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Joshua felt on top of his world; the world he finally felt welcomed in. He'd negotiated with the university that he could leave the job earlier than anticipated, which meant he could start the new job earlier as well. He'd just been to the charity to hand in his last lot of paperwork so he could start after the weekend.

He felt relieved; life seemed to be in his favour for once. He knew the change in luck had made him feel like the world he was settled in was his home-world. He finally felt like he belonged, and he deserved to be there, and he deserved Amelia. He was settled, he was loved, and therefore he was successful.

His phone buzzed as he walked through the doors into the warm, humid shopping centre.

A message from an unknown number stared back at him, and he sat down on the bench to read it. 'Hi, Joshua. Sophia here. I know you said you didn't want to be involved, but Reece gave me your number so I could say thank you. I haven't yet worked out where I want to be, but because you gave me his contact details, I'm armed with the knowledge and am on the way to navigating this thing. I'm so thankful you recognised it and did it for me, thank you. I don't know how you did this, it's so tiring! I won't drag you in it, but I just wanted to say thank you. Sophia.'

He smiled to himself. He decided not to message back; there was no point. He didn't want to be involved; she was right. But he was glad she was sorting herself out. He'd done a good deed, and it had paid off. He just hoped she chose not to be with Owen; that idiot might've done what he did for love, Joshua knew that he did, but he still did it all and didn't deserve love.

She deserved better than being Rejected, but Owen wasn't much of an upgrade. Joshua could see it in the way Amelia had blossomed like a lily in season when she left him all those months ago. He was an idiot blinded by love, and Joshua could sympathise, but an idiot that boy was, indeed.

He quickly messaged Amelia: 'Love you.'

He wasn't surprised when she hadn't read it after a few moments: he'd left her with Sam and her Fated One Chris at a buffet restaurant. Since Sam had come to their place nearly a week previously, she had finally loosened up and gotten used to the idea that Joshua was going to be around long term. He was pleased because Amelia and her were such close friends, and it hurt him to think he could've split them up simply because he marked the girl's essays. But he wouldn't be in a few days from then, and everyone seemed to lighten up.

He walked past a row of shops and passed the jewellery shop; he'd noticed that specific window a few times before, and his eyes felt drawn to a certain row of rings as he paused outside the window.

He'd eyed the specific one a few weeks before as Amelia was looking – and not so subtly hinting that she liked a particular necklace – and his brain couldn't get it out of his head. He'd even bookmarked the page on his laptop to keep looking at it. He had the money in his account, they wouldn't notice the lack of funds, because he never counted it in his pocket. Since he'd taken over from Josh, he'd counted every penny he'd left him perfectly, and he'd not noticed that particular account, so it was just surplus cash. He'd been saving it for a ring, in fact. The moment he knew he wanted to marry Amelia was the moment they'd slept together. The first time he realised that idea was what he'd strive and aim for was the moment they sat down and discussed Sophia's life as a Rejected; he'd noticed the lack of engagement ring from Owen and decided he'd wanted to put one there himself.

He stared at the ring: it was in the sale. Not that it was an issue; Josh had left twenty-thousand pounds in that account. He remembered when he found Joshua's notes on bills and whatever that it was to go towards a new car or whatever. Joshua thought an engagement ring when they had a car, and a mortgage already was reasonable. Amelia knew about the account's existence, but they'd agreed to let it be to save 'for a rainy day'. He knew she wouldn't mind he was about to spend it when she saw it.

The ring was designer, large and sparkling at him. He noticed the tiny sapphire underneath the band, which was visible face on, and knew he needed to get it. He hadn't even had plans to propose, he hadn't thought about when or how, or if she'd say yes. He remembered her ring size because she dragged him into a different jewellery shop four days ago to buy a ring for her index finger, and he'd sighed and rolled his eyes at her. But he was thankful they had as he walked straight into the shop and bought the ring without a second thought. He somehow knew that it was the right time, because he didn't want anything else more than to have her walk up the aisle so he could vow to love her forevermore.

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Two days after he'd bought the ring, he still hadn't hatched a plan to propose. He supposed he would just knowwhen the right time would be. The excitement and temptation to show her what he'd bought kept rising within him like a dormant volcano getting ready to overflow and spew its lava. He just thanked whatever was up there that she couldn't read his thoughts.

"What the hell are you so excited about?" she called from the lounge.

Well, fuck, he thought to himself.

"Nothing," he lied.

"Joshua, I'm trying to do this essay. You seem to forget that I can absolutely feel your emotions, and that I can tell when you're lying," she said as she walked into the kitchen. Her hands snaked around his waist, and she pressed a kiss into his shoulder.

He melted like lava would melt ice, but she calmed him like cold water on a hot day.

"Don't worry about it. You'll find out soon enough," he said.

She chuckled. "You're up to something. But I'll bite. It better be good."

The doorbell was his saviour. He wondered if whoever was on the other side would have a halo and wings.

"I'll go." She let him go and went to the front door.

Immediately, his thankfulness went out of the window, and he imagined the Devil had it in for him instead. Her mother and father appeared within seconds with sheepish faces.

He was in for it, he could tell. They may have agreed to try because they had no other choice, but Joshua knew they hated him.

"What're you doing here?" Amelia asked them.

"Look, Joshua, Amelia, we wanted to apologise," Mary said. Her eyes met Joshua's for the briefest of moments, and he could feel the genuineness in them. Maybe he had gotten them wrong, after all. When Amelia said it when they'd left that day, he understood.

He could've been anyone. The two of them had brought up Owen just as much as they had Amelia, and they viewed him as their son-in-law for nineteen years. They had no idea what had happened, so to be faced with a man who wasn't Owen would've been a shock, and somewhat heart-breaking for them. Then to be faced with the truth of his deception, and then to find out their child's new love was eight years older and her professor... well, it would've been a lot.

They must have gotten over it. Joshua hoped they had, anyway.

"It was a lot to take in," Chris added.

"I can appreciate it was," Joshua said. He decided to take the approach he had with Owen the first time he met him; dignified, empathetic and mature. They were – hopefully – going to be his in-laws after all.

"Joshua, you don't have to—"

"No, Amelia, I get it. They were in shock. Anyone would be," Joshua said. He slipped his hand around her shoulders to show her parents he was still protective.

"We were a little out of line, and we're sorry," Mary said. "We... would like to start again. Maybe we could all go out for dinner, or lunch or something. Get to know you, Joshua. If you can find it in yourself to forgive us, that is."

Joshua glanced at Amelia. Her eyes did that thing he noticed she would do when she wanted something: they went wider and almost like Puss in Boots, she pouted at the same time.

He grinned at her. She knew what she did to him, and she was not ashamed either. He was always going to forgive them because he understood them, but he let her think she'd done it because she was adorable.

"Of course, that would be wonderful." Joshua nodded and shook each of their hands to solidify the fresh start. A part of him wondered if he should do the 'right thing' and ask her father for his 'permission' to marry her, but then he realised, he had absolutely no say in it anyway. They were Fated and it was going to happen eventually. He could've said no, but it wouldn't have mattered.

He stayed silent on the matter. He knew her father wouldn't respect him for it anyway, he could feel the man was still uncomfortable with the issue. He'd have to be won around eventually, though, and Joshua was determined to do it for her. Everything Joshua ever did was for Amelia because all he ever wanted to do was put her first and shower her with the love she deserved, and he knew that she deserved the world.

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