I roll my eyes, and the teasing comes easier than I expect. “You’re turning fifty, not being knighted.”
She laughs, and for a second, I almost don’t recognize us—this easy camaraderie, this lack of caution. “Let me have my moment. It’s not every year I get to be celebrated in diamonds and donations. Cartier’s underwriting the cocktail hour, and Moët’s sending custom bottles.”
“Of course they are.”
“It’s not just a birthday party,” she adds. “The foundation’s marking a milestone this year—larger grants, new scholarship partnerships. We’re making real headway. And I want the evening to reflect that.”
I hear it then, beneath the polish—something genuine. More than branding or performance. Something that matters to her.
“I’ll be there,” I say.
“And bring Olivia,” she adds. “It’s one thing to meet the family. It’s another to be presented to the world.”
After we hang up, I sit there for a moment, her words circling back like a tide.Presented to the world.
Not just acknowledgment—but declaration. A public claiming.
I wonder if Olivia will realize how much it means, how satisfied it will make me. That the world will see her and know she’s mine.
And maybe—if I do this right—they won’t just see my partner. They’ll see myfiancée.
I return to the design. My fingers trail over the sketch—ruby in the center, brilliant diamonds on either side. Classic. Enduring. Undeniable.
I picture it on Olivia’s hand. Her fingers curled around mine. Her saying yes.
And for a moment, the quiet doesn’t feel so unbearable.
The sun hitsthe quad perfectly at this hour—everything dipped in warm gold. Olivia and I step out of the seminar hall and onto the wide stone steps, voices and movement scattering around us—students fanning out across the lawn, books cracked open, laughter drifting on the breeze.
She pauses beside me, her hair catching the sun like molten copper as she tilts her face toward the sky.
“It’s so nice out,” she says, her voice easy. Then she turns to me. “Want to sit on the lawn with me for a bit?”
My heart trips.She wants me close today.
I keep my voice steady. “Of course,” I say, offering my hand. “Anywhere you are.”
We walk in silence, the kind that feels full rather than empty. Her hand in mine is warm and comforting. I brush my thumb along hers as we pass the edge of the main lawn and find a quieter patch beneath the sprawling oak.
Olivia sinks down onto the grass, bracing her palms behind her and stretching out her legs. Her head tips back, face tilted toward the sun.
And I just…watch her.
After a long moment, she glances back at me. “I missed you.” Her voice is soft.
Then stop leaving, my mind snaps. But I bite the words back. Instead, I settle beside her and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Yeah?”
Her eyes meet mine, cautious. “Yeah.”
She shifts closer and rests her head lightly on my shoulder. I exhale for what feels like the first time in days. I press a kiss to the crown of her head, letting the moment settle between us.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I murmur.
She doesn’t answer right away. For a moment, we just sit—close, silent—like we’re both catching our breath.
Then, quietly, “I know it hasn’t been easy…” She hesitates. “I just… Thank you, Nate. For trying.”
No. It’s not easy at all. It’s been torture.But if this is what it takes to keep her?—
