Short Stories of My Mind's Eye

The warm, spring sunlight shone brightly in the cloudless sky, basking the greenery of the state park. My arms were filled with the picnic provisions I have gathered for todays lunch with my Love. The familiar running path leads me through the entirety of the beautiful grounds before guiding my feet to the large, lush oak tree. I set the edible crafts and other miscellaneous items down on the soft, green grass within the shade of the oakand procede in spreading the red and white checkered blanket over the ground. My nerves begin to set in when I check my watch and see the large hand tick once towards the tiny golden six.

She's late. I hope she got the note I left her, I hadn't even called to make sure out of fear of destroying romantic effect. I wanted this to be perfect. Reaching into my pocket I feel for the small, soft but firm box and pull it gently out into the open. The small chest rests tenderly in my palm and I can see it shuddering lightly from the vibrations of my nervous anticipations. Opening the hinged top I reveal the sparkling, crystaline Marquis diamond set atop the silver, diamond-studded band. This was my future, I was holding it in my hand......if she said yes. The thought of rejection at this level sent shivers down my spine, but I remained positive. We're in love, she loves me, she won't say no.

My sense of urgency returned to me and I once again set to work preparing. The woven basket now lying on the ground was filled with salads, a cantine, sandwiches, and a bouquet of four red incarnations, one for every year spent with her. Now I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her. Taking the ring in my hand I placed it on her sandwich, just firmly enough to hold it there. I was praying that this would work and not end in my looking like an idiot as I layed both of our fates down on the patterned weave. Just then I heard that sweet voice behind me.

"Now I wonder if your little suprises are ever going to get old."

I grabbed the flowers and turned quickly, fearing that she had seen what I was doing. This had to go perfectly. She seemed calm and collected, other than the reaction to the flowers, so I assumed she had seen nothing. I stood before her, rising a fair five inches above her.

"And yet another flower joins our group." She said with a smile, remarking the symbol of our dating anniversary.

She was so beautiful, more so than any otrher women I had ever met. Brunette, the mark of perfect, natural beauty without any additional help. Her long, thick curls hung down to her chest, parting around her perfectly proportioned face. I looked into her gorgeous blue eyes, wondering how it was I had been so blessed as to get this magnificent specimen of beauty. After she sets her gift down I take her hands in mine and pull her into my arms to embrace her.

"I'm glad you got my note, today's lunch is special."

"Every lunch with you is special." She said, raising her smiling face from my chest.

A smile formed from my lips in reflection to hers.

"Here you are my dear." I said, guiding her to the respective side of the picnic blanket. I aided her balance while she slowly dropped to to her knees, keeping her light blue, knee-length summer dress from riding up her toned, tan legs. She began eyeing the meal before her and my nerves started buzzing nervously. I feared her spotting the ring ahead of time, not a disaster but also not the perfection that I felt she deserved. Proceeding to sit down across from her, I begin to pass her the various courses set out before her. Starting with the caeser salad we procede with our lunch by means of conversation and a shared smile.

"So how have things been at the firm, Whit?"

"Oh, same same. A few meetings have allowed me to show off my organizational skills and I think another month or so might land me a promotion from secretary to "pencil pusher". How exciting, right?"

"Well now at least it's a step up."

"Well yeah, I just wish that I could get out and see at least part of the world."

I felt a smile try to creap onto my lips but held it back, thinking of the two cruise tickets in my right pocket.

"You know I'd like to aswell, maybe one day we will."

"That would be amazing, but it's a long shot. One can dream right?"

"Some dreams come true." I said between the chewing of my salad.

"I suppose so, maybe someday."

She put her salad down and picked the sandwich up from the paper plate. My mind began racing, my heart pumping wildly. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen, I needed more time. My heart was pounding in my chest  as she brought the sandwich to her mouth, right where the ring was. She looked up at me and stopped, the ring inches from her mouth.

"Is something wrong?"

My mind was racing with explanations but I couldn't bring any to voice. She slowly raised the sandwich to her mouth and my eyes widened as I saw the ring disappear behind her teeth. She hadn't seen it. She hadn't seen the ring! She was supposed to see it! I was about to interject when my thoughts were cut short.

"Ouch! What did you put on this sandwich, Hun?" She querried, reaching her finger into her mouth.

She pulled the ring, slightly dirtied from the food, from her lips and froze when she saw what she had recovered. I slowly leaned forward onto my knee and took the band from her quivering grip, wiping it clean with a napkin. Her eyes followed the little trinket before settling on my own with tears forming amidst the appearant happiness therin. My nerves had gone, my shakes and quivers disappeared. I was more certain about now than I had ever been about anything. Her jaw hung open, revealing her beautiful, white front teeth as a tear slipped down her cheek. Now in position and with ring in hand I knew it was time. I straightened my back and raised my ring-bearing hand. The words released from me as if they'd been waiting my whole life.

"Whit, I love you with every fiber of my being, and I would have nothing else than to spend the rest of my life with your company. I would trust none other than myself to treat you the way I know you deserve to be treated. So with that being said, Whiteny Ophelia Shelton, will you marry me?"

The tears were streaming down her cheeks now and she covered her sobbing mouth and nose with her shaking fingers. She slowly removed her hands from her beautiful, glistening face to reply.

"Yes...oh James yes of course I will marry you!"

She leaped forward from her knees into my arms and hugged me tightly. I embraced her briefly and then proceeded to position her hand for the mounting of the ring. I slid the band onto her still shaking finger, and she smiled widely before jumping on me again, this time throwing her arms around my neck and pushing her lips to mine as we fell back into the grass. We pulled you passionate faces apart...

"I love you, Whit."

"I love you too, Jim."

Out of all the picnics we've had under that tree, that will always be the one to remember.