Laughing a little, he scratched the back of his neck. He realized that changing the subject of a serious conversation with a joke or quip must run in the family. Harry thought it was cute the way Luz was always trying to lighten the mood when he felt stressed, but always after she'd calmed him down first. Now he knew that this particular trait had come from her grandmother.
Standing up from the table, Harry reached out a hand towards Sofia. "I have two left feet, but would you like to dance?"
She took Harry by surprise when she stood up almost immediately, with his help this time. "No family member of mine will not know how to dance. Come, you will be dancing like you've lived in Barranquilla all your life by the end of the night."
Harry laughed a little louder this time as they made their way to the dance floor.
So now here he was, laying on a surfboard in the middle of the ocean, Luz right next to him on her own board. The blue velvet box he'd thrown at her head a few weeks ago was now in the pocket of his swim trunks, having gone out of his way to wear a special pair that had water resistant pace to keep the ring safe. After searching high and low for the perfect place to propose, he decided on a whim that he was going to ask her today, and when Luz asked if he wanted to lay out in the sun for a little bit, he knew this was his chance.
He knew asking Luz to marry him without her family around to celebrate was a bit of a risk, but they could celebrate after. He wanted this moment to just be between him and Luz. Now he just had to open his mouth and ask her.
"You're quiet today," Luz said, her voice bringing him out of his thoughts.
She was spot on, as usual, but he couldn't let her know that. "Am I?"
"Yeah, but that's okay," she grinned, her eyes still closed against the bright sunlight. Harry never understood why she didn't wear sunglasses more for how often she was outside. "It's kinda nice."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked her, feigning incredulity. He knew she was just teasing, and he played along, if only to loosen him up for what he was about to do.
He didn't know why he was so nervous, Luz already knew there was a ring. It should've taken some of the pressure off, but it didn't. It has to be now, Harry thought. Otherwise you'll chicken out and wait another day.
As quietly as he could, Harry sat up on his surfboard and fished the box out of his pocket. "Um, I have, uh, I have something to say."
Luz could hear the obvious tension in his voice, so she squinted her eyes open. When she saw what was in his hands, she nearly toppled off her board. "Harry, is that-"
"Yes," he said, a little more tightly than he'd meant to. "Sorry, I'm just-"
"It's okay, baby. Go on, I'm listening." Luz felt like she was about to combust into millions of little stars, but she noted Harry's nerves and tried her best to remain calm until he said everything he wanted to say.
Soothed by Luz's calming voice, he started speaking again. "I love you," he said. "I don't think a day has gone by since we first met that I didn't love you, even if I wasn't aware of it yet. I love that you laugh at all my jokes, I love that you respect my space whenever I need it, I love that you are the kindest, most generous person I know, and I love that you have the most beautiful soul."
With tears in her eyes, Luz paddled closer to Harry so that she could climb onto his surfboard. Now sitting knee to knee, she saw that Harry's eyes had gone a little misty too.
Harry felt the sudden urge to kiss her, but he held out, wanting to say everything first. "But mostly I love that you love me. Of all the billions of people in the world, your heart settled on mine, even when I maybe didn't deserve it, you kept loving me anyway. No award, or accolade, or achievement could even come close to what it feels like to be loved by you.
"I won't lie, I had some trouble finding something that would suit you, but I think this might be as close to perfect as one can get," Harry told her, opening the box.
Luz was already a mess of tears after his little speech, but she would recognize that ring anywhere. "That's my Lita Sofia's ring. How- How did you-"
"She gave it to me at your cousin's wedding a while back," he said, taking the ring out of the box. He started to slide the ring on, but Luz stopped him.
"Wait!" Harry panicked for a moment, worried that this was some horrible nightmare come to life. But Luz was still smiling at him, though now it looked a little teasing. "You haven't asked me yet."
How the hell could he have forgotten that? "Right. Um, Luz?"
She stifled a giggle. He had performed in front of thousands of people for a living, but he was having a hard time asking her a question they both knew he wanted to ask for a long time. "Yes, Harry?"
Harry doesn't even remember saying it. That's how nervous he was. When Luz tells this story over, and over, and over again, he always blushes furiously out of pure embarrassment. How many movies had he seen? How many times had he practiced in the mirror when Luz wasn't home? And still, he still fucked it up.
"Can I marry you?"
Luz couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. She tossed her head back, leaving Harry to wonder what the hell just happened. When she eventually stopped, she wiped tears from her eyes and kissed him so hard that she nearly tipped them over. She pulled away, and Harry still looked a little confused, but not so much anymore. That kiss couldn't have meant no.
With her arms still wrapped around his neck, she smiled, and Harry thought it was the most beautiful thing in the whole world. "Yes, yes you absolutely can."
The Proposal
Start from the beginning
