As he pulled on the gold ribbon, I held my breath. I had no idea what reaction I was going to get, and in those few seconds I was sure that I was a complete ass. My entire future, my entire life, rested on the next minute of time.
The ribbon fell to the floor. He turned the package over, and began picking at the tape. I wanted to scream. But I couldn't inhale, without exhaling. He gingerly undid one side of the package. I was turning blue. How long can one exist without oxygen anyway?
He had already opened the envelope with the shore house lease. That was met with a huge positive response. I was 1 for 1 at that point. But, now. He turned the package around and began picking at the other side of the tape. I wanted to kill him. Okay not really, but I was this close to grabbing the package out of his hands and either ripping it open myself, or just refusing to give it to him. How could I have done this to myself? And why can't he just rip it open like a normal person?
Finally he had the paper off, and I think I exhaled. I couldn't tell. I was too light-headed at that moment to really comprehend. He opened the box, peeled back the tissue paper, and removed the small black velvet box.
And that's when I knew I had made a huge mistake. A huge fuckup of momentous proportions. He looked at the box, but not at me. And he said, "Oh". It wasn't a "Oh wow look at this" oh. It sounded like a "What in God's Name have you done" oh.
And opened the lid.
Then came a second "Oh". Okay that one had a bit more of a hopeful surprised tone to it. Maybe this was okay.
"It's a key," he said quietly.
"Yes," I replied. The key was sitting on the slot where a ring would normally be.
"But I thought it was... oh,"
Ever wish a huge hole would open in the earth and swallow you up? Yep, that's the prayer that was screaming through my brain.
He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "Is this a key to the shore house, or your house?"
"Oh," I said (all the while thinking that I was truly an idiot). "That's a key to this house. I thought it was time you had one of your own. Especially if you will agree to move in with me. It works better that way."
"I love it. But, are you sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely. Very sure." I replied.
Then a tear slid down his face. Dear goddess I wish I could read him better! "Are you happy, or upset babe?"
He hugged me, kissed me, exclaiming how happy he was. Over and Over. Wow. All that over a key. Who knew?
The next morning, we got up and opened the rest of our gifts to each other. He was like a little kid with each one. And so was I. Paper flew everywhere. Once the last gift from under the tree was opened, I figured I would take the chance and let him open his last gift which I had hidden in the tree. It was a little bear holding a heart, which he loved. I said, "Turn it over."
On the bottom was a note that said, "Look under the key."
He looked at me with a confused expression on his face, grabbed the box with the key, pulled the key out, but he didn't see anything. Then suddenly he got it. He pulled up on the base that was holding the key.
His face lit up like I have never seen before. And I said the words I never thought would ever come out of my mouth.
"Will you marry me?"
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
