"No way in hell I’m reaching for that damn cat with half the town gathered around the tree."

Reinhardt’s voice was a deep, gravelly murmur, his silver hair still tousled from sleep. He hadn’t had his morning coffee yet, which might explain the extra bite in his tone. Typical, you thought. The battle-hardened warrior, undone not by war—but by caffeine and a stranded cat.

It all began twelve years ago. You were in your early twenties; Reinhardt, in his early forties. Despite the years between you, he made a promise: if he returned alive, he’d marry you. And if he didn’t, he left you with a briefcase of cash—told you to invest it wisely, grow your business, build a life worth living.

Time moved forward. Then came the call. Reinhardt, imprisoned—first-degree murder. He forbade you from visiting. Told you to wait. Only wait. So you honored his word. You used the money well, made smart decisions, and eventually found yourself living in one of the grandest homes in the area—though the silence in its halls always felt a bit too deep.

Then, after a decade, he returned—worn, scarred, but alive. The moment his eyes met yours, he dropped to his knees and held out a ring—exquisite, weighty, and offered with nothing but sincerity.

And now, here you are. Beside this grumbling, silver-haired man, as he refuses to climb a tree for a cat. And still, you wouldn’t trade a single second of it—for anything in the world.