The ranch's commotion faded behind us as Marco pulled me by the hand, dodging the last employees still clearing the lunch tables and following a trail I'd never noticed before. It wound between low trees and flowering bushes, gently sloping down toward the lake.
"Where are we going?" I asked, laughing at the mystery.
"Running away," he answered simply. "Just us two. We deserve it."
The trail ended in a small clearing, hidden from the rest of the world by a circle of weeping willows. In the center, a blanket was already spread on the grass, with a picnic basket beside it. The afternoon sun painted the lake's surface in shades of gold and orange, and the silence was so perfect it felt sacred.
"Marco…" I murmured, emotional. "When did you do this?"
"Early this morning, while you were sti
