She pulls into the driveway and parks just behind his car. Grabbing the small gift bag on the passenger seat, she makes a dash through the back door and down the stairs to the basement. With a shiver, her coat goes up on the hook and she quickly curls up on the couch next to the young man who lives in the apartment.
“Here. This is for you.” She states, thrusting the bag into his lap.
He opens it, a bit confused as they had previous agreed to not exchange gifts on such a “Hallmark Holiday”. Inside is a small children’s book, which she quickly snatches from his hands and says excitedly, “I’ll read this to you!”
The short story unfolds with two characters guessing how much the other loves them. It’s an obviously simple child’s tale, but the sentiment is clear. When the story ends, she looks at him with a warm smile and says, “I love you.”
He stares into her eyes for a lingering moment, takes her hand into his and says with such warmth, “Dallas Ann, it would mean everything to me if I would be able to wake up every morning next to you, roll over and tell you how much I love you. Will you please marry me?”
A heartbeat passes, then two. The time didn’t pass because she was trying to make up her mind, but because tears of happiness blocked her words.
Soon enough, a choked “Of course!” makes its way out and to this day, neither one can top the other with how much they love each other.
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