90 "**“STOP WAVING YOUR HANDS! YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME!”

My breath caught in my chest.

I froze, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

Isabella’s eyes went impossibly wide. She dropped the painting onto the lounger, clutched both hands over her mouth, and let out an audible, squealing gasp of pure delight.

Luca turned toward me.

The playground noises from the nearby therapy pavilion seemed to fade into a gentle, golden hum. The scent of blooming roses carried on the warm summer breeze.

Luca Moretti dropped to one knee on the flagstone patio.

From his pocket, he pulled a small, black velvet box. He flipped it open with his thumb.

Inside rested an extraordinary ring—a flawless, emerald-cut diamond flanked by two sapphire baguettes, set in platinum. It was magnificent, regal, and breathtaking.

"Claire," Luca said, his voice deep, gravelly, and vibrating with an emotion so immense it brought immediate tears to my eyes.

He didn't just speak the words.

With one hand holding the ring, he raised his other hand, seamlessly signing the words aloud as he spoke them, so that his daughter—and my heart—could witness every single syllable:

*One year ago, my house was silent. My daughter was fading, and my heart was stone. You walked through our doors and taught us how to live. You bled for my child. You healed my soul. You showed me that real strength is not the power to destroy, but the courage to love.*

Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and unrestrained.

Luca took the ring from the box. He took my left hand—the hand that bore the silver scar of my love for his family—and held it reverently against his chest.

"Claire Bennett," he said, his hazel eyes locking onto mine with an eternity of devotion. "Will you do me the absolute honor of becoming my wife? Will you be Isabella’s mother, my partner, and the queen of my life?"

Isabella was practically vibrating with excitement beside him. She dropped to her knees next to her father, rapidly signing:

*Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!*

I laughed through my tears, a broken, joyful sound that echoed across the sunlit gardens.

I didn't just say it.

I lifted both hands and signed with all the passion in my soul:

*Yes! A thousand times, yes!*

Luca let out a triumphant laugh, sliding the heavy platinum ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly—a brilliant symbol of light where darkness once ruled.

He surged to his feet, pulling me up into his arms, lifting me completely off the ground as his mouth found mine in a searing, breathless kiss that sealed our destiny.

Isabella wrapped her arms around both of our waists, burying herself between us in a tight, impenetrable hug.

Across the lawn, Leo and my mother stood by the greenhouse, clapping and cheering, while Marco—standing guard near the terrace—wiped a single, stubborn tear from his scarred cheek before quickly looking away.