The Bench
1/1
Wincing as the cold winter air hit my face, I hastily continued my walk toward home. Checking my watch, I saw that it was 2:37 AM. I couldn’t believe it; it had been Christmas for over two hours and I hadn’t realized it. Frowning, I knew that it was my long and tedious work hours that kept me up at outrageous hours in the night. I wrapped my arms around my waist as I walked toward the park. The park decorations were brightly lit and festive in all of it’s glorious wonder. The ground was littered with specks of snow and fallen branches of nearby trees.
I quickened up my speed. I wanted to get to my apartment as soon as possible. My boyfriend, Thomas, was waiting up for me. Well hopefully he was still up, but if not, well it’s the thought that counts I guess. The shortcut home seamed unusually longer for an odd reason and I groaned in frustration. Almost breaking into a run, I speeded through the rest of the course before coming out into the clear pathway with the numerous benches and statues.
Smiling, I knew that home was only a few short steps ahead. I turned my head to look at the lights hanging on the telephone poles when my eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Sitting on one of the usually empty benches was Thomas!
“What are you doing?” I asked, walking toward him.
“Just sitting here Jess,” he replied back cheekily. He patted the metal bench, motioning for me to join him. I hesitated. He evidently caught the worry in my eye because he smiled. “Jessica, the bench isn’t going to bite. Just come over here, please.”
“Fine,” I muttered. I hit the bench with a small thud as the cold metal came in contact with my body. “Oh Thomas, you couldn’t find a better place to talk to me at? Like somewhere with a heater would be ace.”
He looked at me before breaking into a wide grin. “You’re so odd Jessica. Gah, I just love that about you.”
I blushed. The sudden hotness in my face traveled throughout my body and I suddenly felt a lot warmer. “I love you too Thomas.”
He brought one hand up and lightly touched my cheek before dragging a finger across my lips. “It’s Christmas time baby.”
“I know and I’ve got everything I want.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve got you Thomas and that’s enough to make me feel blessed.”
“I think I know something that could make you feel even better,” he whispered in my ear.
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer my question but instead, he got down on his knees, produced a small velvet box, opened it, and shyly smiled at me. “Will you marry me Jessica?”
Elation swelled up inside of my like a balloon and I was about to pop. “Oh Thomas!” I shouted out before throwing myself on him. We hit the hard ground with a loud thump. I clasped my arms around his waist and planted kisses on every available piece of skin of his that I could reach.
“I take that as a yes?” He asked with jubilation in his voice.
“I do Thomas! I do, I do!”
Thomas silently thanked me and held my hand out. He slipped the silver band on my finger and kissed it. He then wrapped his arms around me as I positioned myself into a comfortable sitting position in his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder and smiled. “Well, this is going to be a Christmas to remember.”
“I know baby. Can you believe it? We just got engaged.”
“It feels great,” I replied.
“Just think,” Thomas said softly. “This will be our first Christmas spent together as an engaged couple.”
“I like that. I like that a lot.”
I quickened up my speed. I wanted to get to my apartment as soon as possible. My boyfriend, Thomas, was waiting up for me. Well hopefully he was still up, but if not, well it’s the thought that counts I guess. The shortcut home seamed unusually longer for an odd reason and I groaned in frustration. Almost breaking into a run, I speeded through the rest of the course before coming out into the clear pathway with the numerous benches and statues.
Smiling, I knew that home was only a few short steps ahead. I turned my head to look at the lights hanging on the telephone poles when my eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Sitting on one of the usually empty benches was Thomas!
“What are you doing?” I asked, walking toward him.
“Just sitting here Jess,” he replied back cheekily. He patted the metal bench, motioning for me to join him. I hesitated. He evidently caught the worry in my eye because he smiled. “Jessica, the bench isn’t going to bite. Just come over here, please.”
“Fine,” I muttered. I hit the bench with a small thud as the cold metal came in contact with my body. “Oh Thomas, you couldn’t find a better place to talk to me at? Like somewhere with a heater would be ace.”
He looked at me before breaking into a wide grin. “You’re so odd Jessica. Gah, I just love that about you.”
I blushed. The sudden hotness in my face traveled throughout my body and I suddenly felt a lot warmer. “I love you too Thomas.”
He brought one hand up and lightly touched my cheek before dragging a finger across my lips. “It’s Christmas time baby.”
“I know and I’ve got everything I want.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve got you Thomas and that’s enough to make me feel blessed.”
“I think I know something that could make you feel even better,” he whispered in my ear.
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer my question but instead, he got down on his knees, produced a small velvet box, opened it, and shyly smiled at me. “Will you marry me Jessica?”
Elation swelled up inside of my like a balloon and I was about to pop. “Oh Thomas!” I shouted out before throwing myself on him. We hit the hard ground with a loud thump. I clasped my arms around his waist and planted kisses on every available piece of skin of his that I could reach.
“I take that as a yes?” He asked with jubilation in his voice.
“I do Thomas! I do, I do!”
Thomas silently thanked me and held my hand out. He slipped the silver band on my finger and kissed it. He then wrapped his arms around me as I positioned myself into a comfortable sitting position in his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder and smiled. “Well, this is going to be a Christmas to remember.”
“I know baby. Can you believe it? We just got engaged.”
“It feels great,” I replied.
“Just think,” Thomas said softly. “This will be our first Christmas spent together as an engaged couple.”
“I like that. I like that a lot.”