One and Only XIII

It was a beautiful morning when they awoke. The sunshine greeted them a wonderful morning and they shared a peaceful conversation during breakfast. Everything felt right, waking up beside each other in this secluded campsite, no cameras, no fuss. The whole day through he carried the ring in his pocket contemplating when the perfect time to propose would be. They went hiking and when they reached the top of the hill, overlooking the entire campground, he was just about ready to ask but suddenly chickened out. He couldn’t get the words out. She was at his side with her arms around his waist looking out at the scenery and he had his hand in his pocket rolling the little box around. The moment was perfect, in this moment they were just Sarah and John Lloyd, just a man and a woman madly in love. Yet, he couldn’t figure out how to ask her to spend forever with him.

“Sarah will you marry me?” he thought in his head “No, too simple – how about...uhm...will you spend forever with me?” he shook his head inadvertently. "It just doesn't have the right ring to it."

After standing there for a moment she turns to him and takes his hand.

“Balik na tayo, nagugutom na ako...”

He nods his head and forcefully smiles at her. Once she had her back turned to him he closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head, dismayed that he wasn’t able to ask her at that moment.

Just as they arrived back at their campsite he sighed disappointed in himself and anxiously wondering when the right moment would come.

After lunch they went for a swim and he was somewhat disengaged trying to feel for the right moment. She noticed he was quiet and tense the whole day. As they are drying up and walking back to their campsite she leans in closer to him and looks up at him.

“Okay ka lang? Parang wala ka sa mood...”

He looked at her and saw the concern on her face so he kissed the top of her head and leaned his head onto hers “Okay lang napagod lang siguro ako, kulang na ata ako sa exercise”

She pinched his side and said with a smile “Oo nga medyo tumataba ka na...”

Laughing and joking around they walk back to their campsite.

They’re sitting down just outside their tent watching the sunset. She’s tired after their long day of hiking and swimming. She is sitting just between his legs leaning her head onto his chest, he has his arms wrapped around her and is silently thinking to himself.

“Thank you...” she softly whispers.

“Para saan?” his thoughts suddenly disturbed.

She turns her head and faces him. “Para sa lahat, sa lahat nang ginagawa mo for me. Alam kong hindi madali ang mahalin ang tulad ko, alam ko na kahit hindi mo sabihin nahihirapan ka din minsan kasi marami akong pagkukulang, may mga bagay akong hindi maibigay sa yo na kayang ibigay sa yo nang iba... Salamat kasi despite everything mahal mo pa rin ako...”

He pulls her in closer and leans his head lower, his lips at the level of her ears. “Diba sabi ko naman sa yo kagabi wala kang pagkukulang sa kin, wag mong isipin yung mga bagay na hindi mo kayang ibigay sa kin kasi hindi ko iniisip yun. Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat nang kaya mong ibigay sa kin, nagpapasalamat ako dahil alam kong mahal mo ako at sapat na yun sa kin. Hindi ka mahirap mahalin, at kahit kailan hindi ako mapapagod na mahalin ka...”

She closes her eyes and nods her head basking in the moment. They sit there in silence for a moment – she is just enjoying the simplicity of this moment and cherishing the feeling of being in his arms while he is still debating when and how he should propose to her. He feels her weight starting to rest onto his chest and he looks down at her with her eyes closed.

“Antok ka na ba?”

She smiles softly before opening her eyes “Medyo...”

“Halika na, doon ka na matulog sa loob.”

“Pwede dito na lang muna tayo, let’s just stay like this for awhile. Please...” she pleads smiling at him sweetly.

He nods his head and she leans her head back down onto his chest.

After a moment of silence she makes a request “Be kantahan mo ako para makatulog ako nang mahimbing...”

He laughs thinking that she’s kidding but she turns around and looks at him expectantly.

“Please” she says pouting her lips.

He gives in. “Sige na nga pero wag mo akong sisihin pag binangungot ka, ikaw ang humiling na kumanta ako...”

She excitedly nods her head and turns around again to lean her head on his chest. He takes a deep breath and starts to sing.

There are times when I just want to look at your face
With the stars in the night
There are times when I just want to feel your embrace
In the cold night

I just can't believe that you are mine now
You were just a dream that I once knew
I never thought I would be right for you
I just can't compare you with anything in this world
You're all I need to be here with forevermore

All those years, I've longed to hold you in my arms
I've been dreaming of you
Every night, I've been watching all the stars that fall down
Wishing you would be mine

He feels her weight settling onto him so he stops and looks down at her, her face so peaceful.

“Bukas aalis na tayo...di ko pa natatanong yung kailangan kong itanong sa yo...” he whispers.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head laughing softly to himself “Haay Lloydie... will you marry me lang di mo pa masabi...”

Just then she lifts her head up at him with a shocked expression on her face.

“Ano yung sinabi mo?”

He looks at her wide eyed surprised that she was still awake. “Ha, ah... sabi ko...”

She looks at him anticipating his response but he is at a loss for words.

“Sabi mo....” she repeats with a huge smile on her face. She heard what he had said, she was just waiting for him to say it again and this time to say it directly to her.

He puts his head down and grabs something from his pocket. He lifts it up for her to see and says “I wanted everything to be perfect pero narinig mo na, so I guess this is as good a time as any.” He pauses for a second and then looks straight into her eyes “May pinaplano sana akong romantic na proposal, gusto ko yung tipong sa pelikula mo lang mapapanood, I didn’t want to ask you like this, kanina...”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence because she shut him up by kissing him. She keeps her eyes closed as she pulls away from him then slowly opens them up smiling at him. He still has his eyes closed and his lips pursed, hoping there was more. She laughs at the way he looked and he suddenly opens his eyes.

“Marami ka pang sinasabi... hindi ko kailangan nang mala pelikulang eksena... I just want to hear you say it.”

He nods his head and simply asks “Sarah, will you marry me?”

It was like music to her ears. She closed her eyes, bit her lower lip, and tilted her head back a little smiling at the sound of him asking her to marry him, for her there was no better time.

As she opens her eyes she nods her head “Yes, yes, I will marry you.” she says excitedly putting her hand out waiting for him to slip the ring onto her finger.

His hands are shaking as he slips the ring on her finger and once he had it on her finger he pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly. They were both on cloud nine and neither of them could wipe the smile off of there faces. Nothing could compare to the happiness they felt at this moment, nothing could feel more right.

She looked at her ring finger as she hugged him and smiled knowing that this was the start of something even better.

She never imagined that things would happen this fast, she never thought it was possible to be this crazily in love with someone. Before Lloydie she never would have imagined getting engaged so soon but really she wouldn't have it any other way. She always believed that there was no use getting into a relationship with someone with whom you could not see forever with. Thus, from the moment she committed herself to John Lloyd as his girlfriend she believed and knew deep in her heart that she was going to marry him one day. And that day was coming, finally.

He was right. This was his best surprise and it definitely was worth the wait.

TBC