"Reuben, I couldn't believe Devon was a bad kid. I didn't think he hit Clara. It was hard to believe. He got bullied at school. He never fought back. He was too innocent," Teressa said to Reuben after hearing that Devon confessed to the police that he hit Clara, and now he was going to send Devon to a camp.

"Teressa, I also couldn't believe he hit Clara. But he accepted it himself. I knew he fought with boys, but I never thought he hit a girl, especially Clara, his sister," Reuben said. His tone was upset, and he looked down. Teressa felt sad for poor Reuben.

"Oh, Reuben, I'm so sorry you had to go through all this. I know you are a great father. But maybe there's something going on that we don't know," Teressa said, touching Reuben's face gently to comfort him.

"You care a lot about my children, don't you, Teressa? Even though they confessed to something, you still believe they are innocent," Reuben said, looking into the distance and then into Teressa's eyes. "That's why I chose you, Teressa. I can't let you go because you are too caring. How can I let go of someone who cares about my family like this?"

"Oh, Reuben. I have worked with troublesome kids, so I know if they are lying or not," Teressa said.

"So, you think Devon is lying?" Reuben asked.

"I'm pretty sure he's lying. It looks like he is scared of someone," Teressa said, looking at Reuben.

"Scared of who? There's nothing he has to be scared about. He can tell me anything. I'm his father," Reuben said emotionally. He looked like he was about to cry.

Teressa looked at Reuben with respect. It wasn't common for fathers to care about their children this much, especially not this emotionally. Before getting to know Reuben, she thought he might be an abusive person. But after getting to know him, she realized he wasn't. He was a good father who even treated his adoptive son like his own.

"Try to talk with him, Reuben. Or I'll talk with him," Teressa said, and Reuben's face changed.

"Oh, you are so caring, Teressa. But I think he must talk to me, not you. I'm the one who takes care of him," Reuben said firmly. His sad look suddenly shifted to anger and then quickly changed back to sadness. Then he gave a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, I got a bit emotional," Reuben said. "I don't know why these kids hurt me like this, Teressa," he said, resting his head on Teressa's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Reuben. Try to talk with him. He'll tell you," Teressa said.

"Even if I talk with him, I still have to send him to the camp," Reuben said.

"Really? What kind of camp is it?" Teressa asked.

"It's a camp for bad kids. But maybe Devon might learn something from it," Reuben said.

"How long does he have to stay there?" Teressa asked.

"I don't think he can come back before our marriage," Reuben said, looking at Teressa, whose mouth opened in surprise.

"Our... our what? Did I hear that right?" Teressa asked, and Reuben laughed. His sadness vanished, as if he had been acting sad the whole time.

"Of course. Did you think I dated you for nothing? I'm not that kind of man, Teressa. I respect women. I'm not the type of person who sleeps with someone and then lets her go," Reuben said, staring at Teressa with a funny look.

"But... but... I'm not..."

"What do you mean you're not? Did you date me for fun? Are you serious, Teressa? I thought you were serious. I was heartbroken, and yet you dated me for fun?" Reuben asked, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

"No, Reuben. I love you. But don't you think it's too early? It's only been three months," Teressa said.

"So what? I want to settle down quickly. You know me. I know you. I know you are not a gold digger. Look how caring you are for my children," Reuben said, gently touching Teressa's face. "You don't even have to care about someone else's children, yet you are so caring. You even called the police that day when the principal was against you. You didn't even care about your job. That was a risk, Teressa. Some people get killed doing those kinds of things. I think you are a brave woman," Reuben said, and Teressa smiled at him for the compliment.

"So, will you marry me, Teressa?" Suddenly, Reuben got down on one knee in front of her and took a ring from his pocket. It had a big diamond, and it looked expensive and beautiful.

This was the first time someone asked Teressa to marry him. She had had boyfriends before, but they always broke up after dating, or she broke up with them.

"Yes, I do," Teressa said. Although she felt happy about it, there was a little unsettling feeling inside her mind. She felt like she wasn't actually ready, but she didn't know how to say that. Reuben had already made her feel guilty, so she was afraid to upset him by saying no.