Percy

John

There, on my desk, the small object sat. Emotionless and devoid of real meaning, other than the value I'd placed upon it myself, it could've been garbage. But for me it was history.

I reached forward and pocketed the item.

Time to get going.

Walking down the metal hallway, checking all the valves and meters... I made sure everything was perfect. It couldn't go wrong. Not today. I'd planned this for too long.

Finally I reached the greenhouse. Well, it wasn't exactly a greenhouse, but it functioned like one. It was like a great, big, thick piece of plastic- on the moon.

I located the most important feature. I looked for a few moments longer. I was right. About everything; it was perfect, and nothing had failed me.

Finally, after months of trying-- a pumpkin. There it was, small and orange and entirely unsuspecting of what this meant for me. For us.

"Angela! Come see- we did it!" I screamed. With as much happiness as I could muster. I heard the patter of footsteps.

"We did it? Like- we did it?" She squealed, locating me. I nodded feverishly, and placed the item in my pocket on the plant.

"Come see." I said gently. Her eyes began flowing with tears.

"I can't believe it." She said, quietly. Leaning over, she ruffled the leaves of the pumpkin plant. Until the item dropped off a stem, into her hand. For a moment there were no words. Silence.

Then...

"Alan... I..."

"Angela, we did it. Our own little victory. And now... I just want to say that from the moment you somehow, miraculously, sprouted this small seed, something grew in me. Finally... seeing this plant, fully grown, has showed me how important you are: to the mission, and to me. So... pumpkin... will you marry me?"

***