he had planned the evening and wanted her to enjoy the surprise. From her perspective, those details made the occasion feel intentional rather than spontaneous.
She dressed more carefully than usual because she suspected the night might matter. Seven years had given her plenty of time to recognize his habits, and he seemed unusually focused on making everything feel special. He had chosen the restaurant, selected the time, and treated the entire evening as something he had organized for the two of them. None of that guaranteed a proposal, but it was enough to make the possibility difficult to ignore.
Throughout dinner, she tried not to become too hopeful. She knew how disappointing it could be to construct an entire future around a moment that had not actually happened. Still, every time he reached toward his jacket or paused before saying something, she wondered whether a ring might appear. She
