Derrick couldn't help but smile.
He was standing there on the beach, holding Sophia close as she agreed to marry him, a question that had made his heart race. Her eyes sparkled with emotion, her breath was shaky with joy, and when she quietly said "yes," it felt like everything in the world was finally right.
They held each other tightly for longer than they planned, just enjoying how good the moment felt. Derrick didn't mind the sand sticking to his pants or the breeze messing up his hair. All he cared about was Sophia, agreeing to marry him.
They spent the rest of the night walking along the beach, holding hands. Sometimes they didn't say anything, just being together, listening to the ocean and enjoying the peace of the night. Other times, Sophia laughed as she made fun of him for almost dropping the ring box earlier, while Derrick joked back about how she looked like she might faint before answering him.
It felt… amazing. For once, everything felt amazing.
When the night got colder, Derrick walked Sophia to her car. The streetlights made her face glow softly, and she looked at her ring like it was the most special thing she had ever had. Not because of how much it cost, but because of what it represented.
She hugged him again before leaving. "Goodnight, fiancé." putting stress on the word finance, bringing smiles to both their faces
"Goodnight, future Mrs. Derrick," he said with a big smile.
She rolled her eyes but smiled so big it warmed him up inside.
Derrick waited until he could no longer see her car before letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His heart was still beating fast, his hands still warm from holding hers. He felt light as air, like the world was finally letting him relax.
He walked home feeling happy, the cool night air touching his face. Every step felt like he was floating. By the time he got to his small apartment, he felt like he was glowing. He fell onto his bed without taking his shoes off, looking at the ceiling with a silly smile.
"She said yes…"
He probably said it a lot before he finally fell asleep.
The next morning couldn't have come any slower, Derrick woke up to his phone buzzing a lot. He frowned and rubbed his eyes.
Messages kept coming in from friends, coworkers, and people he used to know that he barely remembered. For a second, he thought something bad had happened.
Until he read the first message:
Dude… congrats!
Then another:
Your engagement is everywhere online, man.
Then another:
You're super popular. Like, REALLY popular.
Derrick sat up quickly. "Super popular?" he wondered.
His heart raced as he went on social media. Sophia was somewhat well-known; she wasn't a huge star, but she had influence, a lot of fans, and a life that people were always watching. It only took a few hours for the news of their engagement on the beach to spread very quickly.
There it was.
A picture someone had taken from far away was blurry, not very clear, but it was definitely them. Sophia in her dress. Derrick on his knee. She said yes.
And people kept saying things. Things he now became used to and didn't hurt him anymore.
He Infact didn't care for them anymore.
"Who is that guy?"
"He looks poor."
"He's just after money!"
"She deserves someone better."
"Is he the one she's marrying? Seriously?"
"He saw money and proposed really quickly."
Derrick felt anxious inside.
He looked through the comments that morning, even though he didn't want to. People are strange that way, drawn to things that hurt them, even when they know it will. His stomach hurt with each new mean comment. He knew there would be some negative reactions Sophia had told him many times that people can be cruel but seeing it in writing was different.
People who didn't even know him, didn't know how he felt, didn't know how long he had loved Sophia or how much he had done to make the night before special… were saying he was everything bad about a man.
He leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes as all the comments mixed together.
Money grabber. User. Trash. Nobody is important.
People who had never even met him acted like they knew who he was.
But then he thought about how Sophia looked at him. How she said yes to him. How she held him like she didn't care about anyone else in the world.
He opened his messages again, scrolling past the mean comments until he saw one from her.
I love you. Pay them no mind.
That's all he needed to hear.
Derrick straightened up, feeling determined. He couldn't change what people thought. He couldn't stop people from talking or judging him. But he could decide what was important to him.
And what was important was her.
Their love for each other.
What they promised each other.
He texted back
I'm okay. I love you too. Always.
He wasn't lying about that. It did hurt, yes. But did he wish he hadn't proposed? Not even a little bit.
Derrick put his phone down and looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly, without caring, as if to tell him that the world wouldn't stop because of some loud opinions.
He took a deep breath.
He didn't care what anyone else thought. He didn't care about being made fun of or called names. He didn't care that people he had never met were saying bad things about him online.
He was in love.
Very deeply.
Completely.
Without fear.
And that was the most important thing.
No matter what bad things happened because they were engaged, whatever rumors or gossip came next he would face it all. With Sophia right there with him.
Because the night before, on a quiet
beach with just some lights and the setting sun, she chose him.
And he would choose her every single day after that.