Chapter 29 — The End-of-Day Train

Nearly a year after the heritage train line officially came into operation, Thien An has completely stabilized life in Van Phong, opening a small architectural office right near the station, specializing in receiving projects to restore and preserve old architecture for many other localities to refer to the successful model of the Thanh Chau - Van Phong line. He still keeps the habit of taking the last train of the day every night, even though it is no longer necessary like before, simply because it has become an indispensable part of his life rhythm, and more importantly, it is the time he is near Khanh Chi the most during the day.

One evening in late autumn, when the first winds of the season began to cool, Thien An texted Khanh Chi, saying that he had a surprise for her, asking her to arrange a shift change so she could be free all that evening. Khanh Chi, although curious, still agreed and asked her young colleague to take charge of the train for her.

He picked her up at home in the late afternoon, without telling her where they were going, just smiling mysteriously, leading her to Van Phong station. On the way, Khanh Chi tried to ask a few times, but Thien An just smiled, shook her head, maintaining the mystery that made her both curious and nervous. She noticed that today he was dressed more neatly than usual, his white shirt was neatly ironed, different from the casual style he usually wore every time he got on the train.

There, Khanh Chi was surprised to see the station platform gently decorated with strings of small sparkling lights, running along the fence and awning, creating a romantic scene different from the usual simplicity. Boi Linh's large mural, under the soft yellow light, appears more vividly than ever, as if telling their entire story once again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, both surprised and moved.

"You just follow me," Thien An replied, holding her hand and leading her onto the train parked on the station platform - not a regular train, but an old train car that had been converted into a special experience car for couples, one of the new items of the heritage train line that Thien An herself designed.

Inside the carriage, flickering candles were safely lit everywhere in small glass cages, the dining table was delicately decorated with Khanh Chi's favorite dishes, and in the middle of the table was a bouquet of white chrysanthemums - the flower Mrs. Dang always brought with her every week, the flower that Khanh Chi once told him made her feel peaceful and pure.

"Thien An, this is..." Khanh Chi left his sentence unfinished, his throat choked with emotion.

"Sit down, miss," he said, pulling out a chair to invite her to sit, then signaled Mr. Thin, who was waiting in the cockpit with a rare mischievous smile, to start the ship.

The train slowly rolled, leaving Van Phong station in the last sunset of the day, entering a short journey along a familiar route that now, under decorative lights and a romantic atmosphere, took on a completely different beauty.

Khanh Chi sat opposite Thien An, his hands shaking holding the glass of fruit juice he had prepared, his eyes never leaving the scene outside the window passing by in the last sunset. "When did you prepare all this?" she asked, her voice still shocked by his thoughtfulness.

"Since three weeks ago," Thien An replied, smiling. "I had to ask both Y Van and Boi Linh to help keep the secret. There were several times it was almost revealed because Ms. Nhan blurted out something wrong, luckily she was able to put out the fire." He recounted a few funny and sad situations during the preparation process, making Khanh Chi unable to stop laughing, even though tears were still lingering at the corners of her eyes because of emotion.

The train runs slowly through each familiar station. The stations have now been renovated more spaciously but still retain their original rustic features. The lights from the small awnings shine warmly in the dusk.

"I've been preparing for this for a long time," Thien An said, as the train passed the empty field where they stood together to watch the sunset for the first time. "From the first train I boarded, not knowing what I was looking for, today, when I know for sure, what I've been looking for all these years is you."

He stood up, knelt down on one knee in the middle of the train's aisle, pulled out a small box from his pocket, inside was a simple but delicate ring, designed with a small train-shaped pattern winding around the small stone in the middle.

"Tong Khanh Chi," he said, his voice trembling with emotion but still full of certainty, "from the train ride at the end of the first day we met, you have taught me so many things about courage, about love for family, for the community, about how to turn pain into strength to do good things. I want to go with you on every remaining train ride of my life, whether it is a happy or sad train, favorable or difficult. Do you agree to be my wife?"

Tears rolled down Khanh Chi's cheeks, not because of sadness, but because of a happiness so full that she could not contain it. She nodded, her voice shaky but clear. "Yes. I agree, Thien An."

He stood up, put the ring on her finger, then hugged her in the middle of the train moving slowly in the sunset, the steady sound of iron wheels tapping on the rails seemed to harmonize with the beating of both of their hearts. Through the window, Mr. Thin glanced at the scene in the rearview mirror, smiled slightly, and deliberately slowed down the train speed to prolong that romantic moment a little longer.

When the train returned to Van Phong station, a small group of close friends were waiting to congratulate - Y Van, Boi Linh, Nhat Ha, Ms. Nhan, Mr. Canh, and Khanh Chi's mother and Ms. Tam, all of whom knew Thien An's plan in advance and had kept it a secret for many weeks. Cheers and applause echoed throughout the station when Khanh Chi stepped off the train, holding up her hand with the ring on it for everyone to see, her face beaming with happiness.

Mr. Thin stepped out of the cockpit and slowly approached the couple. His rarely seen serious face now relaxed into a warm smile. "I never thought I'd get to drive a proposal train in my life," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "But I'm so happy, because I can be a part of this important moment for you two."

Boi Linh ran over, hugged Khanh Chi, constantly admiring the ring on her hand, admiring its delicate design. "Mr. An is really good, did he sketch this train pattern himself?" she asked, her eyes shining with admiration for her career.

"That's right," Thien An replied, smiling at Khanh Chi. "I want the ring to carry a part of our story, just like everything else between us."

"Finally, this day has come," Mrs. Hong said, hugging her daughter, tears welling up with emotion. "I'm happy for you, Khanh Chi. Your dad is definitely smiling somewhere too." She took her daughter's hand and squeezed it tightly as if she wanted to convey all her love and pride through that warm embrace.

Mrs. Tam also hugged Khanh Chi, her voice trembling because of both old age and joy. "Thank you, son, for coming to An's life, giving him a true home after many years of wandering." She was silent for a moment, then added, her voice choked up: "Now you can rest assured, knowing that An has someone by his side to take care of him when she is no longer there."

That night, amidst the congratulations and bustling laughter of friends and relatives, Khanh Chi stood still for a moment, looked out at the sparklingly decorated station platform, looked at the special train that had just taken her through one of the most beautiful moments of her life, and felt a deep sense of completeness - not only the happiness of a girl who had just been proposed to, but also the happiness of a person who had rediscovered the full meaning of home, of family, after twelve long years of seemingly only remaining. the pain and loneliness.

Thien An came to stand next to her, put his arm around her shoulder, and both looked towards the station platform filled with laughter. "Shall we have the wedding here?" he asked softly, his voice filled with hope.

"Where else could it be," Khanh Chi replied, leaning her head on his shoulder, her bright smile unable to hide her happiness. "This is where everything between us began, so it should also be where we start a new chapter of our lives."

In the distance, the train whistle echoed from the nightly train running through town, like a silent blessing sent to two hearts that had just officially belonged to each other, amidst the small but warm scene of the station, where so many stories, so many lives had been witnessed, and now, a complete love story was being written.