The day had been magical. It started with hair, makeup, last minute setup, and finally show time. It had all happened so fast. It seemed just a few months ago Mila had announced her engagement to Terrence. She was my bestfriend and we had celebrated this big change in her life as often as possible, almost too often. We were both. This was basically my wedding too! And a beautiful wedding it had been. The bridesmaids consisted of Arin, Kourtney, Ebony, and I, Joana, the maid of honor. Our bond started in college and has lasted since. We were all around the ago of 26 and this was the first wedding out of the group. Everybody was having a good time, but I was tired. Between the traveling (it was a Bahamas destination wedding), the preparation, the actual event, and now the reception, I was whipped.

“Is it that time already?” Darius asked, in regards to me covering a yawn, as he walked towards me. Darius was another groomsman of the wedding party, but he was also my boyfriend of the past two years. I smiled as he sat next to me.

“That time? It’s almost 2am. I think my current state of exhaustion is justified.”

“Will you dance with me before we go?”

“Of course.”

Darius grabbed my hand and we made our way to the dance floor. “Crush,” by Yuna was playing. He pulled me close to him and I settled into the firmness of his chest. We swayed back and forth and suddenly I didn’t seem so tired anymore, but content.

Due to the craziness of the past few weeks, we hadn’t really spent much time alone together and it felt good knowing we’d be able to get back to “us.”

“How was your day,” Darius asked, looking down at me.

“It was amazing. A bit overwhelming,” I answered, smiling slightly.

I was one of those people who became overly sensitized in big situations. I cried, almost panicked, at my college graduation. This was a bit easier to handle because I wasn’t the one getting married, but I still couldn’t hold back the tears. They were tears of joy of course.

“So now wouldn’t be the time to ask you to marry me?”

I looked at him sharply, trying to decide if he was serious or not. My breathing changed and he rubbed his hand against my back soothingly.

“Calm down. I’m not going to get down on one knee. I’m not going to cause a big scene…But will you marry me?” His tone was even and matter of fact.

Too much attention made me embarrassed. Darius understood that. He understood me. Before Darius, I was prepared to live my life happily third-wheeling with Mila and Terrence. I met Darius at a barbeque that Terrence had a few summers ago and we just clicked. As cliché as it might sound, it was like I had known him my whole life. Like my whole life I had been waiting for him…for him. He was everything I thought I wanted and a bunch of other things I never knew I needed. Of course I was going to marry him.

Story By: Fohni Wright