He squeezed my hand.
“Neither do I.”
“If we are going to build a life together, you have to tell me the truth, even when the truth is uncomfortable. Especially when it is uncomfortable.”
He nodded.
“And I need you to understand something else,” I continued. “I never wanted your mother’s ring because I needed a diamond. I wanted to marry you because I believed in the life we could build together. The ring was beautiful, but it wasn’t the reason I said yes.”
Daniel’s eyes filled again.
“I know that now.”
“I don’t think you did this morning.”
He lowered his head.
“No. I didn’t.”
I took a deep breath.
“I don’t want your sister to feel that marrying me means losing her connection to your mother. And I don’t want you to feel that loving me requires you to abandon your family.”
He looked up, surprised.
“But I also won’t compete with your sister for a place in your life. I won’t ask you to choose between us every time there’s a disagreement.”
