“Yes, you do.”
As we walked toward the door, he squeezed my hand.
“I love you, Nadya.”
I looked at him.
“Then remember that love isn’t just about making beautiful promises. It’s also about being brave enough to have difficult conversations.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
I wanted to believe him.
And this time, I knew that belief would have to be supported by what he did next.
The Ring Was Never the Real Problem
Over the following days, Daniel and I talked more honestly than we had in months.
We discussed his mother’s ring, his sister’s grief, and the way he had handled the situation.
I also told him how frightened I had been when he asked for it back.
I explained that for a few terrible minutes, I had wondered whether the entire proposal had been a mistake.
He listened without interrupting.
When I finished, he apologized again.
Not the hurried apology he had offered in the kitchen, but a thoughtful one that acknowledged exactly what he had done wrong.
