“There you are!” I shout happily at the group of people in front of me. “Whose ready for the tour?”

“Me!” the crowd says in unison.

“Come on! Come on! Welcome to The beautiful  city of Emeraldia! I am Elwyn! Your guide on this fantastic adventure! So, follow me!”

Happily, I get out an umbrella with a beautiful emerald painted on it and wave it a bit. People chuckle while they follow me into the city. To make sure everyone can see it, I use my magic, and the umbrella sparkles with purple stars as it floats above me. Everyone gasps in awe and I wink. The sun is beaming as we travel through the paved roads, meeting the friendly townsfolk.

“Lumina!” I salute some of them cheerily and they wave back.

“Elwyn! Another group?! What’s this one?! The third one this week?” an old baker asks me amused.

“Gotta have some way to pay the university! That biology isn’t cheap!” I answer and he laughs!

“Good, good, lad! Have fun! And good luck with your science lab job! You start in two weeks, right?”

“Yep! Very excited for it! And will do with the fun!” I say happily as I wave goodbye.

I walk with the group through the centre of the city, where a statue of past important figures resides.

“Here we have Luca Lightbeam! The founder of this here city!” I shout over the chatter in the group. “And over there, you can see the city hall! Do you see the different types of architecture? It is said that for years, every new mayor added their own touch to it in order to be remembered!”

I show them the history museum and Emeraldia University, where I study. We take photos and try some of the local foods like honey cookies and olive pasta. I even teach them some of the local dances. Fireworks explode in the sky around noon as is tradition to announce the hour and the group of tourists look up with surprise.

“Don’t worry, it’s normal, it’s how people announce the arrival of noon around here. Fun fact! It started because Verdants loved fireworks so much, they  wanted to have them as a daily thing. It was very hard to find a reason for it though, so, when the main clocktower broke down, they took it as a way to announce noon! And the rest is history! Oh, look! Traditional verdant soap, only made here with local plants. They help with any skin issues and are very good for people with allergies!” I say as we approach the main market.

Thousands of colourful tents stand in front of us as people flock from stand to stand to try all of the foods and products. I guide my group and gently tell them when they are scammed with the pricing until we get out of the shopping area and arrive at the old centre. I show them around and later bring them to our big theatre building.

“Now! Today we have a very special show, starring our local celebrity, Blake Hart! I can tell you, it’s not something you want to miss!” I say and wink before we enter the building.

It’s very elegant, with white walls and gold accents everywhere. Huge marble columns hold the ceiling and a red carpet guides us towards a huge oakwood door. The tourists do photos happily as I tell them the history of famous actors and singers that have played in these halls. I tell some jokes and all laugh as a guy wearing a green shirt comes out through the wooden doors.

“Ok! Don’t forget to come to the show later today and see our local celebrity Blake Hart in action! I tell you, he’s amazing at what he does!” I remind people as the guy dressed in green taps my back lightly.

“Now now, I wouldn’t say local celebrity so soon!” Blake jokes.

“And here he is, folks!” I say happily and people cheer for Blake.

He gives them a bow and then smirks at me.

“Now, dear boyfriend, what might you be doing here?” he asks with amusement.

“Oh, you know, I was in the area and…” I start saying, but Blake just pulls me closer and kisses me on the cheek.

“You’ve got what you wanted, now go and show them more of the city! I have to rehearse for my show. See you tonight! Luna, everyone!”

With another bow, he is gone. I’m blushing all over and frozen for a few seconds. I chuckle while touching my face where he kissed me.

“Well… Now that we’ve met the best performer in town, who’s up for some amazing Verdant Island ice cream? I’ve got a student discount and I’m not afraid to use it for everyone!”

Happily, they all put their arms in the air and together we go to the local ice cream shop. The rest of the day goes amazingly! We visit Celestial Forest, which has become a tourist hot spot ever since it was freed by some mysterious people. We decided we’d prefer being known for something we love doing, like biology and theatre, instead of being known for saving a forest. Still, I sigh with nostalgia as we pass the lake where me and Blake met almost a year ago. We later go and visit the little park, the river, in which you can swim during summer and finally, we end the day with another tour of the pier. When the sun is setting down slowly, I enter our house and collapse on the couch. Being an extrovert for a day is tiring! How do some people do it all the time?

“You ok, you seem exhausted!” Blake jokes as he enters the room.

“Yeah, being that talkative takes its toll!” I reply.

“I did see I gave you some of my dramatic flair!”

“It sold me on you, it will sell my tour tickets as well!” I joke as he sits beside me.

“You want to go? Or do you need more time?” Blake asks.

“Never too tired for you, darling!” I say and kiss him on the cheek. “How was the show?” I ask. “Did it go well?”

This is the show he was so scared about, I’m sure he did great, but let’s prepare the encouraging speech just in case. So maybe… There is always a second try, and uh… Yes! Never give up! And! And! Some you can do it. Ok, I suck at this, how did I get him so inspired last time?!

“Elwyn? Elwyn!” Blake says.

“Huh?!” I react as he shakes me a little.

“You were overthinking again! And you even ignored my answer, how tragic! It went splendidly! Absolutely incredible! The whole town showed up and I got a full five stars!”

“I knew you could do it!” I say happily as I hug him. “I actually came to say good luck to you today, not just for the kiss.” I admit, a bit embarrassed that I forgot in the end.

“I got it through your text. And I’m not buying you didn’t come mainly for the kiss!” Blake jokes.

“Ok, maybe the kiss was a priority!” I admit and he laughs.

“Shall we go?” Blake asks and stands up.

“Yes!” I answer and I jump off the couch.

The two of us get out of the house while holding hands and go into an ice cream shop. I get my usual strawberry and vanilla while Blake takes some caramel and chocolate. I give him some of mine and he gives me some of his as usual while we laugh and comment on our day. We’ve been on quite a few dates now, but still, each one is very special. We joke, we laugh, we kiss, and I mean we kiss a lot. Life couldn’t be better! Since there is still some light out, we go to the lake where we met and swim a little as we splash one another jokingly, then stay together on the shore while admiring the setting sun. I look at how different the forest is and how different we are from when we met. Birds are flying above, signalling the end of summer and the puffy orange clouds are dancing lazily on the colourful sky above. Blake enters the water once more as he hates the heat, then emerges while humming a pretty tune. He is so handsome, I love everything about him, his emerald eyes, his muscly body, but most importantly, his kind and empathetic personality. He is so cute with all of his interests in acting and music. He even brought his sword and shield to reenact the play they did just for me. I close my eyes as I remember the way he said his dialogue dramatically with a goofy smile on my face. He isn’t perfect, he is a bit of a hothead and a little clueless at times, but he is perfect for me, and I love him, all of him, with all of my heart. When the dark comes to greet us, we go back to the city while asking each other quizzes on books we read together. I win uncontested and he gives me another kiss as a reward. We arrive at the touristic pier and sit down on one of the benches. The water is moving slowly as the moon is shining above and people are walking home from work. It’s quiet and peaceful, the only sound being the calm waves hitting against the shore. The street lamps bathe us in warm light as fireflies come out to greet us. Blake puts his hand over my shoulders, and I put mine over his. We turn and look into each other’s eyes. Our breath is slow and steady as we take in the moment, while our heartbeat is fast and singing melodies for one another. I smile and he does so as well. Gently, I move my other hand and touch his face. It feels so intimate, as if we’re the last people on Earth. Blake puts his hand over mine and leans a little closer to me. I can feel his breath against my lips, warm and steady as the world around me is engulfed by him. He kisses me lovingly, his soft lips touching against mine and playfully pulling at them. We close our eyes as we kiss passionately, the world around us going quiet. It feels like we could stay like this forever, just the two of us, but after a while, we part. We lean on one another, and I snuggle against his shirt. He playfully plays with my hair as we look at the sea.

“Blake, I love you!” I say, almost in a whisper and he kisses my head.

“I know. And I love you too!” Blake replies softly and he kisses me again while the moonlight shines above.