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Reflecting on a few short months ago, when we shared a memorable night in Ireland, I couldn’t believe how much had changed. Ryan and Ella’s wedding had reignited the passion and commitment Sasha and I had for each other.
Although Sasha hesitated initially, she finally came around, giving our relationship a chance, and things had never been better. We’d recently decided for her to move into my apartment, next door to Ryan and Ella, and our new business venture had picked up, receiving a fourth round of funding and our first live users.
My relationship with my parents had been mended and they’d even had a chance to meet Sasha at my dad’s birthday celebration last week. They adored her, of course. I felt fulfilled, happy, and at peace with my life and for the first time, felt optimistic about the future.
I strolled into the tattoo parlor shop a few blocks away from my office and approached the front desk.
“Hello, is anyone available to do a simple tattoo this evening?” I asked the receptionist.
She checked with her artists, and after 10 minutes, she returned.
“Have a seat; Tank should be able to get you in within the next hour.” I nodded, checking my watch nervously.
An hour later, the artist named Tank called me back to his chair.
“So, what are we getting today?”
I slid him a piece of paper with my handwriting on it.
He read it; his eyebrows raised.
“Okay.”
One hour later, I walked into the restaurant District Finery to meet Sasha for our date night.
“You look stunning,” I said as I greeted her at the bar.
She wore a tight black midi-length spaghetti strap dress that hugged her curvaceous figure. Her dark auburn curls fell loosely over the exposed skin on her shoulders, and her lips were painted red like I liked. Her tan skin glistened under the twinkling bar lights, making her somehow more beautiful.
I kissed her gently on the cheek.
“What took you so long?” she asked teasingly as we took our seats at our table.
“Had to run an errand first. I figured it was time for me to pay up on our bet.”
“You got a tattoo?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“A bet’s a bet. Though you never did tell me what I had to get tattooed or where.”
“I’m still deciding that” she said, smirking as she took a sip of her wine.
“Well, I decided to go ahead and take some liberties on that decision since I can’t wait forever for you to decide.”
Her eyebrows raised.
“Would you like to see what I got?”
She nodded, smiling enthusiastically.
I took a deep breath, my hands had been sweating from nerves the whole ride over, but I’d clenched them together to try not to give myself away. Slowly, I extended my left hand forward, revealing only my ring finger.
Sasha leaned forward, clasping my hand in hers to look at the two words carved on the inside of my finger – 'Marry Me?'”
She gasped. “Ethan?” she asked, her eyes looking up as she still held onto my hand tightly.
I took a moment, gazing into her eyes, savoring the anticipation in the air.
“Sasha,” I began, my voice steady but filled with emotion, “from the moment we met, life started making sense again. You brought color to my world when it was black and white, and every defining moment I’ve been through seemed to lead me to this one.”
I took another deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Before Ireland, I was lost, seeking to fill a void and have direction with my life. When I left, I thought I was leaving to make sense of my past. But instead, I found a new future. You started something inside me that has set in motion a new path for my life. These past few months with you have changed my life. So, Sasha, will you make all these defining moments count? Will you marry me?”
I watched as Sasha’s eyes welled up with tears. The air held its breath, and the ambient sounds of the restaurant faded into the background as I waited.
Sasha’s fingers traced the delicate words on my ring finger, her touch a tender acknowledgment of the profound moment between us. As she looked down, her eyes slowly lifted, meeting mine with a depth of emotion that echoed our shared journey.
“That night in Ireland, in that tiny pub,” she began, a smile playing on her lips, “you spoke of serendipity. Our journey since then has been just that — a series of beautiful, unexpected moments that brought us here.”
Sasha continued, “So, Ethan, yes, I want to marry you and make this our defining moment.”
