Fields of Gold

The windshield wipers groan across the glass. The rain has stopped for now, but a heavy mist remains. As always the case along the Irish coast, she thinks.

The car shudders and sighs as he cuts the engine and they sit, enveloped in the warmth of their bodies after hours of driving. They sit in silence, a pause that is filled with comfort. A decade of shared experiences, stolen glances, and familiar patterns has erased any uneasiness in the quiet between them.

She looks out her window towards the cliffs, watching the mist swirl and curl around the edges of the rocky faces. He takes this moment to breathe her in, admiring the beauty of her simple existence: how her auburn hair caresses her lightly freckled cheeks, how her lips tease a crooked smile, how she anxiously rotates the thin silver ring on her thumb. He reaches across the center console to squeeze her hand, to feel the heat of her skin in his palm. Turning away from the window, her hazel eyes meet his gentle gaze of powder blue and her heart swells within her chest. They exchange a smile in agreement.

Taking advantage of the reprieve, they step out of the car and head to the ocean, the heels of their rubber boots splashing in the puddles that riddle the asphalt. The wind whips at them, plastering loose strands of hair against her damp face. He helps her secure the hood of her windbreaker and holds her close as they reach the dirt path lining the coast, where petrichor is punctuated with salt. White caps pierce the veil of fog and the sea spray tickles her nose and her tongue tingles as they approach the water.

Hand in hand, they climb the cliffs. She focuses on the subtle ridges of his palm as he leads her higher and higher to the top. Her heart flutters and skitters with every cautious step as the wind roars against her head, her ears burning.

There is no allowance for conversation in the cacophony of the violent wind and the crashing waves below them. He is grateful that the tumult of the cliffs masks his nerves and labored breathing as sea spray mixes with the sweat beaded on his forehead.

They finally reach the top and the sun begins to break through the clouds, a reward for their persistence. They slow their pace in tandem as they make their way towards the edge, careful not to get too close, but still close enough to appreciate the view.

Coming to a stop, he closes his eyes and inhales deeply. He opens his eyes and turns to admire her again. The rays of light reveal the green flecks in her hazel eyes as she watches the puffins dance in pairs among the rocks, flying in synchrony.

He gathers the courage to release her hand, which he had been gripping too tightly. She turns as his hand closes around the small velvet box buried in his pocket. Her eyebrows furrow and her lips part, but she says nothing. As he removes the box from his pocket, he slowly drops his knee and reveals the contents of the box as his glossy eyes meet hers.

Just as the wind steals her words, he steals her breath. The shock knocks her back with a force greater than any gust. Her hand flies to her mouth and a gasp escapes from her lips. She holds it there, the wind unable to carry it away. Tears cloud her eyes as he waits for an answer. The diamond twinkles in his hand, the sun providing a perfect display. He shifts nervously, still waiting.

Overwhelmed with joy, she nods and squeezes her eyes shut. She feels unsteady on her feet, but she is careful not to waver, to fall over the edge, as she falls even more in love with him. A smile blooms across his face as he quickly stands to steady her and takes her left hand. She opens her eyes and watches him slide the elegant diamond ring onto her finger, the warmth diffusing from her hand into her chest.

Their faces are so close, she feels his breath on her cheek and the resonance of his beating heart. She takes his face in her hands and kisses him like she's never kissed him before. Everything else falls away.

Resting their foreheads together, they nestle against each other and close their eyes, unwilling to break this blissful moment. When they finally release each other, they realize the wind has subsided, the mist has cleared, and the sun has illuminated the golden grass that now shimmers beneath their feet.