The Best Day
Ava sat with her heels crossed under a tree, laughing as Evan spun in a circle and threw his hands up towards the glowing sun. Evan danced forward to Ava, letting the wind dance around him, twisting his chestnut hair at angles that shined as the sunlight hit it.
Evan had relentlessly pursued her for two years. He showed up this morning, perched on her window sill early this morning with a single flower in his hands declaring that today was going to be the best day of her life. Ava knew her father would hate knowing that Evan had snuck into their house, but it made it thrilling to go with him.
Evan snuck her out through the window, walked with her through her father’s fields, brought her to the stream where a picnic was waiting, then brought her up to one of the tallest hills just outside of town.
It had been the best day of her life.
Ava giggled when Evan flopped down next to her onto the cool grass, ignoring the empty space on the blanket a few inches away. He gave her one of the biggest smiles anyone had ever given her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, locking his fingers between hers.
“You know,” Evan said, his green eyes finding their way to hers. “I’m going to marry you one day.”
“Are you now?” Ava questioned, leaning over him with a soft smile.
It wasn’t the first time he had said that. The first time they met Evan confessed that one day he’d make her his wife. Evan nodded, his eyes still locked on her. It amazed Ava that he was still saying that after two years of knowing each other. She shook her head at the boy, reaching out with her free hand to comb it through his wild hair to tame it.
“How do you plan on managing that?” She teased, pausing to flick his nose. “My parents despise you. Especially my dad. He’d never-”
“He will.” Evan said firmly. He sat up, Ava’s hand still tangled in his hair. “I already have a plan.” He announced, he squeezed her hand that he was holding. “I’ll work for your father in his fields-”
Ava laughed. “He would never hire you.” She told him, forcing a smile to stay on her face.
It was the truth. Her father would never hire him. From the moment Evan showed up in Sildom her dad hated Evan. He didn’t like the way Evan walked, he hated the way Evan talked, and most of all he hated Evan’s parents.
Her whole life her dad said that he would only allow the best boy to marry her and that boy had to come from a respectable family. Ava knew that Evan Eloh did not meet those requirements. She sighed and pulled her hand out of his hair.
“Evan.” Ava spoke softly. She refused to look up at him as she unlinked her fingers from his and took her hand away from his. “It will never work.”
“Ava!” He said, seizing her pause to try and argue his side. Ava shook her head, dragging her hands into her lap.
“Even if you manage to get him to hire you it won’t work. No matter what you do, how hard you work for my father or how long, he will never let you marry me.” Her voice broke as she told him.
Ava looked up at him, pulling her eyes from the coarse blanket she sat on, prepared to see a heartshattered frown on Evan’s face. Instead he was smiling at her. He sat there with the same, happy grin that he had all day. Why is he smiling? She thought, watching helplessly as the devoted boy grabbed her hands. Why won’t he just give up and find someone else?
“Ava,” Evan said, shifting so that he sat on his knees. He bowed his head and kissed her knuckles. He raised those bright green eyes and kept smiling at her. “I told you I would marry you two years ago.” He cleared his throat while he slowly shifted onto one knee and released one of Ava’s hands. “And for the past two years I’ve worked every day to prove to your father that I’m worthy of being your husband.”
Ava put her hand up to her mouth, watching Evan reach into his pocket with a smile. Her heart pounded so hard it made her chest ache. His hand shook as he pulled out a small wooden box. His other hand shook as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand. He slowly released her other hand to open the box, showing her a ring with a small diamond set on top.
“Evan-”
“Yesterday your father told me he would be honored for me to take your hand in marriage.” Evan swallowed and licked his lips. His voice softened, breaking down into a whisper. His eyes still hadn’t left her. “Ava Lawrence, I love you and I promise that I will until the end of time. Will you marry me?”
She nodded, her voice squeaking out a quiet “Yes” while Evan slipped the ring onto her finger. It was the best day of her life.