The Love Story Of A Thousand Years

The Frozen Spoon

Finley pulls up to the small, outspoken ice cream shop right at the heart of town. Reeve hastily unlocks the door and pulls the handle. Getting out, and almost falling to the ground, he rushes inside and hears the satisfying ding! to signal he had opened the door to heaven.

"OHH HO MAN!" The strong, uplifting smell smacked him square in the face and almost brought him to his knees. "Dan you always make the place smell sooo good!" Dan smiles and acknowledges him, "Well, when you've been doing it for fifty years, the store takes on a personality of its own."

Finley takes up sweet time walking to the door, no rush at all. They've been around for ages and everyone knows about them. The sign above the door was little and almost insignificant compared to all the huge stores all around it. The sign had always been small and cute, like the building itself.

Walking in, the sublime smell was enough to make a grown man cry. Finley found Reeve up at the counter bouncing lightly like a small child. He wasn't shy at all, which is why they'd met in the first place. Dan was putting together his ice cream right in front of him as he ordered it, like he had done since he opened the small joint.

"I'll take a large mint chocolate chip with lots of whipped cream and that's it for me!" Dan put on the whipped cream and added an extra cherry. Dan winks, "Don't let Finley know." They both giggle and Reeve complies.

Finley walks up to the large counter and looks to Dan. "Ya know Dan, I think I'll have my usual." Finley smiles. "Ah, alright Finley, one vanilla waffle cone covered in peanuts and dipped in chocolate and a small cherry on top! Never gets old, huh?" He makes the large cone and smiles wide. He's been doing this same order for about seventeen years, since Finley was able to hold a cone in those cute little hands.

"You're sooo predictable Fifi!" Reeve almost squeals, sitting down at their small booth in the corner. "And you're not?" Finley smiles at Reeve and plucks the cherry off the top eating it first, like always.

"Well, not really..." Reeve stands up and walks over to Finley's side. "Where ya headed?" Finley's head cocks to the side ever so slightly. "Oh, getting some napkins." He bends down next to Finley and ties his shoe, slowly pulling something out of his pants pocket. He opens it and props himself on one knee. Reeve taps on Finley's thigh. Finley looks over and then down.

"R-Reeve??"

"Finley."

"W-Whatcha doin' down there?"

"Finley, I know you can see it."

Finley nearly cries.

"Finley.... Will you marry me?"