”Wake up, baby,” I purred into YN’s ear, rubbing her scalp as I began to awaken her, “We have things to do today.”
A muffled grunt came from her mouth. She buried her head into her pillow while my fingers abide to curl in her brown hair. “No.”
I chuckled, the sound coming off as soft and sweet. I wrapped my arms around her dainty waist under the covers, pressing her against me. Her face was still hidden, so I tapped the side of her neck. “What about the picnic I told you about?”
”It’s too early.”
”It’s noon. Come on… or else I’ll have to tickle you…,” I threatened gently, pressing a kiss to the hollow of her throat. “Come on.”
YN raised her head, dazed and disoriented from only a certain amount of hours of sleep. Her brown eyes sparkled up at me before she responded, “This picnic better be good for you to be getting me up this early.”
”Oh, it’ll be perfect, I promise you… Grump.” I gave her a playful wink.
She had no idea what was in store.
——
As I sat across from YN on the checkered blanket, I found myself getting lost in her eyes every time I would look at her. Her hair was blowing in the wind as she raised another strawberry to her lips, her smile reappearing.
We had been making conversation for the past hour while we talked and ate our lunches. She never failed to amuse me with her bubbly personality. That girl could laugh in any situation and make everything okay again. She was the female version of me, and there was nothing I could love more about her.
Once our sandwiches had dispersed into our immune system, YN put her trash back into the basket, sliding over to me so she was cuddled in between my legs, her arms winding around my torso as she pressed her nose into the crook of my neck.
”That was yummy,” she complimented my decent cooking, “Thank you, Jack.”
I looked down at her, fascinating by how one human being could look — and act — like an angel at all times. Maybe that was what made me so attracted to her when we first met… Perhaps it was her secret mentality that made her mysterious. She wasn’t a hundred percent innocent; trust me, there were nights when she was the exact opposite.
Excusing my thinking, I smiled, moving away a strand of hair out of her face. “I’m glad you liked it. You’re welcome,” I replied, kissing her soft cheek.
We sat in silence for a few more minutes, just gazing at the horizon. YN’s back was pressed against my chest as I held her from behind, covering her hands with my own. I leaned my chin on top of her head and kissed her hair, squeezing her affectionately.
“There’s another reason I brought you here,” I admitted, becoming nervous as the time was slowly ticking, “Not just for lunch.”
Confused, YN turned to me, her luscious lips turning into a straight line. “What are you talking about, Jack?”
One hand in my pocket, I fiddled with the small velvet box with the ring hidden inside. I took a deep breath, gently moving YN out of the way so I could stand up. Taking my hand out of the pocket, I reached for hers and helped her up.
”YN,” I started, gazing gleefully into her eyes as I rocked on the balls of my feet, “We’ve been together for two and half years now. These two years have been some of the best of my life. I love falling asleep next to you at night and waking up in the same spot to see your gorgeous face. I love everything that you do and how you do it. I just love… I love you… a lot… and I want to spend the rest of my life with you….”
”What are you trying to say, Jack?” YN whispered, one of her manicured hands flying over her heart. “What…? What is…? What are you…?”
I started pulling the jewelry box out of my pocket, taking her hand as I slid down onto one knee. YN’s eyes filled with tears and she gasped, her eyes zeroing in onto the ring I was holding up.
”Please marry me,” I pleaded in a whisper, “I promise to take care of you, love you, respect you, and be there for you. I promise to be the most amazing husband in this whole world. All you have to do is say yes… Please?”
”Oh, Jack….” YN wiped one of her tears away, a nervous and shaky laugh coming from her. She looked down at me, nodding as fast as she ever has. “Yes. Oh God, yes, Jack! Yes.”
For a second, my heart sunk, making my stomach queasy. Then, when I realized she had said yes… that I was actually engaged… I rose up to my feet, slipping the diamond finger onto her left hand before taking her into my arms.
We were both crying — me crying a little bit less than YN was — as we held one another, our arms tightly wound. I smiled up to the sky before looking back down at her. “Promise me we’ll grow old together one day with our kids, grandkids. Promise me we’ll never stop loving each other… no matter what happens.”
”I promise, Jack. I love you so much. We’re gonna get married,” YN croaked, her eyes glistening with tears.
She rose onto her tip toes to kiss me passionately, my whole mind swirling with the future.
Our future.
