Time froze to a standstill.
I was utterly taken by surprise. Strong emotions overwhelmed me, and every inch of my body was stimulated with a sudden high, but I somehow forgot how to breathe.
I tore my eyes away from the ring on the palm of Luca's hand and met his gaze.
He was staring at me with vulnerable tenderness, his mouth slightly pursed, as he waited for me to respond to his unanswered question that hung in the air. The courage in his eyes was gradually waning the longer it took for me to answer.
"Yes," I whispered, my lips quivering as my eyes swam with tears. "Yes! I will marry you, Luca!"
He closed his eyes for a second and exhaled with relief before taking my trembling left hand and carefully slipping the ring on my finger. His hands were trembling too.
It was a simple ring made of a thin strip of brown leather which looped twice through a single baroque pearl and knotted on each of its sides.
