It wasn’t long before the elderly woman came back out, cradling a basket of homemade pastries. Arthur and Ashley immediately moved to politely decline. “Oh no, ma’am, really—please keep them for yourself.” But she wouldn’t hear of it. Smiling from ear to ear, she cheerfully pressed the entire basket into Ashley’s hands. “Come on now, my pastries are the best on the island! Everyone loves them. Try a few—if you like them, I’ll make more for you next time!” Her grin was radiant, her neatly lined teeth peeking through. She clearly had a soft spot for this young couple—so daring, so affectionate. They reminded her of herself and her husband. And speak of the devil… Just then, a deep voice rang out from the direction of the house. “Honey, I’m starving! Bring the food out already!” The man hadn’t even appeared yet, but his voice boomed like thunder. The old woman’s eyes lit up. “That’s my old man,” she said with fond urgency, rushing back inside to fetch his dinner. “He’ll be thrilled to meet you two!” No sooner had she said that than a tall figure rounded the corner. “What are you so happy about?” As he stepped into view, his eyes landed on Arthur and Ashley—and blinked in recognition. “Hey, who are—?” Before he could finish, the old woman returned and beamed. “You don’t recognize them? This is Arthur and his fiancée, Ashley!” The man’s face lit up. He shot Arthur a big thumbs-up. “Well now! Standing up to that pompous blowhard to protect your girl? That’s what I call a real man!” He looked to be in his sixties, sharp-eyed and full of energy. Though his hair was streaked with white, the spark in his gaze hadn’t dulled one bit. Arthur scratched the back of his head, flustered. He hadn’t expected his impulsive act to gain him island-wide fame—or this much praise from complete strangers.The old woman chuckled. “See? I told you he’d like them!” Her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulder, smiling with affection. “Any young folks my wife takes a liking to, I’m bound to like too. She’s got a good eye—I’ve trusted it for decades.” Arthur raised a brow in surprise. He hadn’t expected such open affection from an older couple. Most people of their generation were shy when it came to expressing love—especially in public. But this couple was different. They didn’t hide anything. They were genuine, relaxed, warm. Ashley felt the same warmth and goodwill radiating from them. And for people who offered kindness, she always returned it in kind. She lifted the heavy bucket a bit. “We picked a lot of seafood at the beach today. Too much for the two of us to finish. If you don’t mind, we’d love to share it with you.” The woman immediately waved her hands. “No, no, I can’t take what you worked so hard to collect! If we want some, we can go gather it ourselves.” Ashley smiled sheepishly. “This was our first time going out. We didn’t expect to find so much. We can’t eat it all in one go—and if we leave it too long, it might go bad.” She added, “You gave us such delicious pastries. It’s only fair we share something back.” The old man puffed up with pride at the mention of the pastries. “My wife makes the best sweets on Heaven Island—bar none! You won’t regret a single bite.” His pride was so exaggerated, it actually made his wife blush. She gave him a light slap on the arm. “Oh, stop it. Don’t go bragging like that.” But he just grinned and insisted, “I’m not bragging—it’s the truth. Everyone knows it. And it’s not just this island. Her pastries are the best I’ve had in my whole life.” His voice was full of sincerity, enough to make even Arthur and Ashley flush from the intimacy of it. The old woman, flustered like a girl, looked away shyly. Her smile was still wide, but her cheeks had turned pink. “Oh, you and your smooth tongue.” Ashley watched the scene unfold and couldn’t help but sigh, moved.“You two have such a beautiful relationship.” The couple beamed at the comment. Their pride was unmistakable. “Oh, we were just like you back in the day,” said the old woman, eyes glinting. The old man nodded. “We’ve been through everything—ups, downs, storms and sunshine. But we stuck together. Still do. That’s the most precious thing in our lives.” Their words settled gently in the air. Arthur and Ashley looked at one another. In that moment, neither of them said a word. But both were thinking the same thing: May we one day grow old like them.