No. There was no way.
The sight of the iconic letters sent a jolt through my chest, and I sat up so fast my seatbelt nearly choked me.
“No way,” I breathed, my fingers gripping the door handle like it might ground me in reality.
Nathan said nothing, he just kept driving with that smug, knowing smirk, the one that drove me insane and made my stomach flip at the same time.
A slow, creeping realization settled over me as I took in the empty parking lot, and the darkened pathways beyond the gates. No crowds. No tourists in Mickey ears. Just us.
My mouth went dry.
“Nathan, where is everyone?”
He pulled into a spot and shifted in his seat, finally turning to me. There was something softer in his expression now, past the teasing, past the usual arrogance. “I rented it out. Just for us.”
I blinked. “You what?”
“You told me once you’d always wanted to come here but never could because your parents couldn’t afford it.” His voice was quieter now, like he knew how much those words still carried weight. “So, I thought it was time to change that.”
My heart lurched.
Memories flickered of six-year-old me, staring at Disney commercials on the TV with wide, hopeful eyes. Nine-year-old me, begging my parents to go, only to be met withtoo expensive, maybe next year.Twelve-year-old me, quietly tucking the dream away, telling myself it was silly to want something so badly.
And now, twenty-four year old me, sitting here, struggling to breathe because Nathan had just handed me a childhood dream like it was the easiest thing in the world.
He remembered.
I swallowed hard as my chest tightened.
The thing about Nathan was that he wasn’t just extravagant, he was intentional. He didn’t throw money around for the sake of it. He did things like this, pulling out my quiet, forgotten wishes and making them real in a way that knocked the breath from my lungs. My gaze drifted around us, taking in everything again, the lights, the space, the fact that it was just ours.
My stomach dropped when I thought about how much this must have cost him. “Nathan…” I turned to him slowly. “How much did this cost?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “Ten million.”
I stared at him. “Ten?” I repeated, pressing a hand to my chest. “Nathan. That’s not…” I shook my head, my voice coming out softer, overwhelmed. “You can’t just spend ten million dollars on me.”
One corner of his mouth lifted slightly, like he didn’t see the problem. “I can,” he said simply, before leaning in closely, his gaze steady on mine, all traces of teasing gone. “And I’d do it again without hesitation.”
Tears burned behind my eyes.
“I...” My voice cracked, so I stopped. What did you even say to something like that?Thank youwasn’t enough.You’re amazingwasn’t enough. Nothing was.
So instead, I unbuckled my seatbelt, launched myself across the console, and threw my arms around his neck.
With no lines, no crowds, and every ride lit up just for us, it felt like stepping into another world. We raced each other toSpace Mountain, where Nathan claimed victory, though I was fairly certain he cheated and at Tower of Terror, he pretended not to see the drop coming, gripping my hand at the last second like he was the one who needed comfort.
I walked out of the gift shop wearing a pair of sparkly blue Minnie ears. Nathan of course opted out of buying one but I did convince him to wear mine long enough so I could take a picture of the two of us but had to swear an oath that I would never show it to anyone or post it online.
As I was holding my newly purchased Minnie Mouse that was larger than I was, I had a sense of deja vu that I couldn’t escape.
“What?” Nathan asked, curiosity laced his voice.
“This reminds me of the day we spent at the festival.” That day, only a month ago, now seemed like decades ago. Not even in my wildest dream did I think that moment would lead us here.
“You mean the day where you tried getting me into a dunk tank?” Nathan teased.
“I merely suggested it,” I blushed. “You can’t blame me for being curious about what you looked like underneath all those suits.”
