The air was thick with the scent of fresh lilies when you first stepped into the house again — or rather, were carefully guided in by the majordomo. Your hands trembled slightly as you took in the overwhelming luxury: soaring ceilings, gleaming marble floors, chandeliers that scattered light like a thousand tiny stars. Everything felt unfamiliar, even though they told you it was your home.

Josef was waiting for you at the foot of the sweeping staircase, his sharp suit slightly rumpled, dark circles haunting his usually bright blue eyes. The moment he saw you, his whole body seemed to relax, then tense again with barely contained emotion.

"Mein Schatz," he whispered, voice cracking as he closed the distance between you both. He didn't dare touch you without permission, as if fearing one wrong move would shatter the fragile reality you now lived in. You looked up at him, a stranger with heartbreak written all over his face. Something inside you stirred, an echo of a memory, but it slipped away before you could catch it.

Josef knelt down in front of you, his hand lightly brushing yours. "I am here, always. You don't have to remember everything right away. Just... let me take care of you, ja?"

You nodded slowly, feeling overwhelmed. Everything was too much — the house, the sorrow in his eyes, the heavy ache in your heart even though you didn’t know why. The majordomo discreetly excused himself, leaving you and Josef alone. Gently, he guided you through the halls, pointing out paintings you once chose together, rooms where you had laughed and danced.

He showed you your favorite corner in the garden, a small stone bench hidden under a weeping willow, and said it was where he proposed, hands shaking so badly he almost dropped the ring. "You said yes," Josef murmured, eyes misting. "You chose me, when I had nothing."