Chapter 26: The Proposal that Matters

The Unexpected Guests

Arin and Pin had barely settled into their quiet life together when an unexpected call shook everything up.

"Your parents are here."

Poly's voice on the other end of the phone was rushed, almost panicked. Arin blinked in confusion, sitting up from the couch.

"My parents?" she repeated, glancing at Pin, who was curled up beside her.

Poly sighed. "Yes. They just landed in Bangkok and are on their way to your apartment. You better prepare."

Arin groaned, rubbing her temple. "This is so sudden."

Pin sat up straighter, her expression shifting. "What's wrong?"

Arin sighed. "My parents are coming."

Pin's eyes widened slightly, but she stayed quiet.

It didn't take long before the sound of a knock echoed through the apartment. Arin took a deep breath before opening the door, revealing Sakda Supan and Margaret Supan standing there, their expressions unreadable.

Arin stepped aside, letting them in.

Margaret's gaze immediately landed on Pin, and something flickered in her eyes—recognition, understanding, and something else Pin couldn't quite place.

Sakda sighed, rubbing his forehead before speaking. "We heard you were back in Thailand."

Arin nodded. "I never planned to leave again."

Margaret exhaled. "Arin, we're not here to argue."

Arin raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

There was a pause before her father spoke again. "We wanted to see how you were doing."

Pin observed quietly, unsure of where this was going.

Sakda's eyes softened. "You were a wreck after you left her, Arin. Two years of seeing you like that… We won't go through it again."

Margaret nodded. "We don't understand everything, and we don't have to. But if she's the one you want, we're not standing in the way anymore."

Silence stretched across the room.

Pin wasn't expecting this. Not at all.

Arin, however, didn't hesitate. "Good. Because I've already decided."

Her parents looked at her curiously.

Arin turned to Pin, eyes firm.

"I'm marrying Pin."

Pin froze.

The words rang loud in the room, and even Arin's parents were momentarily stunned by the directness.

Pin felt all eyes on her, but she said nothing.

Not here.

Not now.

Sakda and Margaret exchanged a look but said nothing more.

After a few minutes of polite conversation, they left, telling Arin to visit soon.

Once they were gone, Pin stood up, arms crossed. "You didn't even ask me."

Arin smirked. "I don't need to."

Pin exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Arin, marriage isn't something you just decide on your own."

Arin took a step closer, voice softer this time. "Then tell me you don't want it."

Pin opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Arin smiled. "Exactly."

Pin rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

She wasn't ready to say yes.

But she wasn't saying no either.

The Proposal That Matters

The atmosphere in the apartment was heavy with silence. Pin had barely spoken since Arin's bold declaration in front of her parents. It wasn't that she was angry—she was just… unsettled.

She wasn't someone who could be forced into decisions, especially one as big as marriage.

Arin knew that.

So when Pin avoided her gaze at dinner, Arin made up her mind. She needed to do this the right way.

Tonight.

She had been waiting for the perfect moment, and now she realized—the perfect moment wasn't something she had to wait for. It was something she had to create.

A Night to Remember

Later that evening, Arin called Pin to the rooftop of their apartment building. Pin hesitated at first but eventually went up, only to find the space transformed.

The rooftop was adorned with fairy lights, candles flickering in the gentle night breeze. A small table was set up with Pin's favorite dishes, and soft music played in the background.

Pin stopped at the entrance, completely taken aback. "What is this?"

Arin, standing in the center of it all, smiled. "Something I should have done properly a long time ago."

Pin looked at her, suspicious yet curious.

Arin took a deep breath, then walked closer. "I know I messed up today. I should have asked you first before announcing it to my parents." She met Pin's gaze, unwavering. "But that doesn't mean I don't mean it."

Pin crossed her arms. "You don't get to decide my future on your own."

Arin nodded. "You're right."

Pin's lips parted slightly, surprised by how easily Arin agreed.

Then, Arin reached into her pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

Pin's heart stopped.

Arin took a step closer and slowly bent down on one knee.

Pin's breath hitched. "Arin—"

"I'm not doing this because I have to," Arin said softly, her voice carrying a raw sincerity that made Pin's chest tighten. "I'm doing this because I want to."

She opened the box, revealing a delicate yet elegant ring. A simple yet beautiful design—one that Arin had picked out long ago, waiting for the right time.

"Pin, I love you. I have loved you since the moment I saw you again, and I will love you for the rest of my life." Arin's voice was steady, yet filled with emotion. "I know I made mistakes. I know I didn't ask you before telling my parents. But that's because, in my heart, I already knew—there is no one else I want to spend my life with but you."

Pin's hands clenched into fists, her throat tightening.

"I don't want to pressure you. I just want you to know that my choice is you. And if you'll have me, I promise, I will never let you go again."

Pin stared at Arin, her heart pounding.

Everything about this moment felt overwhelming. Too much, too fast.

And yet…

This was Arin.

The woman who never gave up on her.

The woman who, despite everything, still stood here, waiting for her answer.

Pin took a deep breath, then slowly reached out.

She didn't take the ring.

Instead, she cupped Arin's face and pulled her into a deep, lingering kiss.

Arin's eyes widened briefly before she melted into it, her hands finding Pin's waist.

When they finally pulled away, Pin rested her forehead against Arin's.

"Don't ever make decisions for me again," she murmured.

Arin chuckled. "Understood."

Pin glanced at the ring, then back at Arin.

She sighed, then extended her hand.

"Put it on before I change my mind."

Arin grinned, slipping the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

Pin looked at it for a moment before shaking her head with a small smile.

"You're impossible."

Arin kissed her again.

"And you're mine."