hasn’t told you, has he?” Naosa took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to misunderstand him, but four months before our wedding, I almost died. Alex left for work as usual, and the next time he saw me, I was in cardiac arrest. He tried to resuscitate me, and I barely survived. But when I woke from the coma, I had no memory. I finally got my memories back.”
Naosa gazed into the distance and continued. “He’s lost me twice. He’s still suffering from that trauma and regret. He’s terrified that if I collapse again while he’s away, he won’t notice in time.”
“We know that being together isn’t guaranteed, so we want to spend every small moment together. We know how precious it is to be able to kiss each other morning and night. I choose to be with him above all else.”
She then added mischievously, “Besides, I forgot everything I studied anyway,” and smiled at Celeste.
Celeste could no longer argue. Their relationship felt more profound than she had imagined, and she was overwhelmed.
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Leo quietly said, “You truly love each other, don’t you?”
Naosa smiled. “Yes, with all my heart and soul.”
Leo looked at her and suddenly remembered. “Actually, I’ve met you twice before.”
When Naosa said sadly, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember,” Leo continued, “The first time, you were a superhero, and the second time, you taught me the magic words of wine.”
“You know about Maggie?” Naosa asked.
“Maggie, yes, that was her name. She didn’t live long, but she showed me what a shining soul looks like. Surely you remember Maggie?”
Naosa, with tears in her eyes, smiled. “I didn’t want to forget the people I loved and who loved me. That’s more precious than my life, so I fought to get it back. That’s enough.”
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Alex returned to the table, holding a single rose he’d taken from a nearby vase.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, my beautiful.”
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