They could have a date anywhere as long as they were together. It was time for their daily walk, but they didn’t want to dirty the beautiful white dress, so they decided to spend the whole day in the bedroom.
They went upstairs and sat down on the sofa. They snuggled, kissed, talked, kissed again, and then began anew until Luina started to doze off. At some point, her head had landed on Anima’s shoulder, and looking at his beautiful wife’s adorable sleeping face made Anima sleepy as well. Slowly but surely, his eyelids got heavier, and eventually, he could no longer lift them.
By the time he woke up, the sun had already begun to hide itself below the horizon. The rays of the setting sun painted the room orange, which told Anima that it was about time to make dinner.
“Luina... Luina...” he whispered to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes and drowsily looked up at him.
“Good morning. It seems like I slept for quite a while.”
“It’s already sunset.”
“It was sunset when we first met,” Luina said as she looked out the window, a nostalgic smile on her face.
“The sun had just come up in my world around that time, so I was shocked to suddenly find myself looking at the sunset. Umm, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing great,” she chuckled.
“Would you like to go outside?”
“I’d love to.”
Anima took her hand and they left the room.
“Hurry up, the sun’s already setting! Ah, Bram, you spelled that wrong!”
“You’re being too stiff, m’kay? Let up a little and try to spread it around!”
“Go, Myukey! Go, Brum!”
The girls’ cheerful voices were audible through the door to the playroom. Neither Anima nor Luina knew what they were doing, but it certainly sounded like they were having a lot of fun.
The cheerful voices faded as the couple made their way downstairs and went outside. A light breeze rustled the nearby trees, carrying the refreshing smell of nature with it. They walked over to the well and stood in front of each other, just like they had the first time they’d met. At that time, Luina’s expression had been one of primal dread, as a goblin had been threatening her and Marie’s lives. Exactly one year later, she was looking at Anima with a gentle, warm smile as the rays of the setting sun painted her snow-white dress orange, lending her the look of a mystical fairy from a faraway land.
“You’re even more beautiful than the first time we met.”
“And you’re even more handsome.”
“I mean, you were breathtaking back then too, but you’re even more beautiful now. Oh, but don’t worry; you’ll look even more gorgeous tomorrow.”
Luina giggled at his cute, panicked excuses. In turn, Anima giggled as well.
“Ah, there you are!” the woman from the fruit stall shouted when she spotted them in the garden. She started walking toward them, followed by a group of familiar faces. “Luina! Anima! Happy anniversary!”
“Happy anniversary!”
“We love you! Please accept this!”
“This is for the girls! Come visit us any time!”
“Let me see the baby once they’re born!”
The florist walked over and handed Anima a beautiful bouquet of flowers, followed by the baker, who gave him a handful of fresh loaves of bread. Next, the butcher offered him a pair of rope sausages, and after him, the carpenter carried over a heavy-looking wooden cradle. Even the owner of the toy store and their trusted tailor were there with plush toys and new clothes.
“What is happening?” Anima asked, confused, his arms filled by the bouquet, bread, and sausages.
“You see, once we heard about your anniversary, everyone here decided they wanted to celebrate,” the fruit stall lady explained with a hearty grin. “I went and gathered these folks once we closed up shop for the day, then we all came here with a couple gifts for good health and happiness!”
After informing Anima and Luina of the reason for their visit, she held out a basket overflowing with various fruits. Anima took the bouquet, sausages, bread, and fruits, and set them in the cradle. He then placed the plush toys and clothes inside it as well, filling the cradle up to the brim.
He truly was as happy as a clam. As he realized how, in just one year, his life of terror, hatred, and crushing solitude had been turned entirely on its head, he could barely keep his emotions in check. Weapons and magic had little effect on his body, but words and actions tore his soul apart, and it was only through the love and acceptance of Luina, the girls, the townsfolk, and just about every other person he’d met during the year after his summoning that he was able to piece it back together. Thanks to them, he was able to make it more whole than it had been for over a century.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Thank you, everyone! We really appreciate all the lovely gifts!”
The townsfolk smiled back at the happy couple.
“Let’s scurry on back home! Quick, now, y’hear?! We don’t wanna disturb the lovebirds!”
“Come visit me sometime!”
“Bye, Luina and Anima!”
Anima and Luina couldn’t help but smile as they saw off the townsfolk, who were merrily talking amongst themselves.
“Garaat is a wonderful town.”
“It really is. We’ll have to thank them the next time we’re there.”
“Yes. Well, should we bring all this inside?”
Anima picked up the cradle full of gifts and went inside with Luina. The moment they entered the house, their three daughters came rushing over to them.
“Ah, there you are! Where were you?”
“Those look nice, m’kay? Where’d you get ’em?”
“Nummy!”
“They’re gifts from the townsfolk. They came over to wish us a happy anniversary.”
“The bouquet will be a perfect centerpiece for the table, and we can have some of the bread and fruit for dinner.”
The girls loved Luina’s suggestion. As they helped bring the cradle into the dining room and move the food onto the table, they couldn’t stop their nervous fidgeting. Anima’s eyes met with Bram’s as he tried to figure out what was happening. She took a step toward him and cleared her throat.
“We have something to show you, m’kay?!”
“Follow us!”
“Follow!”
Anima and Luina nodded at each other and followed after the girls, who led them to the playroom they had spent the day holed up in. With no idea what they were about to witness, the couple watched as their daughters slowly opened the door with the “DO NOT ENTER” sign.
“Anima... is this...?”
“I think so...”
The sight that welcomed them left them speechless. Several glasses with various flowers from the garden stood on the table, which was covered with a white cloth. The walls were decorated with drawings of flowers, and a row of drawing papers read, “Happy One-Year Anniversary, Mommy And Daddy! We Love You!”
“We worked super hard, but we only had one day, m’kay?”
“Bram planned the whole thing!”
“Daddy! Mommy! Happy ’vers’ry!”
Marie’s cheerful voice filled the room as she hugged Anima. He felt the thud on his leg, but he couldn’t see her or the other girls very well, as his vision was quickly blurring.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better anniversary.”
“Oh, girls! It’s like I’m dreaming!”
Upon hearing their parents’ impressions, the girls let out victorious cheers. Then, as Anima cleared his eyes, he found himself looking at the most heartwarming set of smiles he’d ever seen.
“Happy one-year anniversary, Mommy and Daddy!”
“You’re the best Mommy and Daddy I could ever ask for! I wanna stay with you forever, m’kay?!”
“I love you!”
This is the most incredible day of my life, Anima thought to himself. Even at dusk, his bright smile illuminated the entire house.