James and I celebrated our 14th anniversary at a restaurant.

James and I celebrated our 14th anniversary at a restaurant. As usual, he gave me kitchen utensils instead of something romantic, and I smiled politely. While he was in the bathroom, a waiter brought me a salad I hadn’t ordered and whispered, “Don’t eat it. There’s a surprise from your husband.”

Curious, I searched through it and found a ring.

When James returned, his face went pale. “Where did you get that?” he asked sharply.

Before I could answer, the waiter spoke up. The ring had been discovered during renovations, lodged beneath the floorboards for years. It was the very ring James had proposed with — the one I’d lost during our move.

James hadn’t planned it. He’d only wanted to recreate our proposal. Somehow, fate did the rest.

With tears in my eyes, I slid the ring back on my finger, feeling like we’d been given a second chance.