A Proposal in the Rain

Rain poured from the sky in sheets, soaking through Aimee Stewart’s thin school uniform as she stood under the rusted roof of the school gate. Her umbrella had broken somewhere between the bus stop and the street, and now it lay uselessly at her feet. She shivered slightly due to the chill but gritted her teeth and apeared calm.

Beside her, a small boy clung to her hand tightly—her ten-year-old brother, Yanely. His wide brown eyes were heavy with sleep and worry, peeking from under a too-big hoodie. She tightened her grip on his hand.

They had nowhere to go.

Their parents had died two weeks ago in a car crash. Relatives had refused to take them in. And now, social services were stepping in. Yanely was to be sent to a foster home. Aimee, still a high school student herself, was deemed too young to be his guardian.

“Are they really going to separate us?” Yanely asked, his voice barely audible over the rain.

Aimee swallowed the lump in her throat. “Not if I can help it.”

She didn’t know where the idea came from. Maybe it was the desperation. Maybe it was the steady figure who had stood before them all this time—stern, responsible, untouchable.

Her eyes lifted toward the school building, and she saw a familiar figure approaching under a large black umbrella.

Ralph Hall.

The school’s handsome and famously aloof English teacher. Her homeroom teacher. Always calm, always distant. He was on his way out, probably done with another late-night grading session.

“Mr. Hall!” Aimee called out suddenly, stepping into the rain.

He stopped, raising an eyebrow under his dark fringe as he noticed her. “Miss Stewart?” His gaze moved to the boy beside her. “Yanely? What are you two doing out here at this hour?”

Aimee was shivering. “I need to ask you something.”

Ralph looked at her, confused but attentive. “Go on.”

Taking a deep breath, Aimee bowed at a full ninety degrees, her voice shaking. “Please marry me!”

The rain seemed to pause around them.

Yanely gasped and tugged her sleeve. “Aimee?!”

Ralph blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I—I know it sounds insane,” Aimee stammered, lifting her head. “But I have no one else. They’re going to take Yanely away from me. I need to be his guardian. If I’m married, maybe… maybe they’ll let me keep him. You’re an adult. You’re responsible. I’m not asking you to love me or anything. It’s just… please. I’ll do anything.”

For a long moment, Ralph said nothing. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, studied her.

Then, without a word, he took a step forward and held out his umbrella to cover her and her brother.

“Let’s get you both inside first,” he said calmly. “We’ll talk.”

Aimee’s legs almost gave way. Her heart pounded, partly from the cold, partly from embarrassment, and partly from the faintest shimmer of hope.

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