Finally, after long hours of hard work, Ya Nuo finished cleaning her room. Her outfit was covered with lint and dust. Feeling itchy, she grabbed a change of clothes from her closet and headed for a nice shower. 'Should I check up on him? Hmmm.'
A few knocks, but no response. "Hei?"
She entered and heard water running from his bathroom. 'He still has a few boxes left. Seems like he's showering. Heh, I'll go shower too then. Look for him after.'
After the door was completely closed, he peeked from his bathroom to make sure she was gone. He waited a few minutes, turned off the water to his Jacuzzi tub, and tip toed to her room. Quietly, he slipped into her room and left a note for her.
Then, from one of the boxes in his room, he began sprinkling heart shaped rose petals trailing from her door to the living room. Everything was done within a few minutes, and he raced up to his room to grab the last two boxes. The boxes contained candles, some of her favorite chocolate pieces, and a small jewelry box.
- 10 Minutes Later -
She got out of the shower feeling refreshed. She was wearing an oversized shirt that reached midways of her thighs, a pair of mini shorts, and lacy lingerie. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun with few strands of loose hair dangling on her shoulders. When she released the hair tie, her long hair flowed down like a waterfall with the tips of her hair slightly waved. Her cheeks were pink from the steamy shower and lips, no longer dried like before; it was colored like pink roses.
She noticed a white envelope with a rose stamp on it.
"Dedicated to my beloved, wife-to-be" it said on the cover.
Quickly, she pulled out the note with a loving smile on her face, "If you read this far, open your door and follow the flowers. Smooch. Smooch."
She laughed not knowing what he had planned to do. She obediently followed the instructions and opened the door. Every step of her way down to the living room, her heart skipped in a frantic rhythm; pounding with excitement. The petals were beautifully spread out, leading her to the center of their dimmed living room.
She twists and turned with curiosity on where he was hiding, "Hei?"
Suddenly, one by one, candles lit up around her. Once the last candle lit up, her eyes widened in shock. The candles were actually mini night lights shaped like real candles. Her eyes followed each light, shaping a heart around her with bouquets of flowers sitting inside the heart for her.
Then, music began to play from the speakers. It was Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud instrumental version.
Slowly, Huan Hei walked out of the dark and looked at the surprised expression on her face. This was exactly what he wanted to see and much more.
He appeared in front of her, clearing his throat, and for the first time in front of her, he sang. His voice was clear and enchanting, making her ears feel pregnant. As the song came to an end, he knelt down and finished the last line of the lyrics, "We found love right where we are..."
A kiss to her hand, his captivating smile, and her wet cheeks gave this song the perfect ending.
"Nuo, remember that proposal I owed you? Well, the one during the engagement party didn't count. I was looking for the best place and time to do this, but we've been busy for the past years. I wanted this to be a memory for us; just us. Without any cheering audiences or fancy balloons, just a simple date with us and this. I contemplated for a while and finally decided to choose one of our favorite songs for this proposal."
Her free hand wiped the tear drops off her face as he continued, "Though I'm not a romantic freak nor the guy with the best pick up lines in the world, but I will be exclusively your cheesy man for the rest of our lives. We've been together since we were kids and truly, I didn't realize that this feeling was love all along until one day, it hit me. Yes, I was pretty damn slow. Unlike guys who loved going to mixers and dating different girls, I'd rather spend my time alone with you. Even my parents questioned my sexual preference. Anyways, just having you around would make my day feel meaningful."
His thumb smudged the tear droplets on her hands away, "When I wake up every morning, you're the reason why I feel motivated to get up and work hard. I look forward to seeing you every day for even as little as a millisecond. Every time I see you going back to your house; a part of me wished that you could come home with me. And now, we're here, in our new home. Soon, we'll share the same surname."
"This proposal is late, but Yang Ya Nuo, are you willing to give me your hand and let me hold you until our last breath? Sounds cheesy, but Heh, so?" He took out the small jewelry box and opened it, revealing a couple's matching ring.
Her emotions were flying everywhere from happiness to frustration of not being able to scream, "yes!" out loud just like at the engagement party. 'Geez, Just how many times do you have to make me speechless and make my words choke in my throat?'
After a few deep breaths and making him wait patiently on one knee, she managed to get her words out, "Yes!!!" She nodded twice and let out her hand. He slipped the ring on her finger and had her put on his ring for him. When she took the ring out of the box, she realized that he had placed the ring on her ring finger.
"Hei, this is..." she looked up. Instantly, her mouth was covered by his.
"Wife." He then whispered to her ears as she got the hint he expressed.
The matching rings are the rings meant for their wedding! This is their private wedding! What proposal? He was skipping the whole ceremony a month early!
Still, she helped him put on his ring and played along, "Okay then, h-u-b-b-y"