Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
seventy-eight
I could tell Max's mind was somewhere else as we walked through Point State Park. He hadn't said much during our entire walk, which was strange for Max. It was also strange that he had taken a liking to taking walks in Point State Park, at least once a week, since March.
It was now the beginning of April and the boys were getting ready to finish off the season and start the playoffs.
I pulled my green pea coat tighter over my grey pullover sweater as a gust of wind caused me to shiver. I couldn't help but wish I had worn sweats instead of jeans, but shook off the thought when Max stopped at the edge of the park.
The two of us stood there silently, looking out into the Ohio River.
"Do you love me?" Max asked, turning to me.
"Of course," I said. I couldn't stop the frown from forming on my face.
"I was hoping you would say that," Max smiled, turning back to the river. "You know I love you more than anything, right?"
"I know, Max," I nodded.
"I love you more than I love playing hockey," Max said. He continued to stare out at the water.
"Max, what's going on?" I asked. "Are you dying?"
"What?" Max turned and looked at me. "No. Why would you think that?"
"You've been extremely quiet all day," I told him. "And now you are asking if I love you. Then you are confessing your love for me. I just get the feeling that something is going on."
"Brylyn, I would have told you long before now if I was dying," Max said.
"Then what's going on, Max?" I asked.
"I would do anything for you," Max said. "I love you so much more than I ever thought I could. I never thought I would want to spend the rest of my life with someone, but then I met you and I realized that if I didn't spend the rest of my life with you, I'd be missing out on the greatest opportunity of my life. I want to be with you. Brylyn Macabbey, will you be mine, forever and for always?" Max pulled a small black box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a simple gold ring with a white Tahitian pearl sitting between two rows of small diamonds.
I stood there, processing what had just happened. I blinked a few times and looked at the ring. It was beautiful and simple. I finally looked into Max's eyes and smiled. "Of course I'll be yours," I said.
Max's eyes sparkled as he slipped the ring on my finger. "I was scared you were going to say no," he confessed.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a bit confused," I smirked.
"How come?" Max asked.
"You didn't get down on one knee, so I wasn't sure if you were proposing or not," I said.
"I'd say I'd redo it, but the first time freaked me out enough," Max chuckled. "I think I'd faint if I had to do it all over again."
"I wouldn't have changed the proposal for the world," I said, snuggling into his chest.
"Good," Max said, kissing the top of my head.
We continued to stand there, holding onto one another, until my phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket and noticed Kris' name on the screen.
"Letang," I said, answering the phone. I put it on speakerphone so that Max could hear it.
"Bry, what's up?" Kris asked. "I just stopped by and neither you nor Max are home."
"Oh, Max and I went for a walk in Point State Park," I said.
"What for?" Kris asked.
"Just to walk," I shrugged.
"How long until you two come back?" Kris questioned.
"We are on our way back to the car now," Max said, turning to head back to the vehicle.
"Ok, well, I'll wait here for you then," Kris said before hanging up his phone.
"Did he know you were proposing?" I asked Max.
"No," Max shook his head. "Flower is the only one who knows."
"Why did you tell Marc-Andre?" I raised my eyebrow.
"We went ring shopping together," Max shrugged.
"Really?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face.
"Yes really," Max chuckled. "He's planning on asking Vero after the playoffs, I think."
"It's about time," I muttered.
"It really is," Max smirked.
"I love the ring, by the way," I told Max.
"I thought it was perfect," Max said. "Unique and simple, just like you."
"You're so sweet," I said, stopping.
"I try," Max smiled, stopping beside me.
"I love you," I whispered.
"I love you, too," Max whispered back before leaning in and kissing me in the middle of Point State Park.
It was now the beginning of April and the boys were getting ready to finish off the season and start the playoffs.
I pulled my green pea coat tighter over my grey pullover sweater as a gust of wind caused me to shiver. I couldn't help but wish I had worn sweats instead of jeans, but shook off the thought when Max stopped at the edge of the park.
The two of us stood there silently, looking out into the Ohio River.
"Do you love me?" Max asked, turning to me.
"Of course," I said. I couldn't stop the frown from forming on my face.
"I was hoping you would say that," Max smiled, turning back to the river. "You know I love you more than anything, right?"
"I know, Max," I nodded.
"I love you more than I love playing hockey," Max said. He continued to stare out at the water.
"Max, what's going on?" I asked. "Are you dying?"
"What?" Max turned and looked at me. "No. Why would you think that?"
"You've been extremely quiet all day," I told him. "And now you are asking if I love you. Then you are confessing your love for me. I just get the feeling that something is going on."
"Brylyn, I would have told you long before now if I was dying," Max said.
"Then what's going on, Max?" I asked.
"I would do anything for you," Max said. "I love you so much more than I ever thought I could. I never thought I would want to spend the rest of my life with someone, but then I met you and I realized that if I didn't spend the rest of my life with you, I'd be missing out on the greatest opportunity of my life. I want to be with you. Brylyn Macabbey, will you be mine, forever and for always?" Max pulled a small black box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a simple gold ring with a white Tahitian pearl sitting between two rows of small diamonds.
I stood there, processing what had just happened. I blinked a few times and looked at the ring. It was beautiful and simple. I finally looked into Max's eyes and smiled. "Of course I'll be yours," I said.
Max's eyes sparkled as he slipped the ring on my finger. "I was scared you were going to say no," he confessed.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a bit confused," I smirked.
"How come?" Max asked.
"You didn't get down on one knee, so I wasn't sure if you were proposing or not," I said.
"I'd say I'd redo it, but the first time freaked me out enough," Max chuckled. "I think I'd faint if I had to do it all over again."
"I wouldn't have changed the proposal for the world," I said, snuggling into his chest.
"Good," Max said, kissing the top of my head.
We continued to stand there, holding onto one another, until my phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket and noticed Kris' name on the screen.
"Letang," I said, answering the phone. I put it on speakerphone so that Max could hear it.
"Bry, what's up?" Kris asked. "I just stopped by and neither you nor Max are home."
"Oh, Max and I went for a walk in Point State Park," I said.
"What for?" Kris asked.
"Just to walk," I shrugged.
"How long until you two come back?" Kris questioned.
"We are on our way back to the car now," Max said, turning to head back to the vehicle.
"Ok, well, I'll wait here for you then," Kris said before hanging up his phone.
"Did he know you were proposing?" I asked Max.
"No," Max shook his head. "Flower is the only one who knows."
"Why did you tell Marc-Andre?" I raised my eyebrow.
"We went ring shopping together," Max shrugged.
"Really?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face.
"Yes really," Max chuckled. "He's planning on asking Vero after the playoffs, I think."
"It's about time," I muttered.
"It really is," Max smirked.
"I love the ring, by the way," I told Max.
"I thought it was perfect," Max said. "Unique and simple, just like you."
"You're so sweet," I said, stopping.
"I try," Max smiled, stopping beside me.
"I love you," I whispered.
"I love you, too," Max whispered back before leaning in and kissing me in the middle of Point State Park.
♠ ♠ ♠
if you want to see what the ring looks like: http://www.pearlparadise.com/Karma-Collection-White-South-Sea-Pearl-Ring3307.aspxbecause I know my description doesn't do it justice