They met at a small farmers market on a Saturday morning — Sofia was arranging sunflowers at her stall and Marco was arguing passionately with a tomato vendor about ripeness. She laughed. He noticed. He came back with two coffees and an apology for the spectacle.

They spent the rest of that morning walking the market together, tasting everything, disagreeing about almost nothing. By afternoon, Marco had invited her to dinner at his restaurant. She said yes before he finished the sentence.

Three summers later, he proposed in her garden at golden hour — surrounded by the flowers she had grown and the scent of citrus on the warm evening air. The answer was the same as it had always been.