"Will you marry me?" He asked. He was on one knee, with a silver engagement ring lifted up to her. Her eyes were wide with shock, caught completely unaware. As his family watched for her answer, her face went through shock and confusion, and finally, true happiness.
"Yes." She said quietly.
"What?" He looked up at her, with an expression that said he couldn't believe his luck.
"Yes!" She shrieked. She threw herself into his arms. "I love you!"
His arms folded around her, slowly at first, as if she were delicate glass, but then slipping tightly around her waist.
"I love you too."
The flashback haunted her. Her attempts to fall asleep were futile. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the proposal in her minds eye. She turned in her bed. Again. She couldn't stop tossing and turning. Sleeping wasn't happening for her tonight. Instead of questioning her relationship alone, she shook Daniel until his weary eyes opened and looked at her.
"Was...Was going on Azalea? You ok?" Yawning, he stretched his arms up and checked the time. "Man! It's like two in the morning! What's wrong Zee?" He turned to face her.
"Why does something have to be wrong? Maybe I just wanted to talk to you." She looked at him expectantly. Daniel rechecked his watch.
"At two in the morning?" His lips turned up in a small smile."You would rather have a conversation with me now than sleep? You value your sleep Zee. If I offered you one million dollars or ten hours of sleep a night, I'm pretty sure I know what you'd pick."
"Hey! Sleep is important!"
"Which is why I would like to get some."
"Then fine! Just go back to your wonderfully interesting dreams that are so much better than me!" She turned over, crossing her arms petulantly.
"Come on Zee." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into him. "What's wrong? Just tell me." They lay there for a few minutes, just them two, silently. And then----
"Do you ever think we made the wrong choice?" Zee asked, in a timid voice, almost afraid of what he might say in response.
"The wrong choice?" His tone was one of bewilderment.
"In not getting married I mean." Her voice was soft. "I mean...... I like the way things are--I do!" She spoke almost vehemently. She seemed to be trying to convince herself rather than him. "It's just......"
"Your family doesn't approve." He spoke in a low tone, a guarded voice.
"Yes! Er.....I mean no. I mean.....not only that." Zee stumbled over her words, trying to find how to convey the difficult message to he who she loved. "I mean...I love you, and that should be all that matters. But,....the truth is....."
"It isn't."
"Right. And I love that we're living together, even though my mother doesn't, and I like being with you and being your girlfriend, but I just, I just want more. Seeing your brother propose to his girlfriend today, it made me think....."
Daniel stayed silent, waiting for Zee to gather her thoughts, to say what she wanted.
"They've only been dating for what, six months? But they just know that they're meant for each other. And we've been going out for three years. If they know and we don't...."
"Zee....."
"I know....'
"What a deep conversation to have at two in the morning." He joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly. "Listen, Zee, I love you, but I'm not ready to get married. And if that's what you want, I'm sorry, but I can't rush into this. Marriage is a big deal and I like the way we are now. Why do we have to change right at this moment?"
"We don't." She said, "But I do want to get married. And I want it to be a possibility."
"Zee....it was never not a possibility. It's just not something I want now."
Silence settled over them like a fog, wrapping them up and separating them from each other.
"We should sleep now."
