Chapter 14 - A Permanent Foundation
"Grace," I said, my voice steady and low so the children wouldn't notice from the living room rug.
I took a slow step closer, closing the distance between the kitchen counter and the open floor. Maya let out a giggle at the television, completely insulated in the warm bubble of our shared life, unaware that the world around us was shifting on its axis. I looked at Grace—really looked at her—taking in the subtle lines around her eyes, the familiar curve of her jaw, and the profound, unshakable peace that had settled into her features over the past two months of co-parenting.
I dropped slowly to one knee on the hardwood floor.
Grace let out a soft, sharp gasp, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as tears instantly welled in her eyes. Noah glanced back from the television, tilted his head in confusion, and then whispered something to Maya, who giggled again before turning back to her cartoons. They didn't understand the mechanics of what was happening, but they understood safety. They understood love.
I brought my hand out from behind my back and clicked open the dark velvet ring box. Inside, the platinum band caught the amber light of the loft, glowing softly against the dark padding. It was the exact same ring I had carried through four years of silence and doubt, waiting for a moment that seemed impossible until the rain stopped falling.
"We started this four years ago in a completely different life," I said, looking up at her, my voice carrying the weight of everything we had survived. "And we lost years we can never get back. But we have right now. We have them. Grace, will you marry me, and let me spend the rest of my life making sure you never have to run alone again?"
Grace sank down to her knees right in front of me on the rug, her tears spilling over her lashes as she let out a shaky, beautiful laugh. She didn't hesitate for a single second.
May you like
"Yes," she whispered, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me hard against her as the ring box slipped safely onto the floorboards between us. "Yes, Julian. Absolutely yes."
Noah, Leo, and Maya rushed over from the rug, piling on top of the two of us in a tangle of warm arms and giggles, completely burying us in the best kind of chaos.
