Daniel cleared his throat. Today was the day. The day he would ask her.
He opened the door to the post office. He heard the familiar clang of the doorbell as he walked in. The floorboards creaked welcomingly as he walked across the floor to the counter. His senses were always enhanced when he was nervous, and today he was particularly nervous. He waited at the counter where no post office employee stood. He knew Laura or Miss Lane or Thomas would be there, because he could smell Minnie's baking burning in the oven, so he waited. He went over the conversation he had planned out in his head. "Hello, Laura. Lovely day isn't it?" he would say. He could hear her voice in his head as he imagined her replying "Why, yes, it is, Daniel!" she would say with a dreamy look in her eye. "I do love the month of May, with all the birds out and—" his thoughts were interrupted by Laura's appearance at the counter.
"Hello Daniel! Lovely day isn't it?" she said cheerfully. Daniel couldn't believe it. She had said his exact planned greeting!
"Why yes it is, Laura! I do love May, with all the birds out and the sun finally warming up and—" he realized what he was saying: the response he had planned on Laura saying. He cleared his throat roughly. "Anyway, do you want to picnic in Lark Rise tonight?"
"I would love that, Daniel! That would be so wonderful. May is just right for a picnic. On the hills, my favorite spot! How about five o'clock?" she replied, deciding not to question the strange thing he had said. It seemed like he had something on his mind, so she disregarded it.
"Perfect! I'll see you then." he answered, beaming at the girl he hoped to marry. Soon. Laura wondered what he seemed so over-enthusiastic about. As Daniel exited the post office, he reached into his pocket and toyed with the delicate ring in his otherwise empty pocket.
He was excited and nervous about his awaiting proposal to Laura. Excited because he thought she wouldn't turn him down and hopefully they would be married before the year was out. But he was nervous that he'd mess up his words and ruin the moment, or that she would turn him down, or he wouldn't be able to say anything at all. He somehow felt sure that something would go wrong, and at the same time, he felt it would be perfect.
All he knew for sure was that the night would, come what may, stand out.