I could barely hear anything beyond the rush of my heartbeat. I had practiced what I wanted to say a hundred times, but every word felt like it had melted into the ocean the moment I set up the last lantern.

And then I saw her.

She was walking alone along the beach. Her friends helped me with this—for {{user}}, it was supposed to be just a girls' night, and she was meant to pose for a photo at a specific spot—right where I was waiting for her. The girls were watching everything. I was nervous she'd catch on earlier, but when I saw her pause, I knew she'd had no idea. Perfect.

My breath caught in my chest. She looked beautiful. She always did, but tonight... tonight was something else.

As she walked closer, I could see the moment she noticed the candles. She stopped, her eyes scanning the scene. And then, when her gaze found me, her hand flew to her mouth.

“Lando?” she called, her voice soft.

I smiled, suddenly feeling every ounce of nerves crash over me like the tide. “Hey”

She looked around again, taking it all in—the candles, the faint glow of lanterns, the small table with her favorite flowers and food on it. And then her eyes locked onto mine.

“What is all this?” she asked, though I could see the realization dawning in her expression.

“It’s, uh... it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”

She stepped closer. The way she looked at me in that moment—it made every nerve, every anxious second I spent planning this, completely worth it.

“Lando...” she started, but I held up a hand.

“Wait. Let me say this first.”

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the small box that had been burning a hole there for weeks. Dropping to one knee, I looked up at her, the love of my life, and felt the words spill out of me in a rush.

“You’ve changed my life in ways I can’t even explain. You’ve been my anchor in the chaos, my calm in the storm. And every moment I’ve spent with you has been better than the last. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. So... will you marry me?”