Chapter 19 - THE SECOND PROPOSAL
Three months later, Daniel visited Newport for Grace’s first attempt at crawling.
He arrived carrying no flowers.
No jewelry.
No dramatic surprise.
Amy appreciated that.
Grace spent twenty minutes moving backward before accidentally discovering forward motion.
Daniel cheered so loudly Ruth came upstairs to complain.
“That baby crawled three inches, not across the Atlantic.”
Daniel picked Grace up.
“She’s gifted.”
Amy rolled her eyes.
That evening, after Grace fell asleep, Amy and Daniel sat near the window.
The harbor lights reflected across the water.
Daniel looked nervous.
Amy noticed immediately.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re terrible at nothing.”
He smiled.
Then reached into his jacket.
Amy froze.
Daniel placed a small box on the table.
“Daniel.”
“Before you panic, open it.”
Amy hesitated.
Inside was her old wedding ring.
The diamond that had belonged to Daniel’s grandmother.
Amy stared at it.
“I thought Margaret had it.”
“She did.”
Daniel did not touch the box.
“I’m not asking you to put it on.”
Amy looked at him.
“Then why bring it?”
“Because it was always yours.”
Amy swallowed.
Daniel continued.
“I spent months thinking about proposing again.”
Her eyes widened.
“I had speeches.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“I had locations.”
“Of course.”
“I almost rented the beach.”
Amy stared at him.
“You cannot rent the beach.”
“I learned that.”
She laughed.
Then Daniel became serious.
“But I realized another proposal would still be me asking you for a decision on my timeline.”
Amy looked down at the ring.
“So I’m giving it back.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
Daniel stood.
“You can wear it.”
“Sell it.”
“Give it to Grace someday.”
“Throw it in the ocean, although my mother might have a medical emergency.”
Amy laughed through tears.
Daniel moved toward the door.
“Amy.”
She looked up.
“I don’t need you to promise me forever.”
His voice softened.
“I just want whatever you give me to be freely chosen.”
Amy stared at the man standing before her.
The same face.
The same voice.
The same hands.
But not the same man.
Or maybe the man had always been somewhere inside him, buried beneath ambition and ego.
Daniel opened the door.
“Aren’t you staying?”
He paused.
“You want me to?”
“Yes.”
His expression changed.
Amy picked up the ring.
She turned it slowly between her fingers.
“I’m not putting this back on tonight.”
“I know.”
“But I don’t want a divorce anymore.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Amy continued.
“That doesn’t mean we go back.”
“I don’t want to go back.”
“Good.”
She stood.
“If we do this, we build something new.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“Slowly.”
“Yes.”
“Counseling.”
“Yes.”
“Separate places until we’re ready.”
“Yes.”
“And if I ever become that man again—”
Amy interrupted.
“I leave.”
Daniel nodded.
“You leave.”
Amy stepped closer.
Then she placed the ring back inside the box.
“Tomorrow, we start.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Tomorrow?”
Amy smiled.
“Tonight, you change Grace.”
He laughed.
“That seems fair.”
From the bedroom came their daughter’s angry cry.
Amy pointed toward the hallway.
“Your client is calling.”
Daniel walked toward the room.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Amy stood by the window alone.
For the first time, choosing Daniel did not feel like abandoning herself.
May you like
Because this time, she was not staying from fear.
She was staying from freedom.
