The Starlight Proposal

The following evening, the Rocky Mountain sky above Aspen was an infinite dome of deep velvet indigo, glittering with millions of cold, brilliant stars. The entire day had unfolded like an idyllic alpine dream. Gabriel and Sierra had spent the crisp morning cross-country skiing through the private pine trails behind the ridge, racing each other across the glittering snowfields with the same playful, razor-sharp competitive banter that had always defined…