A January Day

The house was dark and quiet. Which really wasn't rare but the feeling...the air in the house was strange. It could be because of earlier events that day but she wasn't sure, or rather, she really hoped it wasn't. She found him outside in the backyard. She decided she wasn't going to go out and talk to him. Mostly because was afraid of what he would say – if he'd say anything at all.

Instead, she watched him through the window. He was sitting on the lawn chair, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. She suspected that he knew she was watching him but of course, he'd be too stubborn to get up and talk to her. Stubbornness was something they very much had in common. She couldn't quite tell exactly what he was thinking, a "superpower"she's always had. After ten minutes of trying to decipher his thoughts, she gave up and went to bed.

"Chloe?" A deep voice gently pulled her out of her sleep. "Chloe. Are you awake?"

"Why do people ask 'are you awake', if they're shaking you awake?"

He pulled her out of bed. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. She was definitely awake now. "Okay..."

Fifty minutes later, he had driven her to a park. A tiny park, covered with trees, bushes, and all kinds of flowers. It was actually quite beautiful and romantic. Chloe turned towards Derek. "What is this?"

He looked at her, confused. "What, you don't remember?"

She looked again. "Oh! Why would you bring me out here at -" she grabbed his wrist to look at his watch - "four in the morning?"

A smile lit up his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. Finally! She could read one of his thoughts tonight. He was nervous. "You'll see. Come on." They walked down the cobblestone road that lead them to a beautiful pond. Lily pads and petals from flowers on the bridge's railing dotted the water. "Do you remember why we were here the last time?"

Chloe thought. "Simon's wedding." She could picture all the pink and sunshine yellow blanketing the tiny park.

"You wore the red dress."

She smiled at him. "That's why I wore it. I knew you'd like it."

"Should I say 'thank you'?"

They laughed and all the stress floated away. That's how it was when they were like this. No matter what happened today, yesterday, a year ago – they always found a way to let everything go, even for a moment.

Then, instantly, the mood changed as Derek turned towards the pond. She couldn't quite figure out if it was a good mood, or a bad one.

"I love you," he said, glancing at her.

"I love you, too..."

He glanced at her again. Admiring the way the January moon reflected on her pale skin, the breeze making her cheeks pink, her smile as she realized he was staring at her. When their eyes locked, he spoke.

"Marry me."

A quick idea I had while listening to a song. Thank you for reading, please review! xo