Chapter 14 - The Truth at the Altar
That evening, as the golden summer sun dipped beneath the western horizon, painting the sky over Boston Harbor in radiant ribbons of crimson and gold, Dominic and I walked along the private seaside terrace of the Beacon Hill estate.
A gentle ocean breeze rustled through the blooming white hydrangea gardens, carrying the fresh, sweet scent of the Atlantic surf.
Down on the private lawn, seven-year-old Lily was running energetically with a golden retriever puppy, laughing pure, joyful laughter that echoed across the water.
She held her golden dragon toy, Barnaby, high in the air, pretending it was soaring through the colorful twilight clouds.
Dominic stood behind me at the stone balustrade, wrapping his strong, scarred arms securely around my waist, pulling me close against his beating heart.
I leaned my head back against his broad chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of the heart I had fought to save in the trauma bay.
“Do you remember the night you walked into that trauma room, Sarah?” Dominic asked softly, his voice thick with raw, profound emotion.
I laughed softly, turning in his arms to face him, my hazel eyes sparkling with boundless love and joy.
“I remember thinking I was going to lose my mind,” I whispered, gently touching the faint silver scar on his left cheekbone.
“And I remember knowing that no matter how angry I was, I could never let you die.”
Dominic reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box of midnight-blue leather.
He dropped to one knee on the sunlit stone terrace, looking up into my eyes with a devotion so deep and pure it took my breath away.
He opened the box, revealing a breathtaking five-carat flawless emerald-cut diamond ring set in brushed platinum, mirroring the timeless elegance of the sea before us.
“Sarah Thornton, you walked into my darkness, saved my dying body, and gave my soul the greatest miracle in the universe,” Dominic spoke from the depths of his heart.
“Will you do me the greatest honor of my life?”
“Will you marry me and build our future together as my wife, my partner, and the queen of my heart?”
Tears of pure, unadulterated joy spilled over my eyelashes as I pressed my fingertips against my lips.
“Yes, Dominic… a thousand times, yes,” I whispered through my tears.
May you like
Dominic slid the platinum ring onto my left finger, rising to his full height and pulling me into a fierce, passionate embrace as the ocean breeze swirled around us.
The six years of agonizing separation were completely erased, replaced by the boundless, brilliant promise of an unbreakable love.
