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It was a warm spring afternoon. They weren’t sure if they would be able to have a picnic date on their actual anniversary; it had been drizzling and miserable out until the other day. However the heavens blessed Renee and David with a beautiful day.
Ms. Minkowski carried the basket of food they had prepared the second the sun appeared, while Mr. Koudelka carried one with dishes. With every step he felt the small box in his pocket brush against his leg. He had been hiding the ring for two months now. David noticed his breathing had sped up, and managed to calm it down before Renee was able to pick up on it. God, this was so much more nerve racking than he thought it would be.
He had decided that he was going to propose to Renee six months ago, and been planning exactly how he was going to do it for four. However, every second that the moment drew closer, he felt more and more nervous. He almost started to regret the idea of proposing.
‘Nope. Not going down that trail of thought David.’ He scolded himself. ‘You’ve been waiting for the right moment, and here it is. You are not letting it slip away.’
Her sweet voice broke him out of his worrying. “How about here?” She smiled as she put down her basket. She was wearing her hair down, and he locked the rare picture of her away in his mind. He placed his basket next to hers and gave her a peck on the cheek before beginning to lay out a blanket.
Had she felt how jittery he was? He decided to blame it on coffee if she asked.
It didn’t take long to get everything set up, and David laughed as he was handed a sandwich.
“Oh my, peanut butter and jelly! Really pulling out all the stops, there!” She laughed, unable to come up with a witty retort as she took out the fruit salad he made. After that came an unfamiliar bottle.
“Isn’t it illegal to drink in public parks?” Koudelka asked, eyeing her.
“Well, good thing it’s sparkling apple juice then,”
He shook his head, chuckling slightly. He pulled out the plastic cups from the dish basket, and she poured the liquid into them. She took one of them as her own with a sweet smile.
“You’re the writer here, David. You toast,” His eyes squinted as he drafted something out.
“To the three years I’ve spent with the woman I love, and to the many more in our future,” Renee began to laugh so hard she almost spilled the beverage.
“You’re so cheesy!” She exclaimed, pushing away the giggles. He began to laugh along with her.
“There was nothing said about being a good writer,” he grinned as they finally clinked glasses.
They ate their lunch slowly, relishing the sun, the scenery, and the laughter of children playing nearby. Renee was laying back, her crimson hair blowing around on the blanket as she made pictures in the clouds. She was radiant, and he wished this moment could last forever as he pulled out the velvet box from his pocket.
He took a breath.
“Uh, hey, Renee?” Did his voice just crack? He felt like a teenager again and the butterflies in his stomach weren’t really helping.
Her eyes went wide as she saw his hands wrapped around the small square. She knew exactly what was happening,
“So, as of today it’s been three years since we met in that little cafe in Paris. Those three years have been the happiest three because of you, Renee. I wish-”
“David, stop.” his heart dropped to his gut, until she continued, “Yes. Yes I will marry you, stop rambling on,” They wrapped their arms around each other, and cherished how they felt in each other’s arms. They nuzzled closed, smiling because hey knew that everything was right. All the pieces had fallen into place, and here they were, happy.
He woke up embracing a pillow instead of his wife.