Dressed in a pair of Adidas pants and a sporty white t-shirt, Cecilia walked leisurely ahead, her vibrant eyes curiously surveying the untamed landscapes around her. She seemed to be enjoying herself more than she had expected.

Cecilia (her eyes still staring ahead, not turning back to look at Stephen): Stephen, can you walk a little bit faster?

Stephen (trailing behind her): Try and carry these two huge bags for me, we’ll see how far and fast you can walk…I don’t understand you women, why do you always have to bring tons of things wherever you go? We’re just going camping for god’s sake, it’s not like we’re moving to a new continent!

Cecilia (stopping, she turns around a little annoyed at Stephen’s words): It’s all food in there. You know how you always get hungry? Well, all these stuff are for you. Just give one bag to me and stop complaining.

Stephen: Ok, I’m sorry. My fault, my fault.

Cecilia then turned back around ignoring him. They kept walking like that for a while until they found a good spot to settle for the night.

When they did, Stephen immediately dropped the two bags down on the ground. They both relaxed a bit before Stephen started to work hard in putting up their giant tent while Cecilia prepared the food for both of them.

After a while

Cecilia: The sandwiches are ready, Stephen. You need any help?

Stephen (still crouching at the foot of the tent to tighten the last screw): No, it’s ok. I’m almost done.

Cecilia (handing him a towel, chuckling): You look like you just returned from war.

Stephen (he looks up at her and smiles. He then stands up and takes the towel. He uses it to clean his face): Do I look that exhausted?

Cecilia nodded good-naturedly and gave him the sandwiches. They both ate while they continued to chit-chat and laugh together. After that, they settled their things inside the tent and went to sleep, both feeling very exhausted from walking all day long.

The next morning

Cecilia slowly opened her eyes as she stretched her limbs. She yawned and then turned on her side wondering if Stephen was up yet.

Stephen wasn’t there.

She quickly stood up and got out of the tent thinking that he might be outside.

Outside, there were still no signs of Stephen. Cecilia then walked around the place trying to reassure herself that Stephen was probably just in the nearby areas taking an early morning walk or something.

After walking around for half an hour, Stephen was still nowhere to be found. Desperate, tired, and scared, Cecilia came back to their tent hoping that Stephen would somehow just magically show up there.

But just like before, he wasn’t there.

“Stephen, where are you?”, Cecilia desperately shouted her lungs out as tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks.

Cecilia looked helplessly around the never-changing surroundings as she just sat in front of their tent and cried, feeling so completely lost for the first time in her life.

Suddenly, Cecilia felt a hand tapping on her shoulder.

Cecilia drew back at the intrusive touch. She then turned around to see who was there.

It was Stephen.

Cecilia just fell into his arms crying.

Stephen gently caressed her back as he said: “I was just playing around with you, don’t cry.”

He then took out a tiny red box from his pants’ pocket.

Stephen (with extreme sincerity and seriousness): Cecilia, will you marry me?

Cecilia recoiled from the embrace immediately. So suddenly that it scared Stephen. The silly smile that was on his face when he proposed to her was starting to dissolve away as he just stood there observing Cecilia’s unreadable expression.

And then suddenly, Cecilia slapped him, hard.

Cecilia: You were only playing around with me? Playing around with what? My feelings? Well, sorry Mr. Fung, I didn’t find your joke in the least bit funny.

Stephen (startled by the slap and then by Cecilia’s words, it truly wasn’t the type of reaction he had anticipated): I’m……sorry. I just wanted something special and memorable for the proposal.

Without a reply to what Stephen just said, Cecilia turned around and walked away from him. As she walked, her legs suddenly got caught on a branch and she fell down on the ground. She seemed to have twisted her ankle.

Stephen immediately ran towards her.

Stephen: Cecilia, are you all right? (he tries to help her up,)

Cecilia (she pushes him away): It’s none of your business, leave me alone.

Cecilia then struggled to stand up and walk. Stephen didn’t know what to do except to stand as near her as she would allow him to and helplessly look at her as she limped.

Cecilia fell again.

This time ignoring her protests, Stephen helped her up and carried her on his back as he walked back towards the direction where their things were still laid down on the ground.

When Stephen arrived before the tent, he was about to gently put Cecilia down when she suddenly jumped off from his back.

Stephen looked at her with a combination of shock, surprise and astonishment.

Cecilia (holding out her hand): Give me the ring.

It was then that it hit him.

She had been fooling him all this time in order to get back at him for the cruel joke he had played on her just earlier. Cecilia was now relishing in the fruits of revenge as she just stood there smiling victoriously at him.

Stephen (amused and relieved, he puts up his most innocent face): What ring?

Cecilia: Don’t give me that innocent face, I want my ring.

Stephen: Sorry, I’m reserving it for my future wife. A gentler one who wouldn’t have the heart to slap me so hard. (he runs away from her)

Cecilia (chasing after him): You deserved it, meanie. Give it to me! I want it! I promise that I will be marrying you!

Stephen: Who says that I want you anyway?

In Jessica’s room

Jessica was speaking on the phone with Stephen on the other line.

Stephen: Jess, guess what I just got myself a wife!

Jessica (extremely excited): Really??? Did everything turn out the way you had planned it?

Stephen: Almost, except for one minor unexpected incident.

Jessica: May I know what is that minor unexpected incident?

Stephen: She slapped me, hard.

Jessica: Poor little brother. But sorry to say, I actually think you deserve it. If I was in her shoes, I would have probably done the same thing.

Stephen: Yeah sure, women always defend women. Anyway, I have to go now. I made reservations at a restaurant to celebrate with Cecilia. So bye bye.

Jessica: Bye.

Jessica hung up feeling extremely happy for her brother. Sitting on her bed, Jessica’s gaze then landed on the wedding picture of her and Louis. Proposals whether they are simple or romantic are always memorable and clearly etched into a woman’s most precious memories.

*************************FLASHBACKS**************************************

Louis and Jessica were strolling along the beach side hand-in-hand. They’ve been dating for 6 months now.

Jessica: Remember, it was also here that I first met you.

Louis: Sure I remember…(he pauses and then) Jessica, can you close your eyes? I have a little surprise for you.

Jessica (closing her eyes smiling): What kind of surprise?

Louis: Stop talking so much, you’ll find out very soon. (he takes the precious red box out and opens it before Jessica) Now open your eyes.

Jessica (opening her eyes): Louis…

Louis (his hopeful eyes staring right into hers with all the sincerity in the world): You know when we first met, you offered me a cone of vanilla ice cream. I wish that I could share vanilla ice cream with you for the rest of my life. Would you like to be my wife?

Jessica just nodded as Louis picked her up and swirled her around, both laughing heartily as an immense joy settled inside their hearts and filled them with a sense of completeness.

******************END OF FLASHBACKS******************************************

Jessica was cleaning their wedding picture when Louis walked in the room.

Louis (smiling): Jessica what are you doing?

Jessica (she stopped cleaning the picture and sits back down beside Louis): I was cleaning up our picture. Parts of it were covered in dust. Did you know that Stephen successfully proposed to Cecilia?

Louis: Oh really? I’m so happy for them. I knew Cecilia would agree, they are so in love.

Jessica: Sure they are. Now, I’m going downstairs to get my purse. We are eating out tonight, right?

Louis: Yeah.

Jessica walked out of the room while Louis just sat there on the bed looking at the giant wedding picture that was hung on the wall right before his eyes. He carefully and uneasily studied the wedding picture.

In the picture, the groom stood behind the bride with his two arms encircling her waist holding her as if she was his most precious and delicate treasure, while the bride just stood there in a straight and elegant pose, holding the fresh bouquet of peach roses in her hands. Their bodies stood only at inches apart and from an outsider’s point of view, anybody could tell that even the biggest storm would not have been enough to separate this breathtaking couple for they were so simply too in love with each other.