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“You’ve made a beautiful life for yourself in Oregon, Matt. But it’s your life, not mine. My 51 family is here. My life is here. How much longer can we keep this up with so much time apart?
“Marry me”
“What?” Sylvie’s eyes flew wide open, hands tightening instinctively around Matt’s large hands.
“Sylvie Brett, will you marry me ?” Matt’s bright blue eyes stared right into her eyes, unwavering as he returned the squeeze of his hands, grasping her just as tightly.
“Matt… I-” Sylvie stammered, her ears buzzing and heart beating quickly as she tried to process what her boyfriend had just asked her. Suddenly, all she could focus on was the man in front of her. The music playing in the background went quiet and all sounds from people talking and laughing just blended into a low hum. She felt like she was in a haze.
“Sylvie. This is my promise to you that in 2 years, I will come back to Chicago. As much as I love being in Portland, Chicago is my home and always will be my home”
Sylvie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. These words were words she had dreamt of coming out of her boyfriend's mouth. But their long distance situation made it what she had increasingly expected it to be - a dream .
“B-but the boys, Matt. You can’t just leave them after Ben’s graduated”. Sylvie’s voice was wet and it came out as a whisper, wavering at the prospect that she could even possibly have a future with the man in front of her.
“I want this life with you. I want to marry you. Have you as my bride, dressed is the most perfect dress, standing at the alter looking like absolute perfection as we say our vows, promising one another eternity.” Matt took a deep breath. His confidence in their relationship left him with absolute belief in what they could achieve and build together. “I know this is incredibly hard for you and I know I am asking you a lot to wait for me - but Sylvie , I love you with all my heart and there is no one else in this world I want to marry and live out the rest of my days with. You are it for me. You are who I have been waiting my whole life for and I don’t want this to slip away”.
He took Sylvie’s face in his hands, gently framing her face in between them. “I spoke to the boys and they want to move back to Chicago. I didn’t ask them to - they want to.” His voice was gentle but assertive, determined to prove to the woman in front of him that he was making this commitment to her. “We could build this wonderful, unconventional life and we could do it together ”
Sylvie looked deep into Matt’s bright blue eyes, filled with so much emotion and desperation. All she could see was hope in them and in that moment she knew, she knew this was going to be incredibly hard and he was asking for a lot but he was right, they were it for one another and saying no and giving up this life together would ultimately hurt her more than saying yes, and spending the next 2 years apart. Because at the end of the day, they would eventually be together again in Chicago. This was just a hurdle in their relationship. They were meant to be together.
Lips inches away from her face, eyes only on her, Matt whispered again. “ Marry me, Sylvie Brett ”.
Finally she let the tears fall from her eyes, her eyes glistening in the moonlit sky. She nodded ferociously with a watery smile and kissed him deeply.
“Yes. I’ll marry you, Matt Casey ”