Six Months
Sam and Jess had been dating for six months. Sam wanted to do something special, but living with no one but a couple of manly men for the first eighteen years of his life didn't do much for his sentimental side. And even if he did have an idea where to start, he didn't have the money for jewelry or a nice dinner. But the best thing about Jess (or one of the many best things about Jess) was that when she said she didn't want to do anything special, it wasn't just to make Sam feel better.
It didn't matter because after six months, every single time they were together was still special for her, and it was still special for Sam.
And besides, Jess told him. Six months was nothing. Save up your cash for one year, she said. And Sam's heart leapt when he realized that one day he and Jess would have a one-year anniversary because it was in that moment that they decided they would spend the rest of their lives together.
So Sam and Jess went out to a not-fancy-family-oriented restaurant together for some peace and quiet and Sam wanted to tell her how deeply, madly, truly in love he was with her, but instead they talked about the weather and ignored the rest of the world in their cocoon of what must have been the happiest place on the planet that night.