It was the first time Christopher proposed to me in such a serious manner. No romantic dinner, no bouquet of fresh flowers. He was staring at me genuinely as if he already made his decision long before he opened his mouth.
Tears welled in my eyes as I held my mouth, trying my best not to cry.
“Eve, I know there’s a lot going on beneath your cheerful facade, and I want you to know that I’m willing to bear your burden and protect you until death do us part. If you marry me, I’ll make you the happiest woman in the entire world.”
I was absolutely ecstatic, and I almost reached my hand out to let Christopher put the ring on me. However, I hesitated. It was not because I didn’t want to marry him, but there was one more thing I needed to ask before I made my decision.
“Christopher!” I choked as I gazed upon his handsome face, “Do you really mean it?”
“Of course I mean it. You got two choices, Eve. One, you kiss me and I help you put the ring on you. Two, you wear the ring yourself, kiss me, and say that I’m your man and no one can steal me from you.”
Even when Christopher was proposing, he was still a sweet-talker. I was feeling all emotional, but that made me chuckled a little. I whispered, “Is there a third option?”
“Of course. You take the ring, kneel down, hold my hand, and ask me if I’m willing to marry you. Then, I’ll say I do until death do us part, and I’ll tell you how much I love you and I’ll never let you go.” Christopher spoke softly as if he was afraid that his loud voice would scare me.
“But… But…” I know I’m being silly right now because even though I love Christopher very much, I still can’t give him a straight answer after he proposed to me. If Sabrina were here, she’ll probably just put the ring on me herself and scold me for being so pathetic.
“No buts! I don’t accept any other options. Now, Darling, what’s your choice?” He stared at me deeply.
I took over the red box and examined the ring inside. It had an 18-carat diamond embedded in it. I didn’t wear it immediately; instead, I whispered to Christopher, “I really want to say yes, but I feel like I’m being unfair to you.”
Christopher opened his mouth, but I closed it with my hand. “When I needed help the most, you were there for me. You are my dream, and I was so addicted to you that I chose to rely on you and hang on to you. You’re like a shining star hanging in the night sky, lighting up the path in my darkest hours.
Not only did my own family refused to help me when I was at my lowest point, but they also kicked me aside. Do you really want to be with someone like me? I only chose to rely on you because I didn’t have anyone else to turn to. What if you realized that my love for you isn’t as deep as your love for me? If that’s the case, I’m only being unfair to you. You’ve been so nice to me that I don’t know if I could…”
“Shush!” He pulled my hand away and pressed his finger on my lips. “Don’t say that. I chose to help you. You’re not being unfair to me. If this is really what you have just said, as in your love for me is incomparable to my love for you; then I’m willing to wait for you to close the gap, even if it takes a lifetime for you to do it. Relying on me isn’t inherently a bad thing. After all, it means you trust and love me enough to do that. You just need to accept me slowly and steadily. If you can’t catch up to me, then I’ll just walk toward you.”
