Chapter 9 - The Tin Box Proposal
That evening, the sun set over the harbor in a brilliant display of purple, orange, and gold.
Roman had arranged a private dinner on the glass veranda overlooking the rose gardens. There were no waiters, no guards stationed nearby—just the two of them under the soft glow of warm lanterns.
Caleb had spent the evening at a friend’s house down the road, leaving the estate quiet and peaceful.
After dinner, as they sat on the comfortable sofa listening to the soft rustle of the evening breeze, Roman reached under the coffee table and pulled out a small, familiar object.
Nora gasped softly.
It was Caleb’s dented tin box covered in faded baseball stickers.
“Where did you get that?” Nora asked, laughing softly. “Caleb guards that with his life!”
“I made a trade with him this afternoon,” Roman said, a rare, genuine smile playing on his lips. “I gave him a signed basketball, and he gave me permission to use his box for ten minutes.”
Roman set the tin box on Nora’s lap.
“Open it,” he said softly.
Nora looked at Roman, her hands trembling slightly as she lifted the metal lid of the box.
Inside, resting on top of Caleb’s small collection of shiny coins and baseball cards, was a small velvet box and a folded piece of yellow paper.
Nora picked up the paper first.
It was a handwritten note in Roman’s bold, sharp handwriting:
I promises to never let you sit in the dark again. I promises to thank you every single morning. I promises to love your sister more than all the stars. Signed, Roman Calder.
Below Roman’s signature was a messy, child’s signature: Approved by Caleb Hayes.
Tears filled Nora’s eyes, spilling over her cheeks like sparkling diamonds in the lantern light.
Roman took the small velvet box from the tin, opening it to reveal a breathtaking emerald-cut diamond ring that shimmered under the warm lights.
He took her bandaged hand—now healed, soft, and warm—in his own.
“Nora Hayes,” Roman spoke, his voice deep, rough, and trembling with emotion. “Five years ago, you walked into my cold house and brought light into a life that didn't deserve it. You proved to me that loyalty isn't bought—it’s lived.”
He looked into her eyes with a love so deep it took her breath away.
“Will you marry me? Will you make this house our family’s home forever?”
Nora didn't hesitate for a single second.
May you like
“Yes,” she sobbed happily, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes, Roman! A thousand times yes!”
Roman pulled her tight against his chest, sliding the diamond ring onto her finger, pressing his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss as the stars flared bright over Baltimore Harbor.
