By Ariel Morales
I tend to keep little reminders of lovely parts of my life boxed up carefully- trying to preserve the feelings of that moment. Small things, tickets, a pressed yellow flower, a map of Puerto Rico and a small velvet black box. Just big enough to conceal in your hand. I take it out of its hiding place every few months- and run my fingers on the soft fabric. This is the box that, when it opened, I saw my future heading straight towards me and I said yes.
We were in Vegas, a city that had become our home away from home. We'd been up and down the main street, or the strip as they call it, plenty of times. It was flooded with glittering lights, people, amazing street dancers and fountains that seemed to dance with the music playing all around us. We headed to the middle of the strip, to take the eiffel tower ride at the amazing Paris hotel. It was cold, so I held on tight as we bought tickets to take the clear glass elevator up 15 stories to the top of the Vegas eiffel tower. I was terrified. Heights never bother me too much, I've ridden in planes plenty of times, but that elevator with its glass doors and floor seemed to be hovering mid air. I held to him tighter, and pushed my face against him- " its too high!" I said. He squeezed me.
At the top we all stepped out onto a clattering grated floor- and I looked down onto the strip. Small people everywhere, the city seems like its own sun, and the empty black desert around us seemed so alone. It was beautiful. He came up next to me and put his arm around me, and kissed my head.
He led me to a smaller area where it was only us. He put his hand in mine and told me how much he loved me, and wanted to spend his life with me. I stared into his watery eyes and told him I love him too, always and only him. He let go of my hand and got down on one knee, pulling out a small velvet box, just big enough to conceal in his hand.
"will you marry me?"
On the plane ride home we were inseparable - curving into each other as if we were in our own world. Married, I was going to marry my best friend and see him every day. I was so happy, so in love that my cheeks got sore from all the smiling. I turned to him, and asked if he still had that pretty black box. He gently handed it to me, and I placed it in my bag.
Some things, no matter how small, can have all the meaning in the world.
****I was inspired to write this after reading about the story time challenge on a friends new blog, anonymouslyjaded****
Also, ill be doing a wedding post soon! still fixing up and collecting pictures from friends and family, so check back for that in a few days! We still don't have our hi speed internet set up so loading up pictures takes an eon. Hope you enjoy my little non fiction story!
