I sat across the table from my father, nervously tugging at the napkin laying in front of me. Mom came back with two full cups of chocolate milk. My dad and I happily took them. I raised the glass to my lips. The cold drink still fascinated my taste buds, even at twenty five years old. I kept my eyes averted downwards, biting my cheek in between sips of chocolate milk.

I could feel my mom's gaze switching between my dad's gaze and me. I looked up when her hand, soft and delicate, placed itself gingerly on my arm.

"Honey, what did you want to tell us? On the phone it seemed almost urgent… Are you okay?"

Her dark hair was bouncy as ever, subtle wrinkles sank into her thin face. She cocked her head slightly, her hand giving my arm a squeeze. I remember when my hand was so much smaller than hers… I glanced over at my dad who wore a similar expression, his thin, blonde eyebrows creased slightly in concern.

"Yeah…I'm fine. I'm more than fine," I laughed lightly, "Actually…I'm excellent. No. Beyond excellent. Just…"

Trailing off, I tried to suppress the nervous excitement that boiled in my stomach. My hands began to shake, though, so my efforts of containing myself failed me for the millionth time in my life. I really was never good at hiding my emotions. My parents shared another worried gaze.

"Mathias. Son. What's going on? Why are you acting so strangely?" my father questioned me.

I withdrew my arm from my mother's grasp and ran my hand through my hair. I sat up straighter and offered a warm hearted smile. I looked them both in the eye.

"I'm going to ask Lukas to marry me…!"

Mom inhaled sharply, her hands flying to her mouth, as a sputtered half-gasp, half-laugh spurted out. I could tell that a massive smile was stretching her pink lips, her head turning to look eagerly at my father. She began squealing, tears welling up in her beautiful green eyes.

Chocolate milk sloshed everywhere as my father slammed his cup on the table. Dad's eyebrows were half way up his forehead as his mouth began to gape open. He turned to my mom who was nodding violently.

I couldn't help but smile even wider as I watched my parents squirm with excitement. My father wiped his mouth as he let the information sink in. He chuckled, looking at me and slightly shaking his head. I nodded again, biting my lip.

Mom flew up and wrapped me up in her arms, squeezing tight. She sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes.

"Oh God, Mathias—I can't believe it… Oh God, oh God. Did you hear that! Our little boy wants to marry!"

She pulled back to look at me before squeezing me once again. I laughed, squeezing her back. I looked over her shoulder to see my father reach over and squeeze my hand.

Xxxx

"And you're sure about this?" my father asked, looking me dead in the eye, "You think he's the one?"

My mother scoffed and punched him in the arm.

"Have you not met the boy? He's wonderful! I can't think of anyone better for our son!"

I beamed, nodding eagerly.

"I'm sure of it, far. Lukas…he…he's kind and loving. He tries not to show it, but he's protective and caring. He puts his family first, and would never turn his back on anyone he loved. He's smart, cunning and angelically beautiful. He always has such a calm head on his shoulders, too. You know how I am," I reasoned, "I can get too excited or too angry too fast. Well, Lukas knows how to help that. When I'm so excited I can barely stay inside my own body, he knows how to help me breathe and take my time. When I'm so frustrated or angry I can barely see straight, he somehow gets me to calm down, to stop and think about what I'm doing…

Despite him acting like I'm the most annoying thing in the world, lets me be me. And that in of itself makes me so happy. Dad…Lukas makes me happy…in more ways than I can ever tell you. The way he walks, talks, smiles, and even the way he teases me is just gives me such a peace of mind. Every time I look in his eyes, every time I even see him…I just…I can't explain it. I love him. I love him so much it almost hurts, and I wouldn't dare think of spending the rest of my life with someone else. He's the one."

I found myself wiping my eyes, letting out an airy laugh as Lukas's gorgeous face projected itself in my mind. I had never really sat down and verbally expressed my love for Lukas. Especially that thoroughly. Even then, it was an extremely simplified summary of why I loved Lukas.

I watched as my old man nodded silently. He put up a finger, before quietly dismissing himself. He left the room. I turned to my mom who had grasped my hand with hers. She rubbed her thumb over my hand as I tried to once again sooth my overwhelming emotions.

Not a moment later and my dad returned, a small box in his hands. He sat down and slid me the box.

I took it curiously, opening it. My eyes widened.

It was rustic and old. The silver was a bit dulled but it still had some luster to it. The band was thick, engraved with intricate woven designs that looped and knotted around each other. It was evenly studded with small, pearlescent opals. Old runic letters lined the inside.

"Dad…"

"Probably one of the prettier family heirlooms," Dad smirked, "Over a hundred and fifty years old, and has strictly been Køhler property probably since its creation. Don't know if it's always been an engagement ring but somewhere down the line that's what it became. Used it to propose to your mother and now it's your turn."

I gaped, carefully pulling it out of its pillowed enclosure. It was heavy and the opals dazzled the ring. I examined it closer, watching the colors dance around in the stones. I slid my finger over the engravings on the inside.

"What's it say on the inside?"

"…You know I'm not sure. Yer grandpa never cared to translate it for me. We can pretend it says something romantic on it…like 'forever' or 'my heart'."

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks, Grandpa. You're so useful."

"I don't think it's been used on a man before…will it fit his finger?" Mom asked sweetly, taking the ring from me and slipping it on her own finger. It slid on with ease. My mother had relatively small hands…

I bit my cheek.

"He has pretty slim fingers… I think it should work… if not I can always slide it on his pinkie and then replace it with a ring that fits," I improvised, "Because there is no way in hell I'll propose with any other ring now that that beauty is here!"

"That's my boy!"

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploiting my master proposal plan. It was gonna be awesome!

The stars dazzled just for us it seemed. The moon was especially bright as if encouraging me. I stared up at the sky, silently thanking the universe for giving me the courage to go through with my plan. My heart had almost had ten different attacks that day, my nerves bundling up so tight and then exploding without warning.

I pushed off the dock. The sail fluttered before puffing up as it embraced the wind. I steered us out of the lagoon, gazing over my shoulder periodically. Your cheeks don't hurt anymore when you've been smiling all day.

Lukas was bundled up in the deck, cocooned in blankets and nestled in pillows. He gazed around us, silently appreciating the ocean and all her elegance. Lukas adored the ocean. He had grown up in a light house on the most eastern port in southern Norway. He once told me that the ocean had raised him, like a third parent. It was one of the things he loved most in the whole world.

He gently unraveled himself from his cocoon, exposing his stuffed bunny in the process. He carefully crawled over to hull, reaching between the bars of the railing and dipping his hand into the water.

"Is it nice?" I smiled.

"It always is."

I nodded in agreement. He would skim the surface of the water lovingly as we sailed further out to sea. The lights of the town blurred as we were now a few kilometers away from shore. I dropped anchor. I stepped down from the cockpit and settled down in the mass of plush, patiently waiting for Lukas to finish his familiar greeting with the ocean.

He withdrew and wiped his hand on his shorts before crawling over next to me. I snaked my arm around him and we settled down quite nicely.

My stomach was in knots.

We stared up at the sky again, watching the seagulls glide above. I turned and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Did you enjoy dinner?"

"You're a good cook, so yeah."

"I know scallops are one of your favorites."

"Mmhm," he nodded and turned to face me.

"This week has been kind of hard…so thanks for this," he said soothingly.

"Don't thank me quite yet."

I don't know how long we stayed under the stars. I don't know how long we stayed wound around each other, silently taking in each other's presence. Sometimes we'd start up a small conversation, but it wasn't much. He'd mention how as a kid, he'd imagine all sorts of mythological forest creatures gathering at the edge of the fjords on nights like these. I told him about how I came up with the name of my bakery.

Small things. Things that could be taken by the wind if we spoke too quietly. The rocking of the boat was lulling, and I felt as though I was a child being rocked to sleep. Lukas was nestled comfortably against my side, his hand resting on my stomach, his stuffed rabbit sandwiched between us. I had become relaxed over the last hour, so relaxed in fact I nearly forgot why I had brought him out here in the first place.

As I remembered, my nerves seemed to yield, as I was completely calm and unfazed by my urgent reminder. I shifted, turning to face him. I could feel the ring box drop in my pocket.

"Hey."

Lukas looked up at me, wiggling himself a bit closer against me.

"Hey."

"I have something for you."

He blinked.

I reached into my pocket. The box had been weighing down in my pocket like lead the entire day. I was hyper aware of it everywhere I went, constantly reminded about what was going to happen in just a few seconds. Yet, when I pulled it out, it felt no lighter than a feather.

Lukas watched me, and I could see the curiosity swirling in his mystical eyes. Unceremoniously, almost lazily, I opened the box, presenting the ring. The opals were even more surrealistic in the moon light.

"Lukas? Will you marry me?"

I heard his breath hitch, his eyes drawn to the thing. His eyes darted back up to mine, and I could only imagine my crooked smile was on my face. I was too distracted by his astonished expression. He looked back at the ring and then at me once more.

His eyes were glossy, and he slowly began to nod, gripping my shirt. He bit his lip as he continued to nod, burying his face in my shoulder. I squeezed him so tight as a very shaky, very muffled "yes" pushed out of his lips.

He hugged me tight, shaking in my arms. I could have held him there for an eternity and longer. I pulled back though, grasping his trembling hand and ecstatically slipped the band onto his finger. It fit perfectly.

I looked up at Lukas who stared right back. I pulled him in for a bracing kiss. He slipped his hand around my neck, and shivers shot down my spine as I felt the ring press against my skin. It was in that moment that I fell in love with him all over again, plunging into the abyss even deeper than before.

"I'll to marry you, Mathias…"

Fluffy as fuck proposals. That's all. No more, no less.