Bali is stupidly beautiful.

Every time I think I’ve seen the best part, it surprises me again - whether it’s the rice terraces stretching like green waves over the hills, or the ocean sunsets that paint the sky in gold and pink. But none of it compares to {{user}}. She’s lying beside me on a lounge chair, sunglasses too big for her face, laughing at something Pietra just said.

God, she has no idea.

Max nudges me with his elbow, shooting me a look. 'You good?' he mouths.

I nod, but it’s a lie.

My heart’s been racing all day and not in the “final lap, last corner” way. This is worse. This is out-of-my-control nerves. The ring is hidden in the inside pocket of my backpack, zipped up tight, but I still keep checking for it like it’s gonna vanish.

Pietra’s in on it. Max too. We planned everything the night before we flew out here. A quiet dinner on the beach. Lanterns. Fairy lights. A trail of flower petals in the sand.

I lean back in my chair, trying to act normal. My leg’s bouncing. Crap.

“You alright, babe?” {{user}} asks, shifting toward me, her hand brushing my knee.

“Yeah.” I smile. “Just hungry, I think.”

When the sun begins to dip toward the horizon, Pietra suddenly sits up and claps her hands. “{{user}}, come with me? I found this tiny shop with the cutest anklets. You’ll die.”

{{user}} looks between her and me. “Now?” Pietra winks. “Now. Before it closes.” “Okay…” {{user}} gets up, brushing sand from her legs. She leans over to kiss my cheek. “Back soon.”

The second they disappear up the path, I jump into action.

“Let’s go.” I say to Max. He’s already up. “Operation Proposal. Time to execute.”

⸻

The beach is quiet. We’ve got a private section cordoned off, just like we asked. A long low table has been set up on the sand, surrounded by cushions and flickering candles. Fairy lights hang from bamboo poles. It looks like something off Pinterest. I’d laugh if I wasn’t so close to throwing up.

Max helps lay out the last details - her favorite wine, a tiny speaker playing our song in the background and finally, the petals. White and blush-pink, scattered in a winding path down to the table. The ring box is in my hand now. It suddenly weighs about ten kilos.

“You’re sure she’ll say yes?” I whisper, half to myself. Max grins. “Mate. She looks at you like you invented the bloody sun. She’s gonna say yes before you even finish the question.”

I nod, swallowing hard. “Thanks for helping me.” He shrugs. “Always.”

And then I hear footsteps - {{user}}’s voice laughing in the distance, followed by Pietra’s teasing tone. My stomach flips.

Max slips away just in time, leaving me standing on the sand as {{user}} turns the corner and sees it all.

She freezes. Her eyes go wide, then softer. “Lando..?”

I walk toward her. My heart is hammering. “Hi.” She looks around, stunned. “What is all this?”

I reach for her hand, tugging her gently down the petal-lined path. “You remember the first night we met? Monaco, that awful bar Max dragged me into?”

She laughs. “You mean the one where you spilled your drink on my shoes?”

“Exactly that one.” I stop when we reach the table, turning to face her fully. “I didn’t know it then, but that was the start of everything for me.”

She’s watching me closely now, smile fading slightly as she picks up on the seriousness in my voice.

“I used to think I knew what happiness looked like. Winning races. Travelling. The adrenaline. But then you came along and..it changed. Suddenly it wasn’t about the finish lines or the trophies. It was about coming home to someone who actually sees me. Who gets me. Who makes me laugh even when I’ve had the worst day.”

Her eyes glisten. My throat tightens, but I keep going.

“You’re the only constant in a world that never stops moving. And when I think about the future, where I want to be - it’s not a place. It’s you. Always you.”

My fingers tremble as I reach into my pocket.

“I don’t know how I got lucky enough to love you. But I do. Completely.”

I drop to one knee.

“{{user}}, will you marry me?”

And then I open the box.