When the daylight has faded

Pen y Fan (#straight)

"That's it! I'm not taking another step!" I protested, not as forcefully as I would have liked because my breath was coming in machine-gun style volume and speed.

"Come on, baby! It's just a little further." My boyfriend was using his strawberry ice-cream voice again, which he reserved for just such occasions.

The occasion this time being a walk up Pen y Fan. Suggested by him. Rejected by me. Suggested by him again and so on and so forth. Suffice it to say, I had been walking what felt like an eternity in the direction I like the least: up. And by "up" I don't mean gentle slopes but steep cliffs. I swear.

"Forget it! You and your stupid ideas!" I managed to squeeze out between two breaths.

I was pressing my hands into my sides in an effort to hold my insides together and I was losing the battle.

"I checked it on the internet. This is the gentle walk. Even children can manage this little circular walk. It's 'a mountain walk for softies', it said. You can't be that much out of shape." My lovely boyfriend gave me a - what I supposed was meant to be an encouraging - smile. It didn't work.

While a minute ago I had felt like I was dying from altitude sickness and overexertion, I now started to suspect that a heart attack might get me first.

I positively felt my eyes bulging and my blood rushing in the direction I hate the most: up. Straight into my cheeks, which I suspected did nothing for my already dishevelled looks.

"What is that supposed to mean!" I screamed. Thankfully there were only two other families within earshot. Could have been worse.

Well, to be frank, both families sported mum, dad and a bunch of kids. Very small kids. And they were also going up. That was worse!

"Okay, you want to go up that stupid mountain, we'll go up that stupid mountain." I hissed. Then I took one last massive breath and sprinted off towards the peak like Linford Christie. Okay, so maybe his tactics did work.

Anyway, I was racing up Kilimanjaro's little brother like Speedy Gonzales on ecstasy, my heartbeat about 50 yards behind me, when I felt my boyfriend touch my arm gently.

"Slow down, love!" He said. "You are overshooting."

With a wicked grin, he gestured to a little tent just off the beaten track on a little straight.

I turned to him, surprised that he had managed to keep up with my record speed, annoyed to find out that he wasn't even out of breath.

He went over to the tent and pulled back the flaps before ushering me in.

I gasped. Inside there was a little collapsible table with two small collapsible chairs. The table held a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a candle in an ornate candle holder.

As I turned back to him, he fell onto one knee and held out his hands for mine.

"Nothing worth having comes easy!" he said with a nervous smile. "Will you marry me?"