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“Where are you taking me?”
Lizzie asked, her voice bright with excitement as she smelled her fresh bouquet of flowers. Her and Joel had been walking for about twenty minutes, getting farther and farther from the train station and the city.
“Just a bit further babe, I promise it’ll be worth it!”
“This is very different from the usual hang out at your place, what’s the occasion?”
“The all special eleventh anniversary of our first meeting. It’s gonna happen only once in our life.”
“Sure, yes clearly, this is the day you choose to run off into the wild, not last year. Or next month, which is our actual ten year anniversary as a couple.”
“A bit of faith babe please, we’re almost there.”
Almost there for Joel meant another twenty minutes of walking so by the time they could hear the rumble of the river that was their destination Lizzie had taken off her fancy heels and was walking barefoot on the grassy path.
The morning sun was now shining brightly over the mountains, and the temperature was rising quickly.
When Lizzie got the first glimpse of the river, a magical spot already set up with a picnic under the shade of the trees, a swing gently swaying in the wind, flowers and ribbons decorating the whole thing, she gasped.
“It’s beautiful, you did this Joel?”
“You’re always talking about those fairytales you read as a child, so I thought I could make you a little fairy getaway of your own. As per why it’s this year, I did get the idea last year but then I didn’t have the time to plant the flowers…”
“Oh Joel…”
She hugged him tightly, pulling him down for a kiss.
“I love it and I love you.”
“Wait until you see the feast I have prepared for you.”
Joel took Lizzie’s hand and guided her over to the soft blanket already laid out for them and once they were both standing on it facing each other he slowly got down on one knee and pulled out the box containing the ring he had so carefully chosen.
“Will you marry me?”
Lizzie stared at him.
“Yeah I know we can’t actually marry, but I thought-”
“Yes. I don’t care about anything, I wanna marry you! I wanna spend my life with you.”
Lizzie tried to kneel down and Joel tried to get up, so their kiss met in the middle and ended in a tumble down on the blanket. When they finally composed themselves enough, the ring fit perfectly on Lizzies hand and the rest of the morning was spent between pastries and whispered sweet nothings.
“It’s time we head back babe, don't wanna be late.”
Lizzie slowly got up, admiring her magic little fairy getaway for the last time until the end of the Games.
“Can you imagine, one day, our kids running around here, bathing in the river and playing in the grass?”
“I can dream it for now, but maybe one day.”