3 and 1/2 years later
"I can't see." I groan tripping over my own feet.
"Oh really? I had no idea since my hands are over your face."
I reach my hand behind me to swat at him.
I trip again, and I would have fallen if not for Matt's hands keeping me steady.
We all know how clumsy I am when I can see, so when I can't? That's a disaster.
It's a good thing I trust him enough not to walk me off a pier.
The ground under my feet changes from forest floor to wood and I take back my last thoughts.
Ok, he wouldn't run me off a pier right?
I hear water lapping against a hard surface and I can smell the lake around us, but since I was blindfolded on the car ride here I don't know where we are.
4 years together and he still surprises me. Like when we got back from Florida on that first trip and he asked me to Prom by lining up bowling balls on the football field. Or that time 2 years ago, when I was 20 and we drove cross country only to stand at the four corners in different states and him yell, "not even when we are states apart does my love for you lessen."
Now after 4 years I've patched up my relationship with my brother, grown even closer to my friends, am an ocean away from Aaron again, and have fallen even more in love with the man standing behind me.
We come to a stop and I feel Matt step away from me.
"Don't open your eyes yet" He warns, I stomp my foot and groan.
Yes I know, real mature for a 22 year old college girl.
This better be good, because I can feel myself losing my balance just standing with my eyes closed.
"Ok, before you fall over......... open your eyes." His voice is amused but it also sounds nervous. An undercurrent of anxiety behind his lighthearted words.
I open my eyes and he's not there, I later find out that he was just kneeling, but with no one at eye height I see that I am on a large wooden dock with a pavilion over me. Hundreds of fairy lights are crisscrossed across and around the ceiling and support corners. With the darkness around us, the lights cast a reflection on the water and that is when I realize the water around us is covered with dozens and dozens of floating daffodils, my favorite flower.
Each flower is lit up somehow like there is a small light inside of it and the overall effect is pure magic.
I smile before I catch sight of Matt, and my breath hitches.
One knee is bent to touch the wooden planks while his hands are extended out in front of him, and in his hands is a small black velvet box. Nestled inside is a ring, a small band of silver with diamonds inset into it and a large diamond caged in the center.
My eyes raise slightly to meet Matt's, and at this point I'm not sure if I'm breathing. But I'm not dying so that's definitely a good sign.
"Cam, we've been through so much together. I almost lost you and you almost lost me, but even through all the hard times we have stuck it out. I'm not really good with all this sappy stuff, so i'll get to the point." He takes a nervous gulp before continuing. "I love you Cam, more than you will ever know, and more than I can express to you in words. You make me the happiest, craziest, mushiness man alive and I want to be that man all my life. I want us to grow old together, telling pickup lines to each other in our rockers and annoying our grandchildren. I used to want so many things, but now all I want- all I need... is you.
So Cameron Eastly will you do me the honor of making me your husband, of being my wife?"
God, can't do this sappy stuff my butt.
I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I can't do anything to stop them.
I take a moment to look at Matt kneeling, to memorize this moment forever. Because I know it will always mean the world to me.
"Yes." my voice is barely a whisper, but he hears.
Taking the ring from the box he slides it onto my outstretched hand.
As he stands up with a smile on his face I throw my hands around his neck, in return he wraps his arms around my waist and spins me in a lazy circle.
"You had me worried for a moment there Cam." He whispers against my neck.
"Now why would that be? We belong together after all. I mean, who else can I use all my dirty pickup lines on?" He squeezes me tighter before framing my face with his hands and looking into my eyes.
"The moment I first knew you were the one was when we were bowling. I just couldn't stop watching you. I was so mesmerized by all the little things about you. The way your hair fell around your face, the way you would shuffle your feet before you bowled, the way your eyes scrunched up when you were concentrating." His thumbs run lightly across my cheekbones before he kisses me softly. "That was the moment I realized you were the one, the one I belonged with."
I press my lips against his, tangling my hands in his hair, loving the way it feels like silk under my fingers.
"I can't be all romantic and smooth like you so i'll go simple. I love you, I belong with you, you belong with me, and.... um....... if you were a triangle you'd be acute one?" Don't blame me, I'm not good with romantic gestures.
His lips pull up into a grin and his warm laughter fills the quiet night around us.
He kisses my forehead before chuckling again.
"And this is why I love you."
I smile and roll my eyes. If only he knew all the reasons I love him. They would take a lifetime to tell, and now it is a lifetime we have, a lifetime together full of life and love and hope. A lifetime that this man in front of me has given me, one I wouldn't trade for the world.
His hands suddenly dip to tickle my sides and I try my best to give him a glare, which by the way, is kind of hard to do when you are choking on your own laughter.
After I finally swat his hands away I huff and cross my arms, sending him a mock glare.
"I take it back, you'd be an obtuse one."
-The End
GUYS!! We are almost to 100K!! HOLY FLAPJACKS.
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Update: 12-17-18
We have 420K reads and that means a very special 420 edition chapter, carry on to enjoy.
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