“I am so sorry I doubted you, sweetheart,” I said softly.
“It is okay, you had every reason to be confused,” he replied gently.
“No, I broke our absolute rule about trusting each other,” I insisted.
“So did I, by keeping a massive secret from you,” he pointed out.
“You only did it to surprise me with something wonderful,” I said.
“I know, but it still caused a mess,” he admitted, squeezing my hand tightly. “No more secrets from now on, okay?”
“Not even good ones?” I teased him gently.
“Not even good ones,” he promised firmly.
“It is a deal,” I agreed, smiling up at him.
He leaned forward and pressed a warm kiss onto my forehead, and for the first time all morning, I allowed myself to breathe normally again.
Later that week, after we landed in Costa Rica, Callum took me down to a quiet stretch of beach near our resort just as the sun was beginning to set. The ocean stretched out endlessly before us, glowing under the golden evening light.
Callum took the small velvet box from his pocket and opened it to reveal the real ring, polished and shining in the sunlight. He took my hand gently and slid my grandmother’s ring onto my finger, right beside the new wedding band I had received days before.
