Written by: Johnny Roque

Proposing to someone means a lot of expectations exist, but the ability to keep a magical moment in tact usually depends more on the magical people.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://smirkfiction.wordpress.com/2022/01/13/ring-in-the-disaster/

Ordering the champagne might change my life forever. Sitting next to the woman of my dreams, a woman that I only saw in meteor showers that caught my wishes of a beautiful, caring, and understanding bride, I nervously look over the menu. I know that nothing on the menu matters more than the champagne. My hands pore out beads of sweat through the pours of this once poor young man that now saved up enough to buy a ring, put a down payment on a house, and secure a blessing out of the people that created such a magnificent beauty. After several years of living with one another and a year of dating prior, I no longer see any years in the future alone, nor want any years without her. She looks at the menu and smiles.

The waiter ask her about wanting anything to drink. I interrupt with a goofy smirk and suggest champagne. She laughs, we never drink and on a Tuesday during lunch hour made no sense, but she opens her eyes in excited agreement. One of the many reasons I love her so much, she makes everything feel like an adventure. Walking away the waiter shoe looks loose on him. The slight diversion eases my brain.

An overload of thoughts usually push on my skull during stressful situations. I glance over at her. I move back a string of hair that dangles in front of her face. Her eyes pop a little. At that time we notice the waiter walking back to the table holding up two champagne glasses of destiny. A busboy almost runs into the waiter, but they narrowly miss one another. Their shoulders brush in a flirtatious chuckle. His eyes refocus on us. A wave of comfort washes over me knowing he takes this holy duty seriously. The left shoe, now a little looser flops underneath his serious brow. A woman sitting two tables ahead of us drops her napkin. Just like a match hitting a bale of hay soaked in oil, the entire plan turns into a situation worse than a barn burning. Down the waiter drops tossing the glasses into the air.

Champagne falls all over the restaurant. I rush over almost in a sprint leaving my table in a robotic fashion. To everyone else it looks like drinks were splashed. A common situation in a restaurant. I saw two empty glasses and over three thousand dollars on the floor somewhere. The waiter on the floor tries to stand up, but I crouch down next to him. He remembers the ring. A moment passes of us pushing chairs out of the way. I stand up to hunt on the tables around us to find a piece of jewelry that nobody knows exist. I just look like a guy that really wanted to hangout on the floor next to my waiter. Lifting the bread baskets around me, the people at the table tell me that they still want their bread. I almost yell at everyone to jump up. I wanted them to empty their pockets, but I also wanted my love to not feel embarrassed at this ape pushing everyone's night to the side. I finally spot a sparkle in the soup of a child.

My hand moves faster than a hustler trying to make his next buck on the streets pushing back a Queen of Hearts. Knuckles deep I feel a hand touch my shoulder. I turn to see her face. Through the chaos I feel calm again. Now more than ever I know why every day of my life I need her. This brings me down to my knee. I pull out a hand full of green pea soup and a 24 karat ring that still shines under the lights. She smiles at me. No answer, just a smile, a tear, and a crying baby that lost pea soup.