Lucy grinned as she hit send on her latest email. The rest of the summer had flown by and had been wonderful. Charlotte had gotten engaged just a couple of weeks ago, Piper and Nash were counting down the days until their Thanksgiving wedding and Lucy and Mateo had become inseparable.
While school was out, she had met him almost every day at ‘their’ bench. They ate, fed the geese, talked and kissed. Yes ... lots and lots of kissing. It was Lucy’s favorite part of the day. However, now school was back in session and their lunches had come to an end. They had restarted their email correspondence and Lucy looked forward to every word that came through.
“But I wonder what he has planned for our date, tomorrow,” she mused. “Dress nice, huh? Alrighty then.”
*****
MATEO’S HANDS SHOOK as he knocked on Lucy’s door. He was dressed in his nicest suit, his hair had been recently trimmed and his goatee groomed.
He caught his breath as Lucy opened her door. She’s stunning. He thought. She wore a gauzy mint green dress that flowed to her ankles, which were strapped into glittery, white sandals. Their three inch heel gave a sexy look to the shoe and her already attractive legs. The soft pastel of the dress made her golden skin glow and her blonde hair look brighter.
“You look beautiful,” Mateo said, leaning in to grab a quick kiss.
Lucy beamed. “Thank you. So do you.” When he went to straighten from kissing her, she grabbed his tie and pulled him back down.
With a chuckle, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a more thorough greeting. “Are you ready?” He whispered when they were catching their breath.
Lucy nodded. He took her hand to lead her to his car. After closing her door, he all but sprinted over to his side. He felt jittery and on edge with tonight’s plan and was having trouble controlling his energy.
“Where are we going?” Lucy asked as she watched the scenery go by.
“Not far,” Mateo hedged. He knew she would recognize their destination soon enough.
After pulling into a public parking spot, he turned off the engine and shifted in his seat to look at Lucy.
She smiled at him in puzzlement. “The park? We’re going to the park?”
Mateo nodded.
Lucy shrugged. “Okay. But why did I need to dress up for that?”
Mateo smiled, “You’ll see soon enough.” Hopping out of the car, he walked around, opened her door and put her hand in his elbow.
The sun was still bright in the early evening and other couples and families were enjoying the warm weather before fall and winter set in.
As they walked down the sidewalk toward their favorite bench, Lucy suddenly gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth.
At their spot was a table, set with two chairs and plates, candles and a bouquet of daisies. Leading Lucy over, Mateo got her settled before grabbing a cooler from underneath the bench.
“Pasta for the lady,” he said, putting a take-out container on her plate.
Lucy giggled as he also pulled out fresh bread and drinks. “This is wonderful, thank you Mateo.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining with adoration.
Mateo felt his chest swell with love for this wonderful woman. “Anytime,” he said softly.
After their meal, he took her hand and pulled her to the bench, where he tucked her under his arm and they gazed at the lake and the stars that were starting to pop up in the twilight sky.
“Oh!” Mateo said suddenly. “I almost forgot.” Reaching under the bench once more, he grabbed a brown paper bag and handed it to Lucy. “I brought you your favorite activity,” he said with a grin.
Lucy laughed and took the bag. It crinkled as she opened it and reached inside for the breadcrumbs that were sure to be there. Grabbing a handful, she threw them at the geese swimming at the edge of the pond, then smiled as the animals honked and flapped after the food.
Reaching in again, she froze when her fingers touched something hard, but smooth. Grasping it, she pulled it out and immediately broke into tears.
Mateo slid off the bench and onto one knee. He took the bag from her, setting it to the side and grasped her hands in his. “Lucy.” He cleared his throat, which suddenly felt drier than the Sahara. “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I know that you are exactly what I have been looking for. I love you. I love your sense of humor, I love how you are willing to indulge my geeky side by watching historical documentaries, I love your love for those silly geese behind us and I want to spend the rest of our lives rejoicing in that love. Will you marry me?”
Lucy eyes were shiny with tears, but the smile on her face couldn’t have beamed any brighter. She threw her arms around his neck, “Yes! Yes! I love you too and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Keeping his arms around her, he pushed them both into a standing position and quickly found her waiting lips. Time was irrelevant as they lost themselves in each other. The sun disappeared over the horizon and the geese wandered to their nests, but Mateo and Lucy held on, knowing they would never let each other go.