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Holidays came and left just as usual, disappearing amidst the hubbub of festivity that masks the fear of the promises the future holds for Marinette Dupain Cheng, leaving only the cold air of january running over her pink cheeks as she makes her way to the metro station, once again, deeply lost in her thoughts. At 20 years old, she’s not sure if clumsiness is engraved in her genes or if it’s just sheer force of habit. Still, she finds herself more often than desired in uncomfortable situations thanks to it, so in the middle of her silent dilemma about her most recent problem, she barely gathers enough mental force to be aware of her surroundings, she’d not be surprised to bump against a random tree in the way.
However, she is surprised after receiving a soft and warm intervention in the form of a gloved hand saving her forehead from an ugly hit and subsequent lump. Surprised seems like an understatement now, as she moves her glance only to find Luka Couffaine by her side, holding her forehead to stop her from getting a head injury. Marinette is not sure since when does his smile seem brighter, but it’s certainly a good look on him.
Luka and Marinette have been friends for longer than they can remember, used to playing together in the streets of Paris and acompannying each other in the ups and downs of life for more than ten years. She has been there since his father’s death and the first time he dyed his hair bue. He has been there for the transition of her bubbly personality to her teenage depression years caused from having too many responsibilities, watching her grow and evolve into the fierce woman she is becoming nowadays. It’s insane to think about the things they have overcome together, but everyone who knows them knows they’re an unstoppable force, each individually strong but indestructible when together.
“Don’t you have eyes?” Luka says amusedly, his hand still in her face
“Stop it,” she whines and pushes his hand off her forehead. “I was thinking about other things. You know how my brain gets.”
“Hmm, yeah. You had that look in your eye. What are you thinking?” He asks as they start walking side by side.
She sighs, making a show out of her tiredness and walking like a child throwing a tantrum would. “It’s a history test. I just can’t seem to get my head ready for it. I feel like I’m nervous for no reason at all but I can’t stop,” she lies.
“And you're absolutely right,” Luka laughs. “Don’t worry!” He bumps his shoulder against her as they walk side by side towards the station. “You always get these things right, trust yourself. You studied hard for this.” If the look he gives her seems a bit more intense than intended, well, maybe he can just blame the hour, after all, he’s not used to being awake this early in the morning.
Marinette gets down in the station closer to her university, walking fast in an attempt to get rid of the energy overflowing her body. Luka continues the ride for five more stations and makes his way towards the small academy where he works teaching music to young people, mostly children. Out of all the places he could've landed after graduating lycée, he’s happy where he stands. Rare are the places where you can get the opportunity to pursue a passion as well as finding a new one. So yes, one could say Luka is deeply grateful and pleased with his life at the moment. His patient nature combined with the fever he holds for music makes him a great fit for teaching, one thing he did not expect in all of his years as a musician was the thrill he gets from passing his knowledge onto other people.
Still, his chaotic nature cannot be held forever. As invigorating the teaching resulted, the rush of performing it’s what gets him through life. Translating his thoughts and most deep emotions into music comes to him as natural as breathing at this point, it gives him the perfect outlet. He’s quite young, but youthness doesn’t necessarily mean inexperienced.
He’s not sure at which moment things started to go downhill for his weak heart, but he’s not sure either if he could be the one to blame. He’s slow to realize and it pains him to admit it, but it’s been a few months since he stops seeing Marinette as his best friend, his childhood partner in crime. Loving her feels effortless, he has been doing it for years now, the love grown from friendship feeling more permanent than anything else in his life. Something in his gaze shifts, adding adoration to the already strong admiration and respect it originally holds for her. Smiling has always come natural to him when they’re together, but it startles him when he finds himself laughing more often than expected, even in the face of the simplest of things, even before her most terrible jokes. It’s the most joyous feeling and he’s not sure if anything he ever experienced can compare to this, though the sheer happiness that comes from loving his best friend is sullied by the imminent tragedy of being rejected by someone who surely considers him a brother.
Cold days do things to Marinette, freezing her already numb body and making of existence an even more unbearable experience. She is having a hard time with life right now, questioning her life choices once again and fearful of the possible return of the dark years she just managed to leave behind. There are very few stable things in her life, and she somehow is managing to mess up one of the most important ones.
Her thoughts are lately plagued by her best friend. His presence always warmer than the first sunbeams of the morning and the only one capable of making bearable the suffocating ocean her life feels like. She lays awake at night, full of uncertainty and fear at these newfound emotions and the risk it involves giving in to them. She guesses it was a matter of time, as Luka's qualities have always been hard to ignore. He's a kind and considerate man, easy to trust and to be with. Everyone already assumed they were already dating, so it's not a shock to her when she realizes what they got going on might be stronger than she thought, even if it's only on her side.
Marinette is a passionate woman, fierce to defend the ones she loves and persistent to reach her goals with a fearless determination. She has been a victim of circumstances dimming her spirit and making her aware of the importance of having her priorities clear. She might be vulnerable but she knows herself, and being aware of her weaknesses as well as her strengths makes her go through life calmer than ever before. She knows there’s no possible scenario where she doesn’t get her heart broken and a destroyed friendship only found once in a lifetime, so even if after many years of therapy she has learned burying feelings is the wrong thing to do, she decides there are things better kept under key. It might be one of the hardest promises to herself she has to keep. Yes, Marinette is a passionate woman, and as such, she feels emotions more acutely than she'd ever like.
She’s not sure how she’s still surviving, working half time at her parent’s bakery to fund her designing business on top of majoring in fashion design. She’s tired most of the time struggling to complete even the most simple of tasks. Luka’s calming presence has always been an energy booster, but his company in her darkest moments never drains her, and she supposes that’s more than enough.
The temperature is rising unexpectedly, flowers growing here and there announcing the winter slowly ending, these things are what usually comfort her the most, but the end of january finds her in a bad mood. She’s upset and unable to talk to her best friend about it, their relationship is getting more awkward with every interaction and it’s completely her fault. What once could've been a problem easily solved over a pair of milkshakes while he offers his shoulder to share the burden, is now the reason she's been avoiding him. It pains her not seeing him, but she can’t let her feelings get in the middle of one of the best things in her life. She’s a grown woman, but she’s still too transparent and incapable of hiding from Luka, who’s always been able to read her like nobody else. Marinette is sick of stumbling through her words and struggling to look into the eyes of somebody she likes, so she thinks taking some time away from him would be the best. Terrible mistake as she only ends up missing him terribly.
Luka does his best to not panic when, looking forward to their routine, he passes her english classroom one friday to pick her up, the only day his teaching schedule matches her classes and he’s able to walk her home and say hello to her parents. He notices her running out of the place, looking side to side as if watching out for someone. She’s too fast, so in the middle of his bewilderment at seeing her so shaken, he takes too long to follow and decides it might be better if he skips greeting her parents this week, maybe she just has too much on her plate.
He knows something is wrong when they start spending less time together, as if she’s purposefully hiding from him. Weeks pass by where they interchange monosyllable texts and five minutes meetings, only when it seems every attempt Marinette makes to avoid him has failed and there’s no other choice but to ride the metro together.
Valentine’s day approaching finds both of them more sad than panicked. Not only are they unable to give in to their feelings, but it also seems like they’re losing their friendship over nothing. Luka knows nothing about Marinette, if she’s relapsing into a depressive episode or if she somehow figured out his feelings and decided to spare his heart by distancing herself instead of rejecting him. Marinette doesn’t know how to regain their friendship without giving herself away and making him uncomfortable, on top of losing one of the most important people in the world for her. Both of them don’t know how stupid they’re acting but t’s a matter of time until they realize.
She goes to him first, tired after pondering if all the pain she’s setting herself up is really worth it. Marinette manages to talk to him without crying, masking her sadness as tiredness because of school, and he believes it. He’s fooled by the lie, too glad and relieved at finding out he didn’t scare his best friend away. They resume their routine without much trouble, after all, it’s not the first time Marinette has distanced herself after being exhausted.
Luka has always been good at showing a cool exterior even if his head is swirling with thoughts. He tries his best to remain calm as the streets start filling with heart shaped balloons and giant teddy bears. Paris is getting crowded with tourists and excited lovers making reservations at the most expensive restaurants. He’s not a stranger to dating but he has never spent Valentine’s day with anyone but his friends. He has worked on gigs filled with overplayed ballads, all of them ending up in movie marathons with his bandmates; there’s been cooking competitions with Juleka, Rose and Marinette just before the first two started dating, suddenly too busy being the cheesiest of couples and ceasing to hang out with them in favor of their privacy; there’s even been more than one Valentine’s alone with Marinette, getting each other the most ironically terrible gifts or booking wine taster tours, rapidly transitioning into drunken walks home, snickering at being banned from a korean restaurant after Marinette tries to free an octopus out of the exhibition tank.
But it’s the first Valentine’s day since Luka realized his feelings for Marinette, and as much as he’s trying to remain unaffected by a simple date in the calendar, his brain finds ways to ruin his life.
Normally by this point, he would already be suggesting fun plans to spend Valentine's Day together, yet he doesn't know how he will go about planning a friendly date with the person whose smile stops his heart, worse still, when the rest of their friend group already planned romantic evenings with their partners months in advance. Luka takes a leap of faith and addresses the subject before he can get too hesitant. He had just been terrified by thinking their friendship was ruined because of him, so the best he can do is keep things going as if he weren’t constantly daydreaming about kissing his childhood friend.
They're having lunch together one day when he asks her what she wants to do on that weekend, and he doesn’t anticipate Marinette’s reaction. She lifts her head, wide eyed and looking at him as if he had grown a third eye, her leg starts bouncing as she stops eating and suddenly, looking very nervous. Does she already have plans?
"I… I mean, unless you're busy!" He backtracks and tries to play it cool. “I just assumed, you know, because when everyone else has plans we just hang out together,” he mutters as he scratches his neck, praying his face is the same beige color as always and not suddenly crimson red.
“Ah! No, it’s not that!” she screeches, flailing her head around in denial. “I’m in! I just… I forgot Valentine’s day is this weekend,” her gaze is lost, as if she’s meditating the events of the last few days. Maybe that’s the whole truth and she just forgot, but he knows there’s something else she’s not telling him. He can’t let it go.
“Marinette, we've been friends since forever, we have spent valentine's day together before. Is everything okay?" He says worriedly. Oh god, did she figure out about his feelings? He’s about to burst and reveal everything in that exact moment. In his head, he already dropped to his knees in ten different ways, apologizing and begging her to not chuck him out of her life. ”Is something making you uncomfortable?” There’s no way she found out but he needs to know.
“No, I...” She considers her words for a second while his pulse just keeps getting quicker, until the small glimpse of doubt disappears from her face and she says, “I promise I’m fine, I have too much in my head but I do remember Alya said something recently.” It makes him release the air he had been holding. She turns to look at him, “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing, uhm,” he tries to regain his composure and quickly deviates from the subject. “Wasn’t she having dinner with Nino?”
She gives him an odd look, but continues. “Yes, but she suggested a pretty interesting plan that has all the potential to end in tragedy.”
“I’m listening, as long as we don’t end up banned from any more places.”
“Hey! that was one time, just let it go.” There they were, relaxed and back in their chaotic state. They keep teasing each other for a while, relieved after the tense moment. Her smile makes Luka happy, he can’t stop thinking how much he loves her, how willing he is to give her whatever she needs, even if it’s just his friendship, even if she couldn’t be by her side like he wants.
On Valentine’s day, her parents tease her as soon as she steps out of her room. Marinette keeps insisting that it’s not a date, I just was in the mood to curl my hair and oh this new blouse? No mama, I designed it months ago! I just couldn’t decide when to use it and no, I don’t smell different I just happen to have a new perfume, stop it! it's not a date! It only achieves a rumbling laugh from her dad and a pat in the back from her mother, they know she’s mostly trying to convince herself.
Marinette freezes for the first time that day when she leaves her house only to find Luka (who she was supposed to meet at the metro station) by her door, waiting for her with a bouquet of gardenias in his hands. He looks so calm, as if he hadn’t been overthinking the gesture the whole time it took him to get there, as if he’s not having trouble breathing because since when does Marinette wear her hair like that.
“What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting halfway,” she asks, quickly closing the door behind her before her parents can catch a glimpse of him and bribe him in with sweet treats only to end up talking for hours.
“Ouch, good evening to you too,” he says as he offers her the gift. “I found this lovely lady selling flowers by the station who looked like she hadn't made a single sale all day,” he shrugs. “I guess Paris isn’t a big fan of gardenias and I don’t think you can carry them where we’re going so here I am.”
She tries not to read too much into the gesture but is genuinely delighted by it, unable to hide the smile that blooms after inhaling the sweet smell. She makes quick work of putting the flowers in water before her parents can hoard his whole attention, and then they part.
“Okay so, first stop is up to you. Where are we going?” She asks as they take seats in the metro wagon.
“I’m starting to hate myself for this but I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it.”
She latches onto his arm in excitement and doesn’t let go until they reach their destination. Marinette had one of the best ideas for Valentine’s so far: a day with two different stops, each one of them planning an activity they’ve been avoiding for fear but keeping it as a surprise. Luka picks the first one, the amusement park Marinette's been wanting to visit for months now, the same one he keeps avoiding due to his weak courage for extreme rides.
They go on a couple of games reserving the most intense ones for the end and keeping a calm facade until they reach the massive roller coaster that gave Luka chills since the moment he saw it. While waiting in line, he lets out small screams to discharge energy and keep Marinette entertained. Once seated, a loud mechanical screech heard above the strident atmosphere gets Luka out of his brain and sets him into panic mode. He’s not sure that’s the sound a roller coaster is supposed to be making and if so, it surely shouldn’t have to be so terrifying. He grips the handle as soon as the ride starts and hears Marinette laughing at him. While trying to stay focused on that sound, the speed of the cart increases and all he can do is hang on for dear life and fight to keep lunch inside his stomach. He thinks the slightly nauseous feeling is worth it when she takes his hand in an attempt to calm him down in the middle of the ride, her other arm raised in enjoyment. It doesn’t stop the screaming, but he appreciates the try.
The visit gets more relaxed after she witnesses his traumatic experience (more dramatic than traumatic, she thinks). They take pictures alongside funny shaped sculptures and with some superheros in giant costumes. Marinette takes him by surprise when she snaps a photo of his face stuffed with french fries and he starts chasing after her in a desperate attempt to delete it. The run leaves them out of breath, collapsing on a bench unaware of the curious and soft looks they unintentionally drew. It’s been a while since they’re not that comfortable around each other, caught up in the moment of true enjoyment and complicity. She’s leaning against him as their laughing stops, trying to recover their breathing and it feels like everything is back to normal; they’re teenagers again, skipping classes trying hard to stay quiet and undiscovered under the stairs. Marinette reflects briefly on the emotional distance between them the last month and decides she never wants to miss him this terribly ever again. If anything, her attempt at keeping her feelings strictly platonic only enhanced her yearning for him, and she’s not sure how she will handle it.
A soft breeze passes them by, it hits Luka with the strawberry perfume he’s been trying to ignore all afternoon coming from Marinette, who’s still laughing softly against him. His resolve crumbles little by little and he starts wondering, is he really risking that much? Would it be so shattering for their friendship to ask her an opportunity? A chance to show himself as more than a friend. He’s so lost in his thoughts he doesn’t realize Marinette has started talking, or in which moment he moved his arm to bring her closer to him.
“... Since it’s getting late. What do you think?”
“Ah? Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
She giggles, “do you want to go to another game or do you want to continue with what I planned?”
“My stomach can’t handle another game. Why do you like this so much?”
“Crybaby. You could’ve chosen anything less scary! Damn, a drumming lesson would’ve worked just fine,” she teases him and he pouts dramatically. “Let’s get going then.”
“I’m excited, what did you prepare?”
“Relax, it’s not like I spent hours planning something. You're going to be disappointed,” she shrugs.
He smiles, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you could never disappoint me. Lead the way.”
“Let’s stop by your house, we are going to need your guitar first.”
It was inevitable for them to pick a little of each other's interests, having grown together for many years. Luka developed a good sense of style, mostly put to use on gigs and special occasions. For Marinette, it was Luka’s love for music; years of bonding over it making of her naturally sweet voice an instrument in itself, reserved to her closest friends and a couple of covers under a pseudonym in Luka’s youtube channel. Marinette kept her singing only as a hobby, despite his encouragement on multiple occasions to get some voice lessons at the academy where he worked. He believed there was more talent underneath than she would ever admit, but he respected her decision and devoted himself to appreciate it as a shared hobby. As such, Marinette had never performed in public so, as a surprise for him, she thought today was a good time to try.
Once they get his guitar from home, Luka realises with a growing curiosity in his mind they’re headed in the direction of the Pont des arts. The sky is getting darker and the place that once was a living tribute to promises of love is now less crowded but still frequented by lovers of all ages. Marinette looks doubtful as they rest on one of the benches in the middle of the bridge and Luka wonders what challenge could involve being in this place with him and his guitar.
"Stop staring at me," says Marinette.
"I'm not staring at you."
"Yes, you are," she stops and narrows her eyes suspiciously. "You already know what I'm going to do! Right?"
"Marinette, are you really going to sing in front of all these people?" He laughs in disbelief, not at thinking she's not capable of doing it but at how much it excites him to think she would go through this to surprise him on valentine's day.
"In my defense, there's more people than I expected," she sighs. "But yes I'm going to do it. You think I can't?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I think you can do it. I know you can do it." The conviction in his voice and the clear trust in his gaze makes Marinette's mind go blank for a second.
"Fine then, go on. Play something, I'm right behind you."
"As you ask."
Marinette is nervous despite having mentally prepared for this, days in advance. She's confident in her abilities and even though she knows the small crowd in the bridge couldn't care less for a pair of street musicians, she can't help but be afraid of messing up their afternoon. She takes a deep breath and nods to Luka, his signal to start playing.
The first few chords start and she smiles, it’s a song they both know very well. You're my best friend by Queen was the first song they covered together, both keeping it very dearly in their hearts. She’s surprised when Luka starts harmonizing with her midverse, reminding her she’s not alone and helping her gain confidence when she realizes people are forming a small crowd around them. The reality of the shared moment dawns on her along with an intense thrill of excitement. Marinette’s still nervous but capable of ignoring most of it in favour of controlling the tiny waver in her voice.
Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine and I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
Oh, you're my best friend
What once was a song to symbolize the depth of their friendship, makes her voice crack at singing the four words she wishes she could say to him without fear of losing everything. His guitar solo comes up and she takes those few seconds to relax and concentrate on him, his confidence and control over his hands. He catches her eye and gives her the most blinding smile, overflowing with joy and pride all the way to his eyes. It makes her almost lost her cue, but finishes the song with a blast.
Ooh, you make me live. Ooh, you're my best friend
The few people around them start clapping, some of them dropping some coins in Luka’s guitar case and praising them both for their talent. Marinette goes red in the face the moment a little girl drops a few euros and runs away from the scene toward her mother, yelling, “mom! They look like you and dad!” and something else about how they look cute together.
“Hey, you did great. Definitely beats my fear for roller coasters,” Luka laughs to dissipate the awkwardness. “I’m really proud of you.”
She hides her face in his shoulder once again, mostly to hide how flustered she really is. “Yeah I’m proud of myself too,” she says. “What do you think, should we do another one?”
“As many as you want.”
They sing a couple more songs together, each easier for Marinette than the last one. They leave the place when the crowd starts dissipating. Luka didn’t expect for people to actually leave money for their performance, but there’s enough to afford some ice cream and spend more time walking under the parisian moon.
“Luka I still feel like I’m not real!” She laughs as they walk searching for an ice cream parlor that’s not terribly crowded with couples. “I did that and people liked it!” She's jumping now incapable of containing her emotions. All Luka wants is to scream at how cute she looks. “Do you feel like this every time you perform?” she asks.
“Yeah, pretty much. So you enjoyed singing in public?”
“I really did. I mean, don’t get excited. I still don’t want to dedicate a big part of my life to it, but I’d definitely do it again.”
“Let me know then, I’ll book you a gig with us when you’re ready to go again.”
She stops abruptly, the giant smile still in her face.
“Thank you so much Luka. I could’ve never done this without you.”
“Of course you could've, you’re an extraordinary girl Marinette.”
“Shut up and accept my compliment. Or else you’re paying for the ice cream”
“I am paying for the ice cream”
“No. I earned that money”
“Right, if you say so.”
Nightlife in Paris has never been so boisterous as this day. They sit under a tree by the shore of the Seine talking and stealing ice cream from each other. Marinette tries to ignore the atmosphere, but it’s in moments like these she dares to hope she might actually have a chance with him. She feels tense as he wipes an ice cream stain from her cheek so naturally she doesn’t notice his action until he’s retrieving his hand. She often notices how they gravitate towards each other,filled for the millionth time with thoughts telling her that maybe her feelings are not one sided. She thinks a lot, but he’s still her best friend and it doesn’t help that she's influenced by the supposed most romantic day in the most romantic place in the world. She knows she wants it to be true, so she can’t give herself the luxury to be biased.
Her mouth acts before her brain can process she’s basically thinking out loud. She still has trouble controlling her word filter whenever there’s too much on her mind. Adding the tiredness accumulated from their day, creates a careless Marinette.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that even little kids always assume we’re a couple?”
“Huh?” He’s caught off guard by her random question and she scrambles to fix the mistake her mouth made.
“Ah!” she screeches. “I mean doesn’t that… doesn’t that make you uncomfortable?”
He stopped being surprised at the rate his heart beats whenever she's close to him months ago, but he can’t completely handle the way his head spins whenever he feels tempted to throw caution to the wind and confess his feelings. He acts on impulse, praying to a higher entity for the words to come out right.
“It doesn’t,” it comes out as a whisper, conveying more of his feelings through his expression than his words. “I wouldn’t mind if it were real.”
“What?” she turns her head abruptly. Did she hear right?
“I said I wouldn’t mind if it were real.”
She takes a few seconds to process the words.
“And what do you mean by that?” Her voice comes out harsher than expected, among the shock of the bomb he threw just moments after she was wrapped in her own thoughts.
“Mari, listen,” he takes a long breath. This is really happening. “I’m sorry. I don’t wanna make things weird, but you know I don’t like to hide...”
“For god’s sake are you going to say what I’m thinking?” Marinette comes out of her stupor, her brain working a mile per hour. She’s holding her head as if she’s in distress, pulling her hair and giving him a stern look he doesn’t know how to interpret. “Luka do you like me?” She asks in a disbelieving, high pitched tone.
“Marinette, please don’t be angry,” he pleads, almost shaking.
“Say it,” she comes close and whispers. “Please just say it.”
She’s resting her forehead on his, eyes closed and hands in his hair. The last few months are starting to make sense, but she doesn’t dare to jump to conclusions.
“Marinette I don’t think I can keep being your best friend,” he says. “I love you too much for that.”
She releases the breath she had been holding, eyes crinkling as her smile widens. A laugh leaves her as she hugs him pushing the air out of his lungs. She whispers in his ear, “you’re stupid and I love you so much it hurts.”
They stand there, in the middle of the place where they used to play when they were children, enjoying the peace of knowing their feelings are mutual and internally slapping themselves for being so blind.
Then she hits his arm, suddenly dominated by rage.
“Ouch! why did you do that?” He asks.
“God, you’re stupid!”
“Of course I’m stupid I just risked our ten year long friendship because you look cute eating ice cream but what are you talking about?”
She hits him again, “how long?”
“Why do you care?”
“Just answer!”
“Why does it matter? We’re both stupid anyway,” he says and earning a surprised and slightly offended look from Marinette. “What? you’re gonna tell me you actually realized I’m in love with you and just decided to ignore it? Mari, that’s rude.”
She slaps his arm and he laughs, it distracts him enough for her to stretch, leaving a quick kiss on his cheek and stealing the remainder of his ice cream. “That’ll teach you.”
The shift in their relationship goes more smoothly than they expected. They see each other more often, their connection is stronger than ever, easily noticeable by everyone around them. It takes longer to get used to other things, like the pet names they tried to use until they decided it felt too weird to call each other anything that wasn’t their names.
It’s funny when they can’t seem to stop aggressively denying they are a couple every time a stranger congratulates them, used after a long time of hidden feelings.
It’s hard to assimilate just how deep their love for each other goes, and it’s even harder to control their hearts whenever they lean in for a kiss. None of them can believe this is how their relationship works now. It’s strange, the way things fall into place when the right time has come, puzzle pieces fitting perfectly creating a complete picture just waiting to be discovered, eventually appearing as a pleasant surprise as well as an obviety. An unavoidable truth one just can’t believe until it’s actually out. They move on quickly from past mistakes, trying to compensate for the time lost, but they do not regret them. Without them, they could’ve never arrived so wonderfully where they stand now. Together.