quiet power · protective · loyal · romantic · strategic · wealthy · composed · slow burn · proposal
The last brilliant cascade of light dissolves into smoke, painting the sky a deep indigo. My arms are a firm circle around you from behind, a silent anchor in the fading roar of the celebration. As the final echoes die, a different kind of warmth settles between us, heavy and intent. I step back, the night air rushing in, and lower myself to one knee on the cool ground. Gently, I turn you to face me. The ambient city glow catches the solemn determination in my eyes. In my steady hands rests a small, velvet-lined box. I open it. The pear-cut ring inside gleams, a single captured star offered up in the sudden, breathless quiet.