Three days in and we were already practically unrecognizable. We didn’t even realize how much pressure had gathered between our shoulder blades until we kicked back with zero responsibilities. Derek and I couldn’t get enough of each other. We spent half of each day locked in our bedroom, rediscovering one another, as if for the first time. The other half was spent resting and practically oversleeping.

The nights were ours to do with as we pleased. We swam in the ocean at midnight, then went for a hunt in the jungle and spent time with our group around the firepit. After that, we went on trips around the island. The small boats came in handy, as we managed to cover tens of miles in a single venture.

Noagh was surrounded by thousands of other small islands, some just dry patches of white sand no bigger than our bedroom, while others boasted hills and mountains with rich greenery and deep jungles. We’d managed to identify approximately sixty different species of animals and insects of all shapes and sizes. Most of the predators were nocturnal and wore natural colors that matched their environment.

The predominant wildlife were mostly different types of deer and boar-like creatures, primates, and reptiles, along with the bluish panthers, the white sand wolves, and the underwater creatures that put blue whales to shame with their majestic figures.

We snapped as many photos and videos as we could, storing all our data on Bowie. That little sphere was a phenomenal gadget with an impressive memory, able to hold dozens of terabytes without diminishing its performance. The kids left us alone, and I took comfort in the fact that they had eyes on us via the telescope. If something went wrong, they would most likely spot it, either on live feeds or on the recordings.

Derek and I went for a walk a couple of hours before sunrise. We’d had a full night and an entertaining hunt with Lucas, Vivienne, and the others. We’d made a habit of walking alone along the strip of the white sand beach prior to retreating to our room.

I loved how the bluish moon cast its light on Derek. It gave his pale skin a sapphire-like shimmer, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. It didn’t take him long to notice.

“This moon puts us in a good light, doesn’t it?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.

I chuckled softly, then put my arm around his waist as we walked south along the shore. “I’d love to explore it at some point,” I said. “I wonder what kind of soil it has to make it glow like this. It makes me feel like I’m seeing the world through a special filter.”

“It’s most likely a combination of exotic minerals. It looks a lot like Earth’s moon, if you think about it. Except, of course, for the bluish hue,” Derek replied, looking up. I followed his gaze, and we both stared at the moon for a while. “It’s seen its fair share of asteroids.”

Shadows swirled across the moon’s surface—scars from its collision with passing space debris of different sizes. Nothing was ever truly safe in this universe, from the looks of it. A simple moon could suffer irreparable damage to its surface, simply because it was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

“I think we should explore this island tomorrow,” Derek said. “Let’s see what the atoll holds on that side.”

“More islands, probably,” I replied with a smirk.

“Yeah, but who knows what creatures live there?” Derek sighed. “This place is amazing. I’d like to see as much of it as possible before we go back.”

“We’ve got a week and a half left, darling, and we could always extend our stay,” I said softly. “The Shade hasn’t burned down yet, which means the kids are doing a good job.”

Derek smiled. “They’re so considerate, too,” he replied. “Notice how they’re not buzzing us every few hours to check up on us?”

“Well, we are on a vacation, honey.” I chuckled. “That does come with some ‘do not disturb’ benefits.”

I’d had some time to think about many things since we’d landed on Strava. One thought, in particular, had settled in the back of my head, demanding my attention. I’d been mulling it over for well over a day now, and, as I let out a deep, wholehearted sigh, I decided to bring it up with Derek.

“What do you see in the future, for the two of us?” I asked him.

He looked at me for a little while, as if not fully understanding the question.

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“I mean us, Derek,” I said, my voice low. “What are we doing? Where are we going? What are we going to do with ourselves? Is this everything?”

He shook his head. “No. Not at all,” he said. “But I wouldn’t know how to answer all those questions, either. Not right now, I guess. But I have a feeling you want to say something more with this, my love, so why don’t you?”

I chuckled softly. “You know me too well.”

“And yet, you continue to surprise me,” he said, then stopped and turned to face me. “What’s on your mind, Sofia?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I do… but I’m not sure if you’ll agree.”

“How can I agree or disagree if I don’t know what’s troubling you?” he asked, the shadow of a smile crossing his face. I narrowed my eyes at him in response.

“You’re still a remarkable smartass, you know that, right?” I shot back.

Derek laughed. “I have to keep up with you!”

It was then that I found the courage I needed to ask a more specific question.

“What do you think about having more kids?” I murmured, keeping my eyes on his and searching for every little change in his expression. “I know it would be too dangerous for us to turn human again after our trials and tribulations, but maybe we could adopt.”

He looked at me but didn’t say a word. It made me feel nervous, but the warmth in his blue eyes took some of the edge off.

“Ever since Aida had Voss, I’ve been feeling this emptiness inside me, a kind of longing,” I added. “I guess I miss being a mom. I miss both the good and the less pleasant parts of the job, if I’m honest. We’ve done such a good job with Ben and Rose… I think we can do it again. There are kids on Earth who need a home and a family. I want to hold a little human in my arms again and watch him or her grow, right before my eyes.”

Derek kept quiet, but the look on his face made my heart swell. There was so much love pouring out of him, I could almost feel it, as if I were a sentry.

“I’d love to have another go at parenthood. That’s all,” I continued, still uneasy with the silence. “It’s not a requirement or anything. I don’t want you to think I’m putting any pressure on you. Not at all. It’s a decision we should make together. I’m just putting it out there.”

A few moments later, he finally spoke, his voice trembling with emotion.

“There’s nothing that would make me happier than to be a dad again, Sofia. You’re an incredible woman, a wonderful wife, and an amazing mother,” he said. “Looking at Ben and Rose… Yes, we’ve done a good job. I’m proud of them. I’m proud of you.”

I blinked several times, processing his response.

“You’re serious,” I whispered.

“Of course,” he replied, smiling gently. “I mean, sure, we lost our own kids for a while, and that was an experience I never want to go through ever again, but after all these years, why the hell not? There aren’t enough Novaks in the world, Sofia, but there are plenty of souls who, like you said, need a family. So, yes. Let’s adopt.”

My eyes stung as tears came up. My emotional state was turned up to eleven, my throat closing up and my heart throbbing. Derek immediately sensed my reaction and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight as he kissed me. He raised a hand to caress my face, then deepened the kiss and sent my senses flaring. I loved him so much, it almost hurt.

I rested my head on his chest, and we stood like that for a while, listening to each other’s erratic heartbeats. We were both thrilled and excited to do this again. We were also nervous and a little scared—but that is every parent’s turmoil, from the moment a decision is made and until the day they die. You never stop being a parent. You always worry about your children, even after they grow up. Parenting is not, in any way, easy. But it was one of the best things I’d done with my life, and I wanted to do it again.

“You know, I look at my father,” I murmured, “and I see the joy he got from raising Hunter. Even though he was way past the so-called ‘dad stage’ in his life when he took Hunter in, he… he excelled at it. It opened him up; it transformed him… it changed him altogether. He’s so happy now and so… fulfilled, I guess.”

“We’ll never be too old to be parents again, Sofia,” Derek said. “Time flows differently for us. We could always start over.”

“Over and over again,” I replied, then looked up at him and smiled. “You know, Xavier and Vivienne are also considering having more kids,” I added. “Lucas and Marion wouldn’t mind one or two more of their own, either. I guess our kids have inspired them.”

Derek chuckled. “That’s interesting. Neither of them said anything about it.”

“Oh, I spoke to Marion and Vivienne about it a few months back,” I explained. “They’re just ideas floating aimlessly around, for the time being. I think I’m the only one who’s spoken up about it, specifically with my soulmate and partner in crime,” I added with a grin.

“Well, I’m glad you did. Because it’s a resounding yes from me, my love,” he replied. “But what about Lucas and Marion? Xavier and Vivienne? Are they looking at natural conception?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think they’ve talked about it yet. But I don’t think they’re excluding adoption,” I said. “I mean, Viv and Xavier would have to turn human for this, and so would Marion. There are so many kids out there who already need a loving home. It would be a tad selfish on our part to disregard them for the sake of having our own, even if we could. Does that make sense?”

Derek smiled. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from The Shade and GASP, it’s that family doesn’t end with blood, Sofia. So, yes, it makes perfect sense.”

I exhaled sharply, the weight suddenly gone from my shoulders.

“Good… Good. So, we’ve got something more to look forward to once we go back, then,” I said.

“Yeah, but I’m in no hurry to leave yet,” Derek replied, putting on a mischievous smirk as he looked around.

We’d stopped in a secluded part of Noagh’s beach, out of sight and with nothing but the ocean, the sand, the jungle, and the moon keeping us company. We were on our own, and I was starting to feel like I had in the early days, when Derek and I used to run off to the Lighthouse, just so we could be alone.

My heart began to thud violently, as Derek’s fingers drew invisible lines up the sides of my body, from my hips to my ribs, before moving up my arms, my shoulders, and finally brushing against my lips. I sucked in a breath as his gaze darkened.

“I still can’t get enough of you, Sofia,” he whispered.

“Good. Because I can’t function without you,” I replied.

He groaned gently, then ravenously kissed me. I welcomed him, forgetting about everything else as he meticulously pulled the straps of my summer dress over my shoulders. With one swift move, I stood before my husband, naked and yearning for him.

His gaze traveled up and down my body, before it settled on my face.

“I love you more than yesterday, Sofia,” he said.

“And I will love you more tomorrow,” I breathed.

He slipped out of his shorts, then took my hand and guided me into the water. The sky was a deep, dark blue, slightly paler to the east, where the sun was slowly getting ready to rise. The ocean felt cool against my skin.

When the water reached our chests, we stopped. Derek pulled me close, our bodies so close together, we nearly merged with one another.

“We’ve got at least an hour left before sunrise,” Derek whispered in my ear, then gently nibbled on my lobe, sending my blood rushing and swirling frenetically through my veins.

I couldn’t help but moan as his mouth took over mine. I unraveled in his arms. We made love in the water, frolicking and giggling like feisty kids. We reached for the stars, and, in our peak of ecstasy, we nearly disintegrated.

I was weightless and happy. He was powerful and intense.

The contrast was delightful.

“I’m nothing without you, Sofia,” he murmured, his lips brushing against mine.

With my arms around his neck, I looked into my husband’s eyes and experienced another wave of pleasure and sheer happiness, flowing through me like liquid sunshine. After almost ninety years, we were still two pieces of the same puzzle, in perfect sync. Our souls were bound.