Chapter 14
“Please don’t tell me you’ve never been to Disney World,” I laughed as we entered the gates.
“No, no I’ve been here,” Isaac responded looking around in amazement. “I’ve just never been around it like a normal person. The last couple of times we have been escorted around and been in the parades.”
“Aww...how sad,” I brushed his hair back and hugged him. “Well, we’re here at EPCOT, which is one of the best places to me. You’ll enjoy it thoroughly, I hope.”
“Cool, what’s first?”
I led him around EPCOT for the rest of the day. We went to see “Innoventions,” which were the buildings full of new and improved products. We visited the rides that were available which included Body Wars, The Living Sea, Horizons, and the infamous ride inside the giant ball, Spaceship Earth. After a full day of running everywhere, Ike and I decided to go to the romantic French Cafe on the large walk of countries. I had some soup and a quiche, while Isaac had some kind of sandwich. Something called a Croque Monsieur. It all felt so wonderful. To be sitting there with Isaac, not worrying about getting to work the next morning or what I should have been doing. We just sat there together, holding hands and watching as the people passed by on the cobblestone streets.
After we had ate, we decided not to stay for the nightly fireworks show and go back to the hotel so Isaac wouldn’t get bombarded on a crowded Monorail. On the way back we passed the dancing waters--a fountain that has a soundtrack of classical masterpieces it synchronizes to or “dances” with. I looked at it and watched as it changed forms and colors with the lights.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I heard someone say. I knew it wasn’t directed to me because it sounded much too quiet and then I heard someone respond.
“Yeah. I’m so glad you brought me here,” I heard a girl say. I looked over to see a couple, probably in their twenties, holding each other close and watching the dancing waters. I looked at them and watched as they talked in each other’s ears, sharing the secrets of a love that may have been forbidden by society’s terms.
As I watched, the man slowly knelt down, getting on one knee and pulled out a ring for the girl. I felt tears form in my own eyes as they hugged after her acceptance, the thoughts of their life together just forming in their heads. Isaac took my hand and gently pulled me around to him.
“What’s the matter, babe?” he asked quietly
“Just thinking about that couple over there. That and....” I struggled for words as I looked in his eyes. I knew he could read every thought through my eyes, so I looked away and started walking slowly towards the exit to the park where we could get to the Monorail.
“And? Typically there’s a comment that follows that word,” Isaac coaxed.
“And it’s just so sad to see that happening. Because for some reason, I feel like it’ll never happen to me,” I explained as we walked along. “Being proposed to at a beautiful scene with a gorgeous guy and no worries about it whatsoever....it just seems kind of impossible with the luck I’ve had with men for so long. I even tried to ruin it with you, but luckily you’re either very forgiving or just plain stupid. I’ve seen people proposing to each other quite a few times, and it never fails to make me extremely sad and envious. I’ve always wanted to be the one in the romantic place with a beautiful ring. I’ve always wanted to be in the flowing white gown with a long veil saying ‘I do’ and kissing my husband in front of everyone. But for as long as I have been dating, guys have treated me like a two-dollar hooker. I’ve been thrown around, forgotten, hurt...” I paused and swallowed hard before I said, “even scared...”
Isaac stepped in front of me and stopped me. “Scared? Mel, we’ve all been scared. I’m scared every moment I’m with you that you’ll come to your senses and decide that I really am an untalented, asinine musician that could never everything you wanted or even needed, but I go on faith and hope that the feelings we share will last longer than most do.”
“Isaac, you don’t have to be scared of that! I love you and I have no intention of leaving you any time soon. And if I did, it wouldn’t be your fault. It would probably be something selfish on my part. It always is,” I pushed my way past him and started walking towards the front again. “Isaac, this ‘love’ stuff is hard enough as it is. Being scared and wishing I could have that beautiful proposal are just more confusing things that my newly adult mind can’t quite handle. Sometimes I wish it could just all become clear and suddenly I knew everything there was to know.”
“I wish we could all be like that and then we wouldn’t have any trouble finding a soul mate for ourselves,” he agreed as we walked up to the platform where a monorail was boarding. We hurried until we got into an empty car. The train sat there for a few minutes before finally taking off, with only us occupying the one section. I stood up in the middle, clinging weakly to one of the metal bars.
“Hey, look outside,” Isaac directed quietly.
I looked to see the lights illuminating the park and dotting the night with its attempt at decoration. I looked up and noticed how the thin cloud cover was just enough to hide the celestial stars and put a gray haze over the large moon. They allowed a little glow from the lunar figure to bathe the earth in a dim light, giving the beings a million miles away a chance to observe its muted splendor.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” Isaac whispered.
“Yeah, it is. This place is really something,” I whispered back.
“I have something to ask you.”
“And what is that?” I returned, still looking at the moon. Isaac carefully got my attention with his silence and then got closer to me, his eyes locked with mine, creating such a diversion that I didn’t even watch as he slipped the golden ring on my finger.
“Marry me?”
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dun-dun-dun...and the plot thickens...
Chapter 15
Chapter Index