The square was packed with people tonight. In its center stood a large, symbolic clock. Every year, friends, couples, and families gathered here to listen to its chimes and wait for the arrival of midnight.
Among the crowd, Ivy held onto Mio Walsh’s arm. She used to scoff at the idea of coming to hear the clock’s chime. How childish, she’d thought. What’s so special about a clock chime? If it didn’t ring, would midnight not come? Would the new year not arrive?
But tonight, standing beside Mio Walsh, when he asked how she wanted to spend the evening, she blurted out, “Let’s go listen to the clock chime.”
“Listen to the clock?” Mio Walsh looked at her with mild skepticism, his expression asking what could possibly be interesting about that.
“Yes. You’ll understand when we get there,” Ivy replied with a mysterious smile.
By eleven o’clock, the square was already bursting with people. Mio Walsh hadn’t expected such a large crowd. “What’s so special about this clock chime?” he asked.
“People say that hearing it brings happiness,” Ivy explained, though she felt embarrassed. Back then, she would have dismissed such an idea as childish, and she assumed Mio Walsh might think the same.
But he didn’t laugh at her. Instead, he tilted his head and smiled warmly. “Then let’s listen to it for a little longer.”
Ivy’s face flushed as she met his gaze. His handsome features and charming smile made her heart race.
“Wait here for me,” Mio Walsh said suddenly.
“Huh?” Though unsure of what he was up to, Ivy obediently stayed where she was.
A few minutes later, he returned, holding a Mickey Mouse balloon.
“There are so many people here. If you hold this, even if we get separated, I’ll be able to find you right away,” he said earnestly.
Ivy took the string, feeling a warm glow in her chest. “I’m not a little girl. It’s embarrassing for me to hold this.”
“You just turned twenty-two. In my eyes, you are a little girl,” Mio Walsh said, patting her gently on the head.
This warmth was something Ivy had never experienced before. She’d had plenty of boyfriends in the past, but none of them had truly cared for her. They either saw her as a meal ticket or a temporary distraction. Before being cast out of the Montgomery family, she’d lived a carefree, hedonistic life.
It wasn’t until later that she understood reality. After witnessing the genuine love between Julian and Aurora, she began to yearn for the same. She wanted a boyfriend who would treat her as Julian treated Aurora. And now, she’d found him.
Blushing deeply, Ivy was utterly captivated by Mio Walsh.
“Fifteen minutes left,” Mio Walsh said, taking her hand. “Let’s move closer to the clock.”
“The chime is loud enough to hear from here. There’s no need to push through the crowd,” Ivy protested.
“If hearing the chime brings happiness, then standing closer must mean being closer to happiness,” Mio Walsh replied.
Ivy let him lead her through the crowd. This feeling, she would remember for years to come. She would never forget the man who held her hand so tightly as they weaved through the sea of people, his warmth spreading from her fingertips to her heart.
This winter was the coldest on record, but with him by her side, she forgot the chill. All she remembered was his warm smile and the way his large hand gripped hers, as if afraid to let go.
The two of them made it to the front, standing among thousands of people eagerly awaiting midnight under the clock. Midnight came every day, yet no one paid attention to it-except tonight. Tonight, the thousands gathered in the square were filled with excitement.
As the clock began to chime, Ivy and Mio Walsh stood hand in hand. The sound rang out-one, two, three… all the way to twelve.
Ivy closed her eyes, silently making a wish. Please, don’t take my happiness away. I only want this person by my side. If he can stay with me, I’m willing to live an ordinary life, to be a wife and a mother, and to walk through life with him.
A woman without love is like an unyielding mountain. But once touched by love, she softens, becoming a gentle, flowing stream.
Mio Walsh, however, glanced at Ivy and the crowd around them, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. Only fools believed in such superstitions, he thought. Weak and powerless, they sought divine intervention for things they couldn’t achieve themselves.
Strong people didn’t need gods or fate. Mio Walsh believed only in himself. Destiny was never in anyone else’s hands-it was in his own.
“Are you done?” Mio Walsh asked, masking his disdain and returning to the considerate lover Ivy knew. She, with her eyes still closed, missed the fleeting coldness in his expression.
“Yes, I’m done. Let’s head back,” Ivy replied, feeling a sense of fulfillment, as if she’d accomplished something important.
“I’ll take you home. It’s not safe for a young woman to walk alone at night,” Mio Walsh said. He hadn’t come all this way just to spend idle time with her.
“Alright. Your hotel isn’t far from my apartment anyway,” Ivy said, secretly hoping to spend more time with him.
Mio Walsh walked her to the entrance of her apartment complex. “You live here?”
“Yes. You can head back now. It’s late,” Ivy said.
“I’ll walk you to your door. I won’t feel at ease otherwise,” Mio Walsh insisted.
“Alright,” she agreed. They held hands, walking like any other couple in love. No distance felt too far, and every step together felt fleeting. They both wished the road were longer, to stretch their time together just a little more.
The apartment was a luxurious one-compensation from Paul after splitting with the Blake family. Ivy never felt awkward about living here.
“Alright, I’m home. You can go back now,” Ivy said.
“Is anyone else home?” Mio Walsh asked.
Adults understood the implications of this question. Ivy couldn’t help but think of their night in Rome. Blushing, she replied softly, “My mom and brother are home. It might not be convenient.”
“You live with your mom?” Mio Walsh asked, surprised.
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll bring gifts tomorrow to meet your family,” Mio Walsh said.
“Isn’t it a bit soon?” Ivy asked, shy.
“For the right person, it’s never too soon,” Mio Walsh said, smiling gently.
“Are you sure? This isn’t a small matter,” Ivy pressed.
“If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have come all this way to see you,” he replied.