Chapter 9 - The Proposal under the Stars
Late that night, after Lily had been tucked into her new, brightly painted bedroom in the main wing—complete with a mural of rabbits and clouds that Elena and Nathaniel had painted themselves—Nathaniel led Elena out to the terrace.
The night was warm, the sky a velvet canopy dusted with thousands of silver stars. The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs in the distance was a soothing, rhythmic lullaby.
Nathaniel had set up a small table with two glasses of champagne and a single, beautifully preserved rose in a glass vase.
"You're being very mysterious tonight," Elena teased, leaning against the stone balustrade.
Nathaniel didn't laugh. He walked over to her, his expression serious, his eyes holding a depth of emotion that made her heart beat a little faster. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, navy velvet box.
"Elena," he said, taking her hands in his. "Two years ago, you came into this house looking for a way to survive. You didn't ask for anything. You didn't expect anything. You just worked, you loved your daughter, and you carried yourself with a grace that shamed everyone else in this room."
He opened the velvet box.
Inside was a stunning, antique platinum ring. In the center was a brilliant, radiant-cut diamond, flanked by two small, deep blue sapphires—matching the stones of the rose locket.
"You gave me back my daughter," Nathaniel whispered, his voice thick with a rising emotion. "But you also gave me a reason to live. You showed me that love isn't something that dies; it’s something that grows, even in the coldest, most broken places. I don't want to be just Lily's father. I want to be your husband. I want to build a life where you never have to be afraid, where you never have to worry about belonging, because you are my home."
He sank to one knee, looking up at her with a vulnerability that took her breath away.
"Elena Morales, will you marry me?"
Elena stared down at him, her eyes overflowing with tears of pure, unadulterated happiness. The maid who had arrived at this house with a single suitcase and a broken heart was now standing beneath the stars, looking at the man who loved her for exactly who she was.
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"Yes," she whispered, her voice a joyous sob. "Yes, Nathaniel. A million times, yes."
He stood up, sliding the ring onto her finger, and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss as the stars shone brightly above them.
