Chapter 8 - The Simple Proposal
The spring on the Isle of Skye came with a rush of green grass, wild yellow daffodils, and a soft, warm wind that carried the scent of the sea.
Sienna stood on the wooden deck of her cottage, looking out at the glen. She had nothing left in her bank account, her designer clothes were gone, and her name had been scrubbed from the social registers of Florence.
Yet, as she breathed in the fresh highland air, she felt richer than she ever had in her life. She was free.
She saw Aiden walking up the path from the chapel. He carried a small, wooden basket filled with wild primroses. His face lit up with a brilliant, joyful smile the moment he saw her.
"You're back," he said, dropping the basket and pulling her into a tight, warm embrace. "I’ve prayed for you every single day."
"Your prayers were answered, Aiden," Sienna whispered, burying her face in his neck. "It’s over. I gave it all away. I have nothing left but myself."
"You have everything, Sienna," Aiden said, stepping back and looking at her with a reverence that made her breath catch.
He slowly knelt on one knee in the soft green grass, beneath the budding branches of the ancient oak tree that stood by the cottage. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, simple band of dark wood. It was carved from a branch of the old oak, polished to a soft, natural shine.
"I carved this while you were gone," Aiden said, his voice trembling with a deep, quiet love. "It’s not gold, and it has no diamonds. But it was made with my own hands, with every prayer and every hope I have for our future. Sienna, will you marry me? Will you share my simple life, my faith, and my heart?"
Sienna knelt in the grass beside him, her tears of happiness falling onto the soil. She reached out, letting him slip the simple wooden band onto her finger. It felt warm, light, and infinitely more beautiful than the heavy diamond ring she had discarded in Florence.
May you like
"Yes, Aiden," she sobbed, throwing her arms around him. "A thousand times, yes."
Under the blue highland sky, they held each other close, their simple wooden ring a symbol of a love that was built not on the shifting sands of wealth, but on the solid, eternal rock of truth.
