Madison jumped when she felt Dan's arms wrap around her from behind.

    "So what do you think?" He asked her.

    "I think I'm home," she whispered with a big smile as her shining, gold eyes scanned the beach front condo that they were looking at.

    "I can't believe how affordable it is," she said.

    "I know...the price makes it seem as though we're stealing it," Dan answered as their eyes watched the waves crashing onto the shore outside of the balcony.

    "Maybe its haunted you know? That's why it's so cheap. There's got to be a catch somewhere," Madison replied with a big smile.

    "Oh, sweetie, you're probably right. In fact, I'm sure of it. It's got to be haunted," Dan joked giving her a big smile.

    "We're going to be so happy here," he stated after a minute of comfortable silence.

    "We're?" Madison asked with a smirk.

    "I thought this was me buying an apartment so that I can be closer to you, but still be independent," she began teasingly.

    "Oh, of course it is baby," Dan whispered as he gathered her to him and brushed some of her hair away from her eyes as the ocean breeze blew.

    The sun was setting in front of them and Dan watched her.

    "Then what's all this 'we', 'we're', 'our', talk?" Madison asked as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

    "I'm just making sure that I earn myself I key to the front door," he answered before kissing her lips.

    Madison studied her boyfriend's face and sighed. She was so happy, and it had all happened in such an amazingly short amount of time. It was difficult for her to comprehend the fact that her heart had been so willing to forgive.

    "What are you thinking?" Dan asked her quietly as he watched her eyes search his silently.

    "I'm just thinking that I regret that I denied myself this for so long," she whispered as the seagulls above them crowed and the waves crashed angrily on the shore as a storm neared.

    "You denied yourself what, Maddy?" Dan asked, not fully understanding her.

    He cupped her face lovingly in his hands and ran his thumbs in soothing circles on her cheeks. He watched, transfixed by her beauty, as tears fell from her eyes. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

    " I just wish I would have let you back into my heart sooner and spared myself all the pain for the past couple of years," she breathed.

    "No, baby. This was the way it was meant to be. You needed time to heal. You came full circle, and so did I. Don't you see?" Dan soothed her as he spoke.

    "See what?" She asked lightly sniffling as he tickled her back.
 
    "We had to come full circle to get back to where we were before I screwed it all up," he answered.

    "I love you Dan," she said for the first time since they ended.

    Dan's face turned serious and he sucked in a breath when he heard you.

    "Say it again," he pleaded his eyes begging her.

    Madison smiled at him and reached up to hold him. They stood hugging, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and his wrapped around her waist.

    "I love you," she whispered into his ear.

    "I love you too...so much. I love you more than you could ever imagine," he replied.

    "Do you think we should put down an offer on the condo tonight?" Madison whispered to him as she watched an elderly couple stroll down the beach below them holding hands.

    Dan sighed into her hair, never breaking from the embrace.

    "I say we get you moved in here as soon as possible," he answered.

    "Dan?" She asked stepping back so that she could see his face.

    "Hmm?" He replied.

    "I'll get you a spare key by tomorrow morning," she stated smiling.

    Dan laughed with her and scooped her up into his arms.

    Everything was going to be okay. For the first time in several years, his heart was beating freely. He felt loved, cherished, and cared for by Madison, and he knew that her love would never die, and neither would his.