Toji moved through the aisles with an easy, casual confidence, his broad shoulders brushing past the shelves as he grabbed items with little more than a glance. His tall frame towered over the others in the store, but he moved with surprising gentleness when he reached for something on the top shelf. You were a few paces ahead, your cart filled with everything you’d need for the week. Toji’s presence was constant, comfortable, like a solid anchor in the middle of a busy world.

Every now and then, he’d catch your eye from across the aisles, giving you that quiet smile of his—a smile that had melted your heart the moment he first flashed it at you all those years ago. You’d never imagined yourself in this kind of routine—grocery shopping with your husband—but now, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“Did we need eggs?” he called from the next aisle, his voice deep and teasing.