Tis the Season

With his arm wrapped around Grace’s waist, and his legs folded in front of him, Louis sat comfortably on the Thomas’s plush carpet. Grace’s face lit up as she watched her baby brother open gift after gift, and Louis couldn’t think of a better way to spend Christmas. He would spend every Christmas like this if he could, and he had a plan to make it happen.

Deep in his pocket, the small black box rubbed against his leg. It burned against the fabric, nicking at his skin, as it encouraged him to make the plunge. Every one of his attempts at proposing to Grace had failed, and he was determined not to let it happen again.

Grace’s father kept shooting looks at Louis, almost as if he knew what was going on. If the older man knew, it was possible Grace knew, and Louis hoped that wasn’t the case.

When Tyler had finished opening their presents, each member of the Thomas family pulled on their coats to bundle before their journey to London’s largest Christmas tree. It was in front of Bethel Church, and it was just a few miles away from the Thomas home. They made the journey to the tree every year, and this year was no different.

After they had all piled into the car, with Louis and Grace in the back seat and Tyler sitting in between them, they began the short drive to the center of town.

Finding a place to park was next to impossible, and they were forced to park quite a walk away from their destination. Tyler tugged at Louis and Grace’s hands as they walked, and occasionally bent down to play with the snow. Tyler’s many distractions made the walk take even longer, but the group didn’t mind waiting for the young boy.

When they arrived at the large tree, Grace’s face lit up, just as it always did when she saw beautiful Christmas decorations. Louis loved that about her, that she could find beauty in almost thing. It was why he fell in love with her in the first place.

Every time the pair’s eyes met, he felt his leg grow hotter, and the ring grow heavier. He knew, by the light in Grace’s eyes, that this would be the perfect place to propose. It was better than his previous plans, and it almost made him thankful that the other times had failed.

Frank kept shooting him serious looks, and Louis was certain that the older man knew what he was up to. He only wished he knew if the look was one of encouragement, or deterrence. He hoped it was the latter.

Reaching for Grace’s hand, he intertwined their fingers, as the group followed Tyler through the crowd. Louis gave several apologies for the boy, but no one seemed to mind. No one could interfere with a young boy on Christmas.

They reached an opening, directly in front of the tree, where they had the perfect view of the fake presents stashed underneath it. The crowd was separating, almost as if they knew what was coming, and Louis wondered how so many people had gotten into his head at once.

Louis knew, by the sweating in his palms, that the moment was beginning to near. His body knew it, even if he didn’t. The burning in his leg grew more intense, and he began to tap his fingers against the black box. Both hands were rubbing against his future, one on the girl next to him, and one on the ring he would be giving her.

With a deep breath, Louis looked from the girl, to her father. The man gave him a soft smile, and he knew that everything would be okay.

His heart began to race in his chest, but it was a good feeling, the best he’d ever had. Reaching into his pocket, his hand wrapped around the black box, and pulled it from its place against his leg. It felt heavy in his hand, but he held tightly onto it.

Turning on his heel, he faced Grace, who had a large smile on her face. Her eyes searched his, as he shared in her smile.

“Everything okay, Lou?” Grace asked, her eyes meeting his in a gentle look.

Nodding his head, Louis took a deep breath. Looking into the girl’s eyes gave him all the courage, and he opened his mouth to speak. He knew it was impossible, but it appeared as though everyone in the area had their eyes on the pair. They knew what was coming, even if Grace didn’t.

“Grace Thomas,” Louis said, his grin the widest she’d ever seen. “There are thousand things I could say right, and about a million I’d had planned, but none of it seems fitting anymore.” Louis brought his free hand to her cheek, rubbing his thumb against it. “When I asked you to move in with me, and you said yes, I was sure that was the happiest I could ever be. I’d never been that happy before, but it continued to get better. Every morning I woke up with you next to me was like that feeling times a thousand.”

Louis shook his head, letting out a laugh. “I didn’t think it was possible to feel that happy all the time, but I did, and I do now. Even just standing next to you sets my body on fire. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll be able to tolerate being so happy all the time, but every you’re away from me, I know it’s what I want. I want you with me all the time, for as long as I can have you. I want you, Grace, forever.”

Louis dropped to the ground, placing one knee against the cold snow, while his hand wrapped around Grace’s. Her face lit up and it set fire to Louis’s chest. His lips turned up, in a smile so wide it caused dimples to form.

“Grace Thomas,” Louis said, pulling the box from its place behind his back. “Will you marry me?”

The box’s top popped open, revealing the ring she had admired all those days ago. He pulled it from the box, and slid it slowly across her finger. Instead of her mouth dropping open at the sight of the ring, her eyes were locked only on his. She didn’t care that he’d spent far too much money on the ring in front of her. She only cared that he had fulfilled the wish she made all those years ago.

Nodding her head, Grace smiled, as tears poured down her cheeks. “Lou, of course. Of course, I will.”

Before he could respond, Grace crashed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck as the pair fell to the floor.

All around them, people clapped and cheered, but Louis didn’t care. Grace’s smile was enough, and he’d never been as happy as he was at that moment. Snow was chilling his back, but Grace’s warm body kept him from feeling it.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” Grace whispered over and over again in his ear. That was the only validation Louis needed, and it was all that he wanted.

With this girl laying on top of him, the girl he planned to spend the rest of his life with, Louis knew that he’d never had a moment happier than this one, and the next day, and every one after that, she’d make him feel it all over again, and he couldn’t ask for anything more.