Today was the day. The day Derrick had chosen to make Sophia his.
There was nothing stopping him.
Derrick now had everything planned out, through the help of his friend. They had gone through all possible ways they could make the day special for Sophia. Although Derrick could hardly afford the best there was, they had come up with the best plan and the best setting for Sophia.
It was meant to be perfect in any way.
Derrick knew he had to look good no matter how under the cash he was and he had to pick the best he could get and currently moving through the different outfits laid out for display he had begun to regret his idea of getting a look that would stand out.
The rows and rows of clothes had different price tags that were way above his current budget, he had soon begun to regret not agreeing to Sophia putting him on a pay check, he had felt she had done enough already.
A piece finally caught his eye, it was just on his budget and looked stunning enough to catch anyone's eye.
He quickly pulled it from the display section and went in for a fit check. Derrick slowly came out from the room and felt something about him had changed.
He was wearing a two piece suit that stood out, but not too extraordinary. The jacket was a deep gray almost black , its design was woven so well that it fell over with ease across his shoulders. It wasn't that stiff or rigid, it flowed with him, like it knew how to move with his own rhythm
The design was modern, but not overly slim, as if it had been sewn just for him only.
The trousers matched him to his taste, it was flat front, slim but not skinny, going cleanly over his shoes. No unnecessary designs added, no patterns that stood way over his taste, just a quiet masterpiece .
He couldn't say no to the design and immediately paid and had it packaged for him.
Derrick's plan was finally being put in place, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
All that remained was to put the call to Sophia.
He stood on the quiet side of the beach, the orange colour of the evening sun going over the sand was like a blessing.
The waves came in calmly, and the breeze carried the salty scent of the sea mixed with the faint sweetness of the flowers he had bought that morning.
They were simple decorations, paper lanterns, a few candles kelt inside glass jars, and a small arch he built himself with driftwood and rope. It wasn't grand, but it was sincere. It was him.
After making sure the last candle was steady in the sand, he pulled out his phone and dialed Sophia.
"Hey… can you come to the beach?" he asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.
Sophia hesitated.
He could hear it in the silence stretching between them.
For weeks, she had been battling everyone's opinions her family, her fans, her friends. Their relationship had been a topic for gossip long before she ever took it seriously. Dating Derrick, a quiet man with hardly an average job and nothing flashy to his name, was something people didn't stop talking about.
But finally, she said softly, "Okay. I'll come."
Derrick released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Sophia arrived almost half an hour later. She stepped onto the beach wearing a light blue sundress that fluttered around her knees as the wind greeted her. The last traces of doubt were still visible in her eyes, but she came anyway that alone was enough to make his heart race.
She stopped when she saw him beside the makeshift arch. Her lips parted slightly. "Derrick… you did all this?"
"It's not much," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it's what I could put together."
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
They met halfway and exchanged a warm hug. For a moment, Derrick forgot about the world and all of it's harsh treatment. Here, in the dimming sunlight, it felt like they were in their own universe, where nothing mattered but the two of them.
They walked along the decorated stretch, talking about their day, laughing at the uneven lanterns, and teasing each other about how much sand had stuck to their slippers.
The evening passed slowly, almost deliberately, as if time knew something important was coming and wanted to give Derrick enough space to breathe, to gather courage.
But courage was something that wasn't too far from him.
Derrick felt it in waves. One moment he was ready, the next he wondered if he was sure he was going to do this.
But when he looked at her the way her hair moved with the wind, the way her eyes softened when she smiled, every doubt that slowly grew quickly left.
He held her hand gently.
"Sophia," he said, voice trembling just a bit,
"I know things have been hard for you because of us. People have talked, judged, assumed things… and I can't change that. I don't have a fancy car or a big house. I don't have the kind of life people expect you to fit into. But what I do have is you. And I want to spend the rest of my life choosing you, every day."
Her eyes widened, a sign of panic and hope both growing inside them.
Before she could say anything, Derrick went to one knee.
Her breath caught immediately.
He pulled out the small ring box, something he'd bought with almost all the savings he had left.
The outfit had been paid for by his friend, but the ring was out of his savings.
It wasn't a diamond that could turn heads. It wasn't from some luxury brand or a famous seller.
But it was a ring he chose carefully, with a stone that always took the sunlight beautifully and casted it well..
"Sophia… will you marry me?"
The world seemed to stop
The waves slowed down as if also in suspense. The breeze slowed. Even the lanterns stopped moving, like they were their audience
Sophia looked down at him, like in a fierce look that made Derrick's chest tighten.
He could almost hear what she could have been saying.
Her family would disapprove. Her followers would mock her. The media would tear them apart. Her friends would whisper behind her back.
And yet here he was, offering her something simple, risky, and real.
Choosing him meant she was choosing the harder path.
Choosing him meant she was choosing love over all her reputation.
Choosing him meant going against everything she had been told was right.
She swallowed hard, tears dropping her eyes. "Derrick… everyone will "
"I know," he said softly, still kneeling, the sun in his eyes, but couldn't help but take notice, "But this isn't about them. It's about us."
She looked at him, really looked at him, the man who never tried to be anything he wasn't, the man who showed his love and didn't care about money or fame like the other men she had been with, he was with sincerity, the man who s
tayed even when everyone else doubted.
Sophia took a deep breath as her emotion raised in her chest.