Page 52 of B-Side

"It's not a picnic in that basket."

"No? What is it? Oh, Alec, this ring!"

"There's something else you should know," he said. But I was distracted by the gorgeous rectangular diamond that was shining in the box.

"What is it?" I asked. My question was so absentminded that Alec laughed.

"What's what?" Alec said, testing me.

"What were we talking about?" I asked, tearing my gaze from the ring.

"Go ahead," he said, smiling. "I want you to try it on."

I slipped it onto my finger and inspected it for a second before looking at him with tears in my eyes.

"What were you saying?" I asked.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it so much," I said. "I'm having trouble holding it all in. I feel it on my finger, and it doesn't seem real. It still doesn't seem real." I looked down at my finger, my heart pounding. My hand shook. It was real. This was really happening. It was the moment that I had dreamed about since I was fifteen years old.

"I know how you aren’t much on being the center of attention," he said. "You had already mentioned how planning a wedding would stress you out."

"Yeah, but I don't want you to have to worry about me," I said. "I know you want your family there. We'll figure it out. We'll make it happen."

"I already did. My family's here."

"What?" I tilted my head at him, and he nudged his chin toward the backseat. "There's a dress in the basket."

"W-what?"

"A dress. A wedding dress. It's in the basket."

"Yeah, I heard you say that, but why is it in there?"

"Oh, oh, yeah, I'm sorry, I should have explained that first. That's what we're doing here. I thought maybe you'd like it if I took all the dread and worry out of planning a wedding and just surprised you with one. We're getting married right here, right now. Is that okay?"

Some women would have panicked.

Some would have thought of all the things that were wrong with this. I had on no makeup whatsoever, and my hair was decent at best.

Not me, though. Alec knew me well, because I actuallylovedthe idea of a surprise wedding. This whole thing felt perfect to me.

"I think you're really smart for this," I said, staring at him and nodding.

He grinned. "I know. I knew you would like it."

"Are there people here?"

"Yes."

"At this park?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"A hundred."

---