2 Crain

Perfect

The evening was brisk and the fog of night had not descended from the sky to the ground. It had rained the previous night, creating the puddles I diligently tried to avoid. This day will be perfect. It had to be. I had planned this day for far too long for it not to be anything less.

I walked with my girlfriend, Chloe, through the parking lot, her arm wrapped around mine as she cuddled close to me in the cold. We walked into Sears, and though the wind was no longer affecting us and the cold had lifted, Chloe clung to me as close as ever. There were busy people everywhere; entering, leaving, and still deciding if they really needed that new phone. I was too preoccupied to notice them though. Perfect. It must be perfect.

We wound through the crowd of lovers. The hallways adjourned with soft pinks, deep reds, and pure whites in celebration. Chloe and I walked past a teenage couple sitting on a bench, holding each other close. I thought back to my years in high school. How simple love was then. How new and warm it felt. Not that my darling Chloe had ever made me feel any less amazing.

As the evening progressed, the floor grew denser with such couples, each one believing that their love was different and somehow more special than anyone else's. I stared down at the movie theater. There was a massive line, as was to be expected at Quail Springs Mall, on Valentine's Day no less. As we walked by the theater, where we were initially going to spend the holiday's night, Chloe tugged on my sleeve. "Why aren't we getting on the escalator here, Zach?"

"I have a surprise for you." I said as I grinned. She smiled and held my arm tighter. We continued on, and our destination finally came into my view. My heart pounded. This was it. "Hey let's go in here." I gestured towards a jewelry shop. Chloe looked up at me in disbelief.

"O-Okay…" She stammered out, clearly confused as to why I would want to go into this particular shop. I took her hand in mine and guided her to the large glass case where the diamond rings were displayed.

"Pick one." I said leaning on the case. Chloe looked at me in shock. She gasped and struggled to stand up, so I wrapped an arm around her waist. "If you want to marry me, that is." Speechless she just nodded and kissed me. I would try to describe the kiss, but the words warm, soft, deep, even perfect don't even do it justice. This kiss could only be described by two other kisses: my first, and the kiss at our wedding that summer.

As she chose the ring she wanted I noticed how happy she was. Her eyes wide, sparkling in the diamond reflection. I knew I loved her. I still love her. I always will. Me and my Chloe. Together until death. I thought to myself at that moment, nothing could be more perfect.