The wrapped box sitting on the table begged to be opened.  It had appeared this morning while I was at work, with only a note in my boyfriends handwriting telling me not to touch the box.  I paced back and forth, my fingers itching to unwrap the present. 

Once…twice…I sat down and picked up the box trying to gauge by its weight what was inside.  Then I put it back down. 

My cell phone rang and had me jumping guilty away from the table as if the present would attack at any moment.  Spying my boyfriend’s name on the caller id had me trying to force a note of innocence into my voice. 

“Hey babe,” I crooned into the phone. 

“I know you weren’t messing with your birthday present, right?”  JC asked with a hint of laughter in his voice.  He knew me too well. 

“Would I do that?”  I paced away from the table.  Maybe out of sight meant out of mind.  Fat chance.

“Yes, you would.  Now I know you can’t stand it, but you need to be patient a little while longer.”  His voice turned serious.  “My flight has been delayed and I’ll be at least a couple of hours late, but that does not mean that you can open your present early.”

“Can’t you at least give me a hint since you’re going to be late, I don’t want to perish of curiosity.”  Dramatic now, I was desperate for any hint of what was in the box. 

“I think you’ll survive, oh my plane is boarding so I have to get off.  I love you and do not touch the box.  Just leave it sitting right where it is or else!” 

I sighed, “Okay – I love you too and have a safe flight.”  Hanging up, I vowed to stay away from the box, but mere seconds after the call ended, I was right back staring at the fairly large box.  It was meticulously wrapped, which told me that JC hadn’t wrapped it himself.  The bright red bow tied around it simply called for me to tug at its strings until it released its secret. 

“Ugh!”  Running a hand through my hair, I grabbed my keys and left the house.  Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to take the suspense any longer.  I would try and kill a couple of hours until JC made it to celebrate my birthday. 

“This had better be worth it, Joshua Scott,” I muttered under my breath as I locked the door behind me. 

***

Two hours later, I skipped up the steps to my house, vowing not to even enter the same room as the present.  Who was I kidding?  That was going to be my first stop. 

But as I closed the front door behind me, I noticed something on the floor.  Bending down I picked up one up as I realized what it was – rose petals.  My eyes were drawn to the pathway I had failed to see until now. 

A carpet of white and red rose petals led me from room to room, and I passed through the living room where the present was no longer sitting.  The petals eventually led out the back door and down across the patio.  Once I was in the grass, the path was illuminated by hundreds of candles in clear glass jars.  I slowly made my way down the path as the stars twinkled in the sky above. 

My eyes lifted to the tall figure standing in the gazebo – JC was standing there in dress pants and a deep blue shirt that brought out the color of his eyes.  The top two buttons were undone, showing just a hint of his hard muscled chest.  His hair was slightly tousled in that just got out of bed look that he was so fond of currently. 

I paused as I realized that while he looked so good, all I had on was a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt.  I certainly wasn’t prepared for whatever he had planned.  JC smiled when he realized my train of thoughts and beckoned to me as he held out his strong hand, waiting for me to grasp it. 

I clasped his tightly in mine as he guided me up the steps to stand in front of him.  Neither of us had yet to say a word.  But my thoughts were buzzing as I noticed the hand that held mine was clammy.  JC’s hands were never clammy. 

I opened my mouth to ask what was going on, but before my mouth could form the words his lips covered mine.  The kiss spelled out all of his emotions.  His lips took all that I could give and more while still promising me the world.  His tongue caressed mine softly as he took complete possession.  Breathing heavy he finally pulled away as I sagged against his chest, unable to support my own weight. 

JC’s chuckle stirred the breath around my ear as he wrestled for control.  The next moment I was sitting on the bench in the middle of the gazebo.  He knelt in front of me on one knee as I raised my right hand up to cover my mouth, realizing what was going on.  JC kept my left hand held securely in his and he looked deep into my eyes. 

The glow of the candlelight brought out the lighter strands in his hair, making them dance in the slight breeze.  His eyes were tender as they never wavered from my gaze.  My heart beat faster with each passing breath. 

He took a deep breath before he began to speak.  “I –”  He paused as if to gather his thoughts then raised up to press a loving kiss on my lips. 

“You said you always wanted this to be a surprise…well… you were the surprise of my life.  When I met you, I never dreamed that this day would come.  I’ve spent my life just living day by day for myself, then you walked into my life and turned it upside down.  When I’m apart from you, I’m at such a loss, wandering around not knowing what to do.  You make my soul sing and I will gladly spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.  I love you more than anything.  Will you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?”

I could hardly speak around the lump in my throat from his words and the love shining through his eyes.  I choked out a yes and tugged him up to my level.  Now it was my kiss full of promise – a promise of all that the future could and would be. 

Too soon, JC pulled back from my lips and smoothly reached into his pocket.  He pulled out a velvet box that he opened with a large smile on his face, his eyes taking in every nuance of my expression. 

I bit my lip as I caught the first glimpse of my engagement ring.  It was a stunning white gold band with a large diamond set in the center.  He lifted it from its nestling place in the box with two fingers and held it up to my face.  My eyes flew to his as he carefully slid the ring on my finger, neither of us taking our attention from the others eyes.  Once the ring was in its rightful place on my hand, I jumped to my feet, pulling him up with me before I flung my arms around his neck.  I stood admiring my new ring over his shoulders as he chuckled in my ear. 

“Were you surprised?”  JC asked as we sat side by side on the bench. 

“I – I don’t even know what to say.  I had no idea that you had anything like this in mind.  How – when did you do this?”  I tried to get over my shock. 

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay in the same house as the present without opening it so I watched as you left and started setting up.  I was so impressed that you didn’t open the present.”

I drew back far enough to look up at him.  “Are you telling me that the ring was in that box?”

JC laughed, “No way, do you really think that I would put something like that in a box and leave it alone with you?”

“So it was just an empty box?”  I asked. 

“Not exactly,” JC said with a smirk on his face as he leaned over and grabbed the box, then handed it to me.  Now that he had asked the question and received the right answer, JC was relaxed and confident again. 

With a questioning look turned his way, I finally got to tug at the ribbon that only hours ago was driving me crazy.  Lifting the lid showed that it was full of more red rose petals, but nestled in the center was a piece of stationary that had been folded in half. 

I lifted the paper out and unfolded it.  JC had written on it in his distinct scrawl a simple message. 

I love you,

Yours forever,

JC

“I love you, JC.”  I leaned over to press my lips to his and as our lips connected, he whispered.  “Happy Birthday, my love.”