Tara put down the blanket on the ground then proceeded to open the picnic hamper that she'd put together the day before. She liked doing this, being here with Oz, knowing that Willow was there watching over them.
She let the thought of Willow hang there for a moment as she looked at the gravestone. It'd been a year to the day that Willow had been shot dead by Warren, and the pain was still there. Oz had helped ease that pain though. He'd somehow found out about Willow and had turned up at the funeral, and then stayed afterwards. Over the months that had followed Oz had always been there for her whenever she'd been feeling lost, or alone. He'd always had a kind word and a smile, and always managed to cheer her up with stories about Willow from before she'd met her.
Oz looked at Tara as she knelt on the blanket, looking at Willow's gravestone as tears slid down his face. He knew that they both missed her terribly and had found it strange that they had found comfort in each other in their pain. Maybe it was because they both understood what the other was going through and knew that no-one would be able to replace the hole in their lives that Willow had left, so neither of them had tried.
Tara looked up at Oz and saw her own tears reflected back on Oz's face and smiled. Both of them had had their private moment with Willow and she was happy for it, knowing that they could both still feel for Willow yet still be happy together.
"So, uhh, are you hungry?" Tara asked as Oz sat down beside her.
"Yeah." Oz replied eagerly. "You did insist on skipping breakfast after all." Oz smiled at Tara, knowing that no matter how hungry he was, she would have made too much for them both to eat as always. He kissed Tara on the forehead as he checked his pocket, just to make sure. He knew that he'd wanted to do this for a while and had been waiting for the right moment. But now that the moment had arrived he found himself nervous and just a little scared.
"What's wrong Oz?" Tara asked, seeing a worried look on his face. "Have I made too much again?" She asked teasingly.
Oz smiled again. "No, it's just… Well maybe just a little." He replied as he picked up one of the sandwiches. "But that's not it." Oz continued, bringing a hand up to caress Tara's face. "I swear you grow more beautiful every day."
Tara grinned at Oz's words, looking down at the ground in the slight embarrassment that his words caused. Inside she was still the shy girl she'd always been, and still found the idea of being attracted to a guy strange and the idea that a guy would find her beautiful even stranger. She knew there was something more though, a deeper meaning behind his words, an insistence that wasn't usually there.
"What is it Oz?" She asked.
"I love you Tara, more than mere words can say, and I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else." He told her as he again felt his pocket in reassurance, and then pulled the small box out and turned more fully to Tara.
Oz opened the box to reveal the diamond ring he'd been holding onto for the last few months. "Will you marry me Tara?"
Tara was speechless as she threw her arms round Oz and let the tears of happiness flow. Finally she found her voice.
"Of course Oz, I love you too."