"Because of love."
I love Serena Harding.
From the moment I first came to Harbor City, when she pulled me out of the mud, I had already fallen in love with her.
I remember that day—the evening wind brushing my face, the sky ablaze with sunset.
Serena lifted me onto her motorcycle and told me to hold her waist and not be afraid.
"Remember this—your sister here is the boss of this whole block."
"From now on, stick with me, and you won't have to be afraid of anything."
What boss—Serena was a big liar.
All her belongings added together amounted to one clueless little underling who couldn't read the room, and a beat-up motorcycle that had been patched up more times than I could count.
But we made it work. Day after day, we got by on that motorcycle.
Using the skills I'd learned on the mainland, I opened a flower shop. Serena rode that broken bike to make deliveries.
The day we made it official, we agreed to save up and take over a storefront. When the shop opened, we'd get married.
Serena was so happy she almost didn't know where she was. She hugged me and kissed me again and again, giddy like a little kid.
"This is amazing—me, Serena Harding, I'm finally going to have a home!"