The First of June

Diguisit Beach, Baler Aurora (own photo)

Ahh, June. I can’t help but feel nostalgic. A couple of years ago, the 1^st of June to be exact, my then-boyfriend of six years (and now husband of over one year) officially asked for my hand in marriage.

No fireworks lit, no friends or family secretly coming to a surprise party, no grand scheming of how uniquely and creatively he'll pop the question, no giant banners, no flash mob, no jet plane spelling "Will you marry me?" in the air, no knees bent down. It may perhaps be the simplest but to me, the most sincere proposal, one I wouldn’t have any other way.

Back then we were spending the last days of summer in Baler with a couple of friends back in college. We went to a handful of scenic spots the town was famous for and ate at a few decent restaurants that would make a lovely setting for anybody’s proposal story. Too familiar with our personalities, of our common preference of doing things our way, of keeping special moments to ourselves, he didn’t do that.  

I woke up one morning, he was looking intently at me, waiting for me to open my eyes and finally wake up. Time check, 8:00 AM; he’s been awake since 5:00 and hadn’t had any sleep the night before. While I gather my strength to come out of my dreams, “Honey, I will tell you something,” he said. “Do you want me to kneel?” He asked me as an afterthought.  I think I laughed and said no.

In between shushing me and getting his game face back on, he spilled the words. The exact words have slipped my mind already, thanks to those anaesthesia shots when I gave birth. But I will never forget this: he asked me if I remembered the times when I said that I feel like I’ve spent my whole life taking care of the people I love, but no one’s doing the same for me. (Of course, I remember.) He said he wants to be the person who’ll take care of me for the rest of our lives if I let him. Tears and all.

In my half-awake, half-asleep state – tangled, messy hair; freckled, makeup free face; unforgivable morning breath, and whatnot – this guy proposed, and of course, hearing the words I will always want to hear from him and him alone, I said yes. Tears and all.