It was their third Valentine’s Day together. Maxine tried to shake off the melancholic cloud hovering over her—it had been there since she woke up to his sweet text message that morning. As she applied her makeup, she found herself lost in thought. It was hard to be excited about the date she was preparing for when even her family had started voicing their concerns.
"If that boy won’t marry you, move on... time is ticking, darling." Her mother’s words from last Christmas echoed in her head.
But Maxine couldn’t bring herself to bring up the subject. That would seem desperate. And she couldn’t just walk away either—what reason would she give?
Nelson Karibu was everything she wanted and more. Yet, she was beginning to fear that she might not be enough for him to commit to. Earlier that day, he had sent her a beautiful bouquet of red roses at work, and now, he was waiting downstairs in a limousine, ready to treat her to an extravagant Valentine’s dinner. He was an intentional man, but it was sometimes hard to enjoy these romantic gestures when she had been waiting for a proposal for over a year now.
She slipped into her heels and hurried downstairs, determined to push away the thoughts threatening to cast a dark cloud over a night that promised to be magical.
As always, Nelson was the perfect gentleman. He opened doors, pulled out her chair, and paid attention. He listened and asked thoughtful questions. He looked handsome and smelled great. Dessert came and then the check. She tried hard to mask her disappointment as he helped her into her coat and took her hand.
"Everthing okay, honey?" He asked when they stepped outside, concern clouding his beautiful brown eyes.
She smiled and leaned into him, raising a hand to gently stroke his cheek. "Thank you for a perfect night." She kissed him lightly on the lips.
Sliding gracefully into the limo, she pulled out her phone to text her sister the bad news. She heard the other door open and shut as Nelson got in beside her.
"Max?"
She looked up—and screamed.
Nelson was on one knee, a red velvet box in hand. Their favorite song, You Are Everything by Diana Ross, played softly in the background.
After an ecstatic "YES!" and a passionate kiss, she pulled back just enough to admire the dazzling rock now shimmering on her finger. A joyful laugh escaped her as she leaned into him, his strong arm wrapping securely around her.
"Babe, this ring is amazing! How did you know exactly what I'd love?"
"I know you." He grinned smugly, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She tilted her head up at him, a teasing look in her eyes. "What took you so long, though?"
He chuckled. "I knew I wanted to marry you six months in. But I wasn’t sure you’d say yes then. I also needed to seek counsel and wait on God."
Maxine closed her eyes, inhaling his familiar scent, her heart swelling with gratitude. She was safe. Nelson Karibu was an answered prayer—he checked all three boxes: Jesus lover, accountable to leaders, and teachable by others.
And now, he was hers for a lifetime.
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