“You notice the price of everything before the beauty,” he once said.

“Because price decides what gets to stay beautiful,” I answered.

He smiled slightly.

“That’s either wisdom or sadness.”

“Probably both.”

Violet noticed the connection.

“Grandpa likes you,” she said.

“He likes that I say thank you,” I joked.

But one night, Rick asked something unexpected:

“Have you ever considered marrying for security?”

I thought it was a joke.

It wasn’t.

“Are you proposing to me?” I asked.

“Yes.”

That should’ve been the moment I walked away.

Instead, I asked why.

“Because I trust you more than my own family,” he said.

When I told Violet, everything changed.

She didn’t laugh.