How to Love You

Chapter 2

Picture: Danielle Harper

I anxiously sat by the kitchen counter, waiting for Danielle to finish getting ready upstairs. My legs were shaky and my palms were sweaty, as I fumbled with the velvet ring case in my coat pocket.

Tonight was the night.

I had bought this engagement ring ages ago, probably after the first few months of dating her, but I've always been waiting for the perfect moment. A girl like her deserves an epic proposal, and I had to make it worth her wait. Part of me was freaking out, considering I knew this couldn't be anything less than perfect, but the other part knew I was ready to marry this women and happily spend the rest of my life with her.

As I took a few deep breaths, I looked up to see Danielle descending the staircase, elegantly. Her hair was curled, with a few strands curving her face, and her makeup was vibrant, just like her. After all her struggles to find the best outfit, she chose a long, red dress that had a slit to reveal her tanned leg. She looked absolutely breathtaking to say the least.

My hands released the ring case in my pocket, as I slowly approached her, a grin lighting up my face. It took me a few moments to fully fathom her entire beauty, as I placed a tender kiss on her cheek. All my worries about proposing were gone; this was the women I loved unconditionally. There was nothing in this entire world, not any argument or fight, that could ever change that.

"You look so beautiful." I smiled, making her cheeks turn rosy, as she averted her head to the floor.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She smirked, finally looking back up at me with her gorgeous blue eyes that indulge me in a trance every time.

I escorted her to the car, my arm looped into hers, and kindly opened the door for her. The entire car ride was spent with me constantly glancing over at her, as she stared out the window and made little comments about how excited she was.

I can't take my eyes off of her. How did such a perfect girl ever fall for me?

There was so many times, throughout the car ride, that I wanted to just pull over and propose right there.

I just couldn't wait to make her my wife.

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Dinner was excellent, of course, but I still hadn't found the right moment to propose. Every time I came close, the waiter would come over or Danielle would start telling me a story and I didn't want to interrupt her. When she starts rambling, it's hard to stop her without feeling guilty.

We were now sitting back in my car, and she was giving me a critic review of the ravioli she ordered for dinner. I had drove us to the first place we kissed; a bowling alley (so romantic, I know). I figured I should propose to her in the place where I first admitted to myself that I loved and wanted to spend eternity with only her. My hands were tightly gripping the ring case, and I felt that familiar fear of disappointing her. I had to make this perfect.

"The sauce was kind of sweet, but the actual ravioli tasted great. I don't know, maybe I just don't like sweet tomato sauce. I still enjoyed-"

"Babe, listen." I finally interrupted to which she replied with a confused look.

"Are you gonna break up with me? Usually when guys say to listen, it never ends well." She stared at me with a worried expression that was endlessly adorable.

"No, babe, of course not." I took a deep breath, "Do you know why I took you here?" She looked outside at the gloomy bowling away, that appeared nearly vacant, and then turned back to me with a smirk.

"Because this is where you kissed me for the first time. I accidentally dropped a bowling ball on your foot, and I wouldn't stop apologizing, so you grabbed my face and kissed me to shut me up. I would never forget that moment, it was special."

"You're right, it was special. That's why I took you here to do this." I pulled the wedding ring case out of my pocket, my hands uncontrollably shaking, and immediately she covered her mouth with her hands, tears brimming her eyes, "Danielle, that was the night where I realized I had fallen in love with you. You were kind, caring, and utterly irresistible...even after dropping a ball on my foot." She laughed softly through her tears.

"I'm still sorry about that."

"And you're compassionate. You're the first girl I've ever really loved, and you showed me a side of life I never thought existed. I wouldn't mind waking up to your beautiful face every morning and hearing your adorable laugh for the rest of my life, so what do you say? Will you marry me, Danielle Harper?" She excitedly nodded, embracing me in a hug.

"I love you so much." She said, as I slipped the gleaming ring onto her finger.

Everything felt so right in the world; I was finally going to be marrying the love of my life and seeing her ecstatic expression made this entire wait worth it.

It's almost as if we were in our own little bubble of happiness, excluded from reality; as if the outside world had completely disappeared from our vision. Because as I planted a kiss on her cheek and continued to express my love for her, I was oblivious to the high speeding car driving straight towards us. I didn't notice the drunk driver who was spiraling out of control about to hit our car and ultimately ruin our lives. I only saw my beautiful soon-to-be wife, and so, when the large truck crashed into us, I was flung back to the harsh reality. Danielle's smile instantly distorted to an ear piercing scream that would ring in my mind for the rest of my life.

The last thing I remember seeing was Danielle's head roughly smashing through the side window, and seeing her go unconscious.