Chapter 21 - The Second Proposal
I did not propose that night.
That surprised Sophie.
It surprised me too.
The old Ethan would have seen the ring and treated it like an objective.
Opportunity identified.
Action required.
Result secured.
Instead, I closed the box.
“I don't want our old marriage back.”
Her expression changed.
“I don't either.”
“I want something different.”
“So do I.”
“Then we build that first.”
She smiled slowly.
“Who are you?”
“Therapy.”
She laughed.
Four months passed.
We traveled nowhere.
Bought nothing expensive.
Made no public announcement.
We simply lived.
Sophie returned to full-time work.
I reduced the unnecessary hours I had once worn like medals.
We cooked.
We argued over laundry.
We attended follow-up appointments.
Every clean blood test became a small holiday.
On the first anniversary of the day I found her in the hospital hallway, I took Sophie back to our old house.
She stopped outside.
“Why are we here?”
“I sold it.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“You finally sold it?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do you still have a key?”
“Final walkthrough.”
That was technically true.
Inside, the house was empty.
We walked upstairs.
I opened the nursery door.
Sophie stopped.
One wall was painted Morning Mist.
Her hand flew to her mouth.
“You painted it.”
“Yesterday.”
“Why?”
I turned toward her.
“Because for years, I thought this room represented everything we lost.”
She stared at the wall.
“It doesn't?”
“It does.”
I stepped closer.
“But losing something doesn't mean you erase the evidence that you loved it.”
Tears filled her eyes.
I reached into my pocket.
This time, I had a ring.
Not the old one.
A new one.
Simple.
No grand audience.
No photographer.
No restaurant.
Just the two of us in the room where silence had almost destroyed our marriage.
I lowered myself onto one knee.
Sophie started crying before I spoke.
“I can't promise we'll never be afraid again.”
She laughed through her tears.
“Terrible start.”
“I can't promise life won't hurt us.”
“Getting worse.”
“I can't promise I'll always know what to say.”
“You definitely won't.”
I smiled.
“But I can promise I will not disappear while standing beside you.”
Her face crumpled.
“I can promise when I'm scared, I'll tell you.”
I took a breath.
“When you're hurting, I won't try to fix you.”
I held up the ring.
“And if you let me be your husband again, I will spend the rest of my life remembering that staying is something you choose every day.”
Sophie covered her mouth.
“So?”
“So what?”
I frowned.
“Was there a question?”
She laughed so hard she had to wipe her eyes.
“Sophie Hale Parker.”
I took her hand.
“Will you marry me again?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
“Yes.”
I stood.
May you like
She wrapped both arms around me.
And in a room painted Morning Mist, we began again.
