Summary: The time has come and Zig can’t wait any longer to ask MC (Lydia) the question he’s been dying to ask.
The German morning was clear and bright as Zig and Lydia made their way towards the center of the village. Lydia couldn’t stop marveling at the buildings as they walked.
“Don’t you think this whole place looks like a postcard?” she asked as she took his hand in hers. She paused, waiting for him to speak, but Zig said nothing. Lydia frowned slightly, but didn’t comment on it. Zig had been acting so strangely all morning, so preoccupied with his own thoughts. He’d always been kind of in his own head, but not quite to this extent and certainly not on this trip. Zig had been so engaged in the moment, so present with her, but today … Lydia didn’t know what was going on, but she felt like she couldn’t quite reach him. She tried to shake it off; everyone had off days. She knew she did. Maybe today was just an off day. After all, they’d basically been going non-stop since they’d arrived in Europe weeks ago. They were due to fly back to the states from Berlin in a few days, maybe he was just feeling burnt out from all the constant action of the trip.
Maybe I’ll set up a staycation when we get back Lydia thought, half-smiling to herself. A vacation from our vacation. We’ll just camp out in our apartment, cook together, and watch movies.
An uninvited thought suddenly appeared in the back of her mind. Maybe he was distant because he was having second thoughts … No, that can’t be it Lydia assured herself. They’d been together for years, they were living together, they’d talked about starting a business together–Zig hadn’t given any indication of wanting to slow down. In fact, Lydia had thought that maybe he … no, she couldn’t think about that right now. She was afraid she’d jinx it.
When they reached the center of town, Lydia gasped. She couldn’t believe what she saw. In the middle of the square was a large fountain surrounded by a cobblestone walkway and planters filled with bright red poppies. The flowers were so colorful they almost hurt Lydia’s eyes to look at them. The whole thing looked just like an illustration.
“That’s so beautiful!” Lydia exclaimed, tugging Zig’s hand and pulling him closer to the fountain.
“Hmm?” Zig asked, pulled back out of his own thoughts. “Oh. Yeah, it is,” he agreed, seeming to notice the fountain for the first time. “It looks like an illustration or something.”
Lydia smiled at him.
“This whole town reminds me so much of a fairytale,” she said as she blushed. “Maybe this is a little childish, but I’ve always loved fairytales. The magic, the romance,” she glanced at Zig and squeezed his hand. “The true love.”
Zig suddenly stepped away from her and dropped her hand. Lydia’s smile fell and her stomach dropped. Oh god. Did I say the wrong thing?
“Is … something wrong?” she asked tentatively, the blood rushing in her ears.
“Sit down for a minute,” Zig said, gently touching her elbow as he led her over to the fountain where they sat on the stone edge together. Lydia noticed her hands were shaking and she folded them tightly in her lap.
“I … okay, I don’t know how to say what I have to say,” Zig said, swallowing hard. “So I’m just going to say it.”
Lydia waited, her heart beating like hummingbird wings. He finally met her eyes and closed his hands over hers.
“Lydia … I don’t know the right way to say this. You’re the one who’s good with words, not me,” he paused, licking his dry lips. “I’m not perfect. I’m far from perfect. I mean, you live with me, you already know that. I leave my towels on the floor, I forget about leftovers in the fridge, and I constantly forget about clothes I left in the washing machine.”
“You’re not the only one guilty of the washing machine thing, we both do that,” Lydia interjected. Zig laughed nervously and she felt a flutter of hope inside her stomach.
“But,” he continued, “despite all of my imperfections, our love is the most perfect thing I’ve ever known. I love you more than anyone or anything else in my life and I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.”
Lydia watched as Zig dug his wallet out of his pocket and he removed a white gold ring from it. Her head swam in disbelief and she couldn’t quite believe that what she was seeing was real. Zig slid off of the fountain ledge and lowered himself down onto one knee.
“Lydia … will you marry me?”
She stared at the ring until tears blurred her vision and Zig and the ring swam before her. Time stilled for a moment as she took in what was happening. Lydia had imagined this moment for so long but to finally see it before her … it was so much better than any fantasy she’d ever had.
Lydia realized she hadn’t said anything yet and Zig was staring at her imploringly, the crease between his eyes growing deeper.
“Yes! Yes, of course!” Lydia exclaimed, the tears falling down her cheeks. Zig’s face broke into a grin and he grabbed her and kissed her, his lips trembling against hers. When they pulled apart, Lydia saw the tears that were shining on his own face. She gently wiped them away with her thumbs before kissing his cheeks, the remnants salty against her lips.
Zig stood up and picked her up, spinning her beside the fountain.
“I love you so much,” he said, his face buried in her neck.
“I love you more,” Lydia said as she inhaled the scent of him.
“Impossible.” Zig pulled back a little, grinning at her. “Hey, so, I think this is yours.” He held up the ring. Lydia held out her hand, unable to suppress her smile. Zig slid the ring on her finger and she held it up, admiring the way the diamond caught the sunlight.
“So, you know what this means, right?” Lydia asked.
“It means we’re getting married?” Zig asked tentatively. She laughed.
“Yes, that,” Lydia agreed. “But it also means that our laundry is going to be screwed if neither of us can remember it’s in the washing machine.”
“Tell you what,” Zig said. “When our coffee shop becomes wildly successful, we’ll send our laundry out. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect,” Lydia said. Then she leaned forward and kissed her fiancé beside a fountain, decorated with bright red poppies, in a fairytale town in Germany.
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