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The sun was low in the sky, soft light catching Lara's face in a way that made Darcy almost trip on a crack in the sidewalk. This was their weekly ritual, wandering the hush of New York before it truly woke, taking in the sky above them and, more importantly, each other's company.
Darcy wasn't sure when this had become their thing. It had started as Lara's tradition, something her parents used to do together. But now it was theirs too, something that Darcy would never admit she looked forward to every single week. Their fingers laced together, the silence between them comfortable, the city feeling like it belonged to them in that moment.
Except today, Darcy's brain seemed to be staging a rebellion. Her entire being buzzed with energy, a mix of excitement and terror flooding through her with every step. Because this wasn't just any normal sunrise walk. This was the walk, probably the most important walk of her entire life.
This had been in the works for weeks. Darcy had spent every moment that Lara wasn't home setting up spreadsheets, group texts and at least three panicked calls to Jane about fairy lights. A few friends had registered their complaints about the ungodly hour, but Darcy had complained right back until they gave in. "Come on, this is love, not brunch," was a text she'd sent far too many times lately. And they'd show up. Of course they would. Because this mattered, and everyone close to them knew that.
"What's going on with you today?" Lara asked, laughing as Darcy tugged at her hand, leading her toward the park where everything was ready for their big moment.
"It's a beautiful day," she responded, her eyes sparkling with joy, and a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
"Uh huh. Darcy, I would recognise that plotting face anywhere."
"Plotting face? Me? Never!" Darcy grinned, secretly thrilled at how well Lara knew her. She used her grip on her girlfriend's hand to pull her in closer for a soft kiss. "I've never plotted anything in my life."
Lara raised an eyebrow. "Keep telling yourself that, love," she teased, and Darcy simply rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, trust me, you'll love it!" With that, Darcy moved again, almost pulling Lara off her feet in excitement.
"Wait—what happened to not plotting?"
"Oh, I lied!" Darcy wanted to bottle the laugh that Lara had just given her, to keep it forever. Oh, her laugh was the most beautiful sound, and Darcy couldn't wait to spend the rest of their lives discovering every possible way to hear it again and again.
"Darcy Lewis, you are a complete menace," Lara said with a grin, letting herself enjoy being pulled along. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't intrigued by whatever was being planned for her. Her heart raced, and not just from the pace that Darcy had set for them.
When they reached the park, everyone was there just as they'd promised. Lara’s mum spotted them first and rushed over, enveloping her daughter in a tight hug before turning to embrace Darcy as well.
"Hey, girls," she grinned.
"Mum? What are you doing here?" Lara asked, so surprised by her presence that she hadn't even registered anyone else, or the way the park had been set up.
While Lara was distracted, Darcy allowed herself a quick glance around, taking in every detail with a grin. Oh, it was perfect. Fairy light twinkled between the branches of the large tree where they'd first met, casting soft golden shadows onto the grass and highlighting the banner suspended below. It was honestly better than she'd imagined.
Sharon pulled her daughter into another hug. She seemed to glow with excitement, almost matching Darcy's barely-contained joy. "Look around you, darling," she said softly, guiding Lara’s gaze to the tree.
Her gaze went to the banner first, taking it in with wide eyes as her breath caught. It was a soft rose colour—Lara's favourite—with the words "will you marry me?" written on it.
Lara's eyes darted back to Darcy, taking in her huge grin and the way she rocked slightly on her feet before returning her attention to the tree. She needed a second to make sense of all of this, the details swirling and blurring together in her mind. "Darcy… what... What is all this?" she whispered, voice trembling slightly.
Darcy dropped to one knee so smoothly that Lara barely even registered it at first. She brought her hand to her mouth. "Lara… I've been planning this for weeks. I, uh… We've had such a good time together in the two years we've been dating. I want to spend the rest of my life making you laugh, annoying you in every possible way, and most importantly loving you more than anyone ever could." She paused for a second, allowing her girlfriend to process what she was saying. "What I'm trying to say is that I'd love for you to make me the luckiest person in the world. Will you marry me?"
Everything seemed to go still, time stretching around them. Lara swallowed hard, her thoughts tangling until she couldn't find the words to form any kind of response. Instead, she found herself appreciating the way the lights around them framed Darcy perfectly, her eyes sparkling and smile wide. She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but the words refused to form.
"Lara?" Darcy's tone was soft, with a slight teasing edge. The grin tugging at the corner of her mouth made Lara's chest ache. "Say something, my love."
Lara was crying. When had she started crying? "I… I… oh my god, Darcy!" she finally managed, a laugh breaking through her tears. She stumbled forward a little, and Darcy caught her effortlessly, pulling her into a tight embrace.
From the corner of her eye, Lara could see her mum watching them, suddenly surrounded by friends and family that she was fairly sure hadn't been there before. She ignored that, though, focusing instead on Darcy holding her, and the absolute certainty that had settled within her. This was exactly right. She wanted to spend forever with this woman.
"Yes. Yes, Darcy, I will marry you," she gasped finally. Darcy laughed, the sweetest sound in the whole world. She slipped a ring onto Lara's hand, then stood, twirling Lara around in a tight hug.
Oh, this was so perfect, so beautifully right.
Lara truly did love their morning walks. They'd always been important to her, their little weekly tradition. But this one was the one she would remember forever. This one meant the most to her, as the day that she promised to spend the rest of her life loving and being loved by the one person who meant everything to her.