Chapter 9 - A Ring and a Promise
The proposal wasn't grand. There were no rented helicopters, no five-star restaurants, no public spectacles.
It happened in the kitchen of the Newton house, at 6:30 in the morning.
Graham was standing at the stove, making pancake batter. He was wearing an apron that said Dad: The Myth, The Legend—a joke gift from his new assistant. Maya was sitting on the counter, covered in flour, trying to help him stir.
Emily walked down the stairs, wearing an oversized sweater, her hair messy from sleep. She stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight of her family.
Graham turned around, saw her, and wiped his hands on a towel. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, simple velvet box. He hadn't bought a massive diamond from a high-end designer to show off his wealth. He had chosen a vintage sapphire ring, blue-gray, the exact color of her eyes—and the eyes of their children.
He walked over to her, leaving the pancakes for a moment, and knelt down on the wooden kitchen floor. Maya watched from the counter, clapping her flour-covered hands.
"Emily," Graham said, his voice steady and filled with a quiet certainty. "Eighteen months ago, I gave you every reason to walk away from me forever. I was blind, I was selfish, and I was broken. But you gave me the chance to know my children, and in doing so, you saved my life. I don't want another day where I’m not your husband. Will you marry me?"
Emily looked down at him, the tears spilling over her cheeks. She didn't hesitate. She dropped to her knees in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Yes," she sobbed. "Yes, Graham. Of course."
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From the living room, Chloe and Liam came toddling in, drawn by the sound of their mother’s crying. Seeing their parents hugging on the floor, they immediately scrambled over, throwing their little bodies into the pile, giggling and covered in flour.
Graham held them all close, his arms wrapped around the universe he had almost thrown away.
