Chapter 17 - The Anniversary Surprise
Six months later, the Westchester estate was draped in soft white fairy lights.
It was a quiet Tuesday evening. The boys were fast asleep upstairs, exhausted from a grueling soccer match in the backyard, and Lucia was staying over at a friend’s house for her first sleepover.
Serena sat on the back porch swing, wrapping a knitted blanket around her shoulders as the cool evening breeze rustled the leaves of the apple tree.
The back screen door creaked open.
Victor stepped out carrying two mugs of steaming hot chamomile tea. He wasn't wearing a suit tonight; just a soft charcoal sweater and dark jeans. He handed a mug to Serena and sat down beside her on the wooden swing, the chains creaking softly under their combined weight.
“Do you know what today is?” Victor asked softly, staring out into the moonlit lawn.
Serena paused, taking a sip of the tea. “Our six-month anniversary of not burning down the kitchen?”
“That too,” Victor smiled, turning to look at her with an intensity that made her breath catch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box.
Serena’s heart skipped a beat. She had known deep down this day was coming, but seeing the small, elegant diamond ring catching the moonlight took the words right out of her mouth.
“When I first met you, Serena, you walked into a house full of chaos with thirty-six dollars in your pocket and a spine of pure titanium,” Victor’s voice was low, rich, and thick with emotion. “You didn’t just save my sons. You saved me. You brought light into a house that had been dead for five years.”
He popped the box open, revealing a stunning, custom-designed platinum ring set with a flawless solitaire diamond flanked by four small emeralds—one for each boy, and a hidden sapphire underneath for Lucia.
“Will you marry me, Serena? Make this family complete, legally and forever?”
May you like
Tears welled up in Serena’s green eyes. She didn’t hesitate for a single second.
“Yes,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely as the tea mugs clattered safely onto the porch floor. “Yes, a million times yes.”
