Tears welled in Sophia’s eyes as she pressed her lips together. This was the moment she had imagined so many times. After everything they had been through, here it was, Michael’s proposal.

She had told herself she no longer loved him, but her heart betrayed her. The truth was her feelings had never disappeared; they had only been hidden away.

“Do you deserve my lifelong trust?” she asked, keeping her emotions guarded, unwilling to give in too quickly.

This was her test. If the love was real, it would endure even the hardest trials. Only then could she trust her heart with him again.

Michael placed a hand over his...