In Love’s Time

A short story by Lourdes Alexander – 

She loved him. He loved her. She was not the romantic type who went crazy for flowers or sweet gifts. All she wanted was to be a bride, his bride, which meant the only gift she wanted was an engagement ring.

He knew her heart’s desire, but wanted to make the moment special for her. He was already working on a secret plan to make the moment she said “yes” so perfect that she would relive the happy moment forever in her mind – a beautiful memory. So he asked her to meet him at the place where they first met.

The day before he planned to propose to her, he bought a beautiful white porcelain teacup and wrote, “Will you marry me?” at the bottom of the inside of the cup. When she arrived on the special day, he greeted her with a tender kiss on her forehead, waited until she was seated, then poured tea into the cup and brought it to her wearing a mischievous smile he could not hide. He then handed over the gift he had purchased for her. The size of the box made her recall some old memories of disappointing moments. Tears started flowing down her cheeks.

She opened the wrapped gift to find a cute little teddy inside. She instantly threw it onto the road. The tears still rolled down her cheeks. He ran to pick up the teddy and was suddenly run over by a car.

She ran to him, but it was too late. Life had left him. She found him dead, holding the teddy which had a ring attached to a ribbon tied around its neck. Then, there was no stopping her tears.

That’s when a couple who had witnessed this incident came along and handed her the teacup which she had spilled in a fit of anger. Reading what he had written at the bottom of the cup, the words, “Will you marry me?” stung her. She then realized how much he loved her and had intended a picture-perfect proposal. She had however ruined it due to lack of patience.

Her biggest regret would be that she would have to live that moment over and over again in her mind, forever…