That was the moment I realized something had shifted.
Not suddenly or dramatically. Just a subtle change, like the light fading at the end of the day.
We began spending more time together. Not out of necessity, but because we wanted to. Conversations lingered. Silences felt warmer. There was a comfort between us that went beyond friendship, though neither of us spoke of it at first.
Until one evening.
Graham arrived looking unusually tense. He kept adjusting his jacket and glancing at me as if searching for the right words.
“Harriet,” he said finally, “may I ask you something?”
“Of course,” I replied.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Inside was a simple gold ring.
I stared at it, then at him.
“I know we are not young,” he said quickly. “I know this might seem foolish. But I care about you more than I ever expected to feel again. I was wondering if you might consider marrying me.”
My heart pounded in a way I had not felt in years.
It was not fear, and it was not exactly joy. It was something more complicated, something that held both past and future at once.
“Graham…” I began.
