I could see it in his face—the disbelief, the struggle to process the reality standing in front of him.
The dog he had written off as a lost cause was alive and happy. And so was I.
Mark, unfazed by the tension, handed me the leash. “Ready to head to the park?” he asked, his voice light, his eyes only on me.
Greg’s expression darkened as he glared between the two of us.
His pride was wounded, and his control over the narrative slipped.
“This is… ridiculous,” he muttered.
“You’re right,” I said, meeting his gaze without flinching. “What’s ridiculous is you thinking I’d regret letting you go.”
His face twisted with anger, but I didn’t care. He immediately stormed off, his new girlfriend trailing behind him, but I didn’t watch them go.
Instead, I turned to Mark, squeezing his hand as Maggie leaned into my leg, her tail thumping happily.
“Ready?” he asked, nodding toward the park.
I smiled.
“More than ever.”
Six months later, we were back at that same park, but this time, everything felt different.
The sun dipped low, casting golden light over the picnic blanket where Mark and I sat. Maggie trotted toward me, something tied to her collar.
I frowned. “Maggie, what’s this?”
Mark grinned.
“Why don’t you check?”
I untied the tiny box, my fingers trembling. Before I could process it, Mark was on one knee.
“Clara,” he said softly. “Will you marry me?”
I glanced at Maggie, who wagged her tail like she had been planning this moment herself.
I laughed through my tears.
“Of course.”
Source: amomama
