♥︎ATHALIA♥︎
A year and six months ago, on a beautiful summer evening, I stood outside an art gallery with my close friend, Aria.
She had an unusually secretive smile, and every question I asked was met with a sly response or a change of subject. I couldn’t stop smiling myself, mostly from the excitement and mystery of it all.
“Alright, what’s going on?” I laughed, giving her a playful nudge.
Aria just grinned and nodded toward the door. “Just go inside. You’ll see.”
Before I could protest, she slipped away, leaving me alone at the gallery entrance. Taking a breath, I stepped through the door, feeling a quietness settle over me as I closed it behind me.
The room before me took my breath away. The gallery walls were covered with photos and portraits—of me and Brandon.
Pictures of us from dates, candid moments when he must have secretly captured me laughing, smiling, looking at him with the same love he’d always shown me.
Intertwined with the photos were beautifully hand-drawn portraits—his sketches of me. Each one was more intricate than the last, every line and shadow drawn with care and familiarity. I could feel my heart racing as I took it all in.
Soft music played in the background, making the whole room feel like a dream. As I wandered through the gallery, absorbing every memory captured on those walls, I felt like I was reliving our entire story, with each photo, each portrait representing every small, beautiful moment we’d shared.
At the end of the gallery, I spotted him standing there, looking as handsome as ever, his hands in his pockets, a gentle smile on his face.
His eyes held that same warmth, the same love I’d always seen when he looked at me. But tonight, there was something more.
“Brandon…” I managed to whisper, feeling overwhelmed.
He took a step toward me, reaching out to hold my hands. His touch grounded me, though my heart felt like it was ready to leap out of my chest.
Standing there with my hands in his, Brandon took a deep breath and looked at me, his voice soft but carrying so much meaning.
“Athalia,” he began, “when I first saw you, I didn’t know that you’d come to mean so much to me. You walked into my life like a light in the dark, filling every space with laughter and love I never thought I’d have again. You’ve given me reasons to hope, reasons to believe in more than just getting by. With you, I feel like I can really live.”
His fingers gently traced the top of my hand as he went on, “Every memory we’ve made—the lazy afternoons, the little jokes, even the challenges we’ve faced—they’re pieces of a life I never dared to dream I could have. You make every day feel like a new adventure, like there’s something worth fighting for, something worth waking up to. You don’t just make me happy, Athalia—you make me better.”
I smiled, tears rolling down my cheeks.
He paused, gathering himself, his voice becoming a little rougher with emotion. “You’re not just my best friend, my partner, my muse… you’re the love of my life. You’re the one who reminds me who I am, who I want to be. And I know I’m not perfect, but you’ve never asked me to be. You’ve just stood by my side, showing me every day that I’m enough, just as I am. And that’s a gift I’ll never take for granted.”
He looked around, motioning to the gallery walls lined with our memories, every single moment captured and celebrated.
“All of this… is our story. These are the pieces of us that have built who we are together, and I want nothing more than to keep adding to it. A lifetime of memories, moments, of choosing each other again and again.”
Brandon’s gaze held mine, his eyes full of the same love he’d shown me countless times but now layered with a depth I’d never seen before.
“Athalia, I promise to stand by you, to be the partner you’ve always been to me, and to cherish every single day we have together. I want to spend my life making you as happy as you’ve made me.”
With that, he gently lowered himself to one knee, and the world felt like it slowed, every sound and sight focusing on him, on us.
He opened the small box in his hand, the ring catching the light, but it was his face—full of love, of hope, of admiration—that stole my breath.
“Athalia,” he whispered, his voice filled with everything that words couldn’t say, “will you marry me?”
And through the tears, the laughter, the overwhelming joy that filled me, I whispered back, “Yes, Brandon. Yes.”
He stood and slid the ring onto my finger, his hands trembling slightly as he pulled me into his arms. The world felt like it melted away at that moment. There was just us, held together by the memories on those walls and the promise of everything we’d still create.
Just then, Aria and Luke burst into the gallery, their cheers filling the room, followed by a few close friends and family who had been hiding just out of view.
I couldn’t hold back. With all the love and excitement swirling in my heart, I leaned up, wrapping my arms around him, and kissed him.
The cheers around us grew louder, but all I could feel was Brandon, the warmth of his lips, and the happiness radiating from both of us.
It was my turn to tell him, without words, how much he meant to me. As we pulled apart, he smiled down at me, his eyes shining with joy. I knew we’d remember this moment forever.
♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎
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