10. Luke
10
luke
Tomorrow was the day. It was hard to believe how quickly time had passed. After ten years apart, we were finally about to get engaged. I couldn’t wait to see that ring on her finger, symbolizing the rest of our lives together. There was truly no man luckier than me.
“Excuse me, sir,” Luce called from behind me. I had been so lost in my morning daydream while making coffee that I hadn’t noticed her sneak up on me. Ever since Sailor arrived in Port-Cartier, she had been spending less time at home and more with her. I was happy for her, though her absence felt a bit strange, especially considering how much time we had spent together over the past few months.
“Mm?” I turned around, wrapping my arms around her. I leaned down, kissing her lips multiple times to make up for some of the lost time. Instantly, a smile spread across her face, infectious enough to make me smile back. “How may I be of assistance today?” I asked.
“You’re forgetting about my Advent calendar…” she grumbled, her brows furrowing adorably as a slight pout formed on her lips.
“Is that so? It’s only morning, sweetheart. The day’s only getting started.”
Luce shook her head. “Not for me. I’ve been up since five.”
I tilted my head to the side. Usually, she liked to sleep until at least eight, so this was odd. “That’s early. Why have you been up so early?
She stepped back with a small sigh. “I couldn’t sleep. I’ve…been having trouble sleeping lately.” Her shoulders slumped as she spoke. I linked my hand with hers and guided her toward the remains of the Advent calendar. The eleventh slot was already placed underneath the Christmas tree we had decorated before Sailor arrived. I had seen her inspecting its shape and size, trying to figure out what it was, but she wasn’t allowed to touch it. At last, I gestured toward the long item clumsily wrapped in the same wrapping paper. While I wasn’t the most skilled at wrapping presents, I at least tried to stick to the Christmas theme.
“What is this?” she asked, retrieving her present. It didn’t take her long to unwrap it, her eyes widening with curiosity as she found a massive piece of paper rolled up.
“You’ll have to open it to find out…” I said, watching her intrigue grow. As she unrolled it, she found a detailed map of our town. It had taken me a while to mark all the memorable spots, but I made sure to include everything linked to our relationship that I could remember. There was the ice rink where our first date took place, the cinema and the arcade, our spot in the forest, our high school, her mom’s flower shop, the path we walked down every day after school, our favorite milkshake place that had since closed down, and many others.
Luce stared at the map, her eyes wide with disbelief as she took in all the little spots I had marked. I had also included a few of the more recent places we had visited, wanting to capture memories from after our reconnection, too.
“I thought we could frame it and put it in our living room. I know you’re in charge of the décor, and I understand if it doesn’t match the aesthetic?—”
“Luke,” she interrupted me, “don’t be silly. This is beautiful. Of course I want it in our living room. I want to see it every day I wake up by your side.” She blinked frantically, trying to hold back tears. I kissed each of her cheeks before settling on her nose and placing a kiss there, too.
“I had another idea, too,” I continued, elaborating on the intention behind the gift. “I was thinking we could take the map down once a year and add in new spots we visit.” Since this was the last gift before I proposed to her, I wanted to make sure it was meaningful, showing that I paid attention and remembered everywhere we had been, even after all those years. My life had changed since she reentered it, in the best way possible, and I wanted to memorize every detail of it.
Luce sniffled, looking like she was about to burst into tears again. Wanting to comfort her, I pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close. She surrendered to the embrace, practically melting into my touch.
It took everything in me not to propose to her on the spot. But I had waited so long; surely I could wait one more day.
“You have been the best thing to ever happen to me, Luce. I want to spend the rest of my life appreciating you for everything you were, everything you are, and everything you will become. I couldn’t be any luckier if I tried.” The words spilled from my lips without me even meaning to say them. I meant every single word. And tomorrow, I would finally prove it officially.