The floor was colder on my knee than I was expecting, but my heart had never been warmer.

I'd known for a long time that Tatiana was the one for me. We've been together almost ten years, and the question of "When?!" had been looming for what felt like an eternity. But there was never a doubt of if, purely a question of when.

The last few years had been some of the toughest we'd faced. Tatiana lost her dad at the start of 2023, in the blink of an eye. All colour leaves the world in those moments. You spend months just looking for small shades of it returning. My work situation was fragile too; months where freelance writing fell out of trees like autumn leaves, and months where I brought in nothing.

With time healing us, I knew I was finally ready. I found the ring online, wondering if it would arrive looking like the metal equivalent of a gummy sweet ring. I filled out the form, and began one of the most excruciating waits of my life. It arrived, and it was perfect.

Then came the plan. A golden dusk walk to a beautiful spot we'd discovered once when we got lost in the woods. Stars-aligned stuff.

"Ahh Will, I have to stay behind at the office today!"

Righty-ho. We adjusted to a route closer to home. A slightly less perfect but still delightful view. Tatiana's suspicions were probably raised when she arrived home to me and the two dogs with their leads on, ready to bolt.

We turn the corner to my chosen spot. A local person hadn’t received my memo and had recently decided to fly-tip several old sofas and cupboards all over the area. Tatiana was livid. I was cursing the skies.

We got home, in a rush as we were late for dinner with her family. She was stressed. I couldn't have cared less about the food. Then, for just a moment, we were alone in the back yard. Still in our dog walking clothes, the sun almost entirely gone, the dogs sniffing around our feet as if entirely unaware of the occasion.

It didn't matter. I got down and asked that fateful question, when I was greeted by 4 unexpected words…

"What the f**k, Will?!"

After a brief moment of wondering if I'd royally blown it, she gladfully said yes. We laughed about the palaver I'd been through to get there. And then we just looked at each other.

Some moments don't need a perfect setting. They just need to happen.

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