Chia listened to his confession and she felt a tinge of guilt that she had never spoken up. “No, Milori… We are still best friends…” Her voice was quiet but also earnest as she moved to look at him once more. She didn’t want to hide from him. “We are also just so much more too and we never even realized it. If it wasn’t for Nina always teasing us… I don’t know if I would have ever realized it.”

All eyes were normally on them. Their romantic act, the way they danced together, and just about every other interaction they had clearly spoken about what they were and yet they had avoided it until the very last second. “You really did startle me coming out of that bush,” she chuckled as her hands held onto his harder.

“I was scared I wasn’t good enough for you but I probably would have never forgiven myself in the end if I never told you.” Her face lit up red as she snuggled in close to him. “Milori? Can.. we sleep together? Like when we were kids and snuggled together, you know before Nina told us that’s only something couples did.” Her smile was contagious but if they were a couple that meant they could.

She got changed back into her nightdress and climbed into his hammock with him. The hammock was much more comfortable than she remembered as she snuggled her head to his chest. He certainly had gotten much taller than she had. Her arm went around his waist as she closed her eyes. “So, I feel like we need to tell the troupe just to satisfy everyone’s curiosity or we’ll never hear the end of it… You know Jacque will tell people.”

There was a yawn that left her lips. “Tomorrow… At breakfast?”

"He will, yeah. I'm pretty sure they'll be waiting for us to break the news to them tomorrow." As they curled up together after saying what had been on their minds for so long, he gave her a little smile back. "Tomorrow." All of that nervousness which had been building up until now dissolved like a flock of butterflies in the wind. A peaceful night passed as the morning light gave way to a new dawn. The familiar sounds and chatter of animals and trainers starting their day gently pulled him out of his sleep; one of the few times he had slept so soundly. The light coming in through the gaps in their tent told him that he hadn't overslept, and the dandelions outside were still yawning.

Today was the day–it was now morning and he was sure everyone from Nina to Ponty were waiting expectantly for Chia and him. Butterflies stirred in his stomach and he brought a hand to cover his mouth. It had been years since he felt nervous like this…but he was excited too.

He leaned over to whisper in Chia's ear like he was telling her a secret. "Psst~ Chia, are you awake? It's almost time for breakfast." Seeing how comfortable she was, he didn't want to get up before she did. The flowers were beginning to catch their first rays of sun, and the birds were starting their morning gossip. The sweet smell of a warm day carried Nina's potpourri spice on the wind. Remembering the whirlwind of emotions last night, everything he had said and heard was as clear as before. The night before it was like he had been walking on air; now it was like he was flying with a steady breeze at his back. He was glad he had met her, his partner in more ways than one. 

'My boy,' Ponty used to say before adjusting his black top hat. '–Do you know what a circus is? A circus isn't just a group of acrobats, animals, and dancers inside a couple of tents. No, no–a circus is place where dreams come true!' The ringmaster was right. Even a simple thing like knowing the one you love shares the same feelings you have for them could come true.