The Proposal

I awoke in a home not my own, the guest of friends, to a day that I will treasure forever. The day started with European League Soccer, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and a staring contest with the Dixon kids. As they departed for their day, I departed to my future.

I packed my car, stowed my valuable cargo and left to pick up my breakfast date. Little did she know that I had more than breakfast on my mind. We planned a picnic breakfast and approached the Whole Foods type store near the park. We discovered that it was closed on Sundays, so we had to revert to plan B...the Starbucks in the same parking lot.

As we ordered, it seemed as though the cashier at the register was absorbing all of my nerves as we had to repeat what we had ordered numerous times before he finally got it. With coffee and pastry in hand we returned to the car to get the picnic blanket with special filling and headed to the park. We walked through the trees, quietly objecting to people carving their initials into a tree, up the hill and found the spot.

As I unfurled the blanket I handed the box that I had spent weeks of thought and preparation making and creating and handed it to Layla. I told her it was a "Wink"aversary gift as today was our "Sweet Sixteen" months since we first connected. Since that first wink online. It was a perfect cover for my ulterior motives. She opened the box marked D+L with a heart. (Carved into the box instead of the tree because I care about nature.) She opened it and read the notes that I had spent months thinking about and the night before finally getting to writing down.

I spoke of our initial connection and the words that both of us had posted on the internet in hopes of finding that one special someone to love for the rest of our lives. Notes of dreams. Notes of Exploration. Notes of Discovery. I wanted to write these things down for several reasons. I wanted to be able to express  how special she is to me, worried that with all of the anticipation I might forget something. I know that she values words and treasures my written notes.

Then the final cards. The words she read, as my heart swelled and pulsated in my ears, first written almost two years prior:

"Worst case scenario we make a new friend and do something fun."
"Best case scenario..."

Then the anticipation seemed to build knowing the moment was fast approaching. She began to remove the small crumbled pieces of torn up book used as stuffing for the "winkaversary gift". She pulled away some papers to reveal two sculpted figures. One of me and one of her. She gave her endearing, "aww" and began lifting one of the figures from the box. As she did the tethered figures released a shiny token from below the added padding and her "aww" turned to an "ahhhhhh!!!!" It was until that moment that she was just opening a small present. At that moment the mood changed dramatically. At that moment my life changed dramatically.

I somehow found some words to try and express how important she is to me and how I want to spend every day with her. I told her she was my 'best case scenario'. I did not know what the future would hold, but I knew that I wanted to hold her for the future.

Then I asked her to marry me.
And then she said "Yes!"