Chapter 12 - ISLAND OF PARADISE
That summer, the family took an extended sabbatical on their private island in the Caribbean, far from the prying eyes of Wall Street and the press.
Their yacht, The True Clara, anchored in a secluded cove of turquoise waters fringed by white sands and swaying coconut palms. For thirty days, Julian, Clara, and Leo swam with sea turtles, walked along sun-drenched beaches, and watched radiant coral sunsets.
One evening, as the tide receded under a canopy of twilight stars, Julian took Clara by the hand along the water's edge.
He stopped, turning her toward him, and dropped to one knee on the sand. From his linen shirt pocket, he withdrew a small velvet case containing a rare, internally flawless pink diamond ring set in platinum.
"The wedding ring Vivian wore was melted down and erased from our history, Clara," Julian spoke, his voice trembling with deep emotion. "Before heaven and our son, I want to ask you again: Will you marry me, Clara? Will you be my wife, my partner, and my love for all the days of our lives?"
Leo ran over from the beach blanket, shouting with glee: "Say yes, Mommy! Say yes!"
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Clara laughed through tears of pure happiness, nodding with all her soul: "Yes, Julian! A million times, yes!"
Julian slid the ring onto her finger, lifted her into his arms, and spun her beneath the ocean breeze, sealing their promise with an eternal, passionate kiss.
