The Surprise That Wasn't

The Surprise That Wasn't

I saw it on his Notes app. He’d titled it "The Journey." I stumbled upon it while working on his MacBook, the screen glowing softly in the dim light of the room. As I scrolled through the neatly typed lines, my heart raced. He had written about how he was going to propose marriage and where he planned to do it. After detailing how he would go down on one knee and pop the question, he concluded with, "11th May 2022. We’ll then marry before the year ends."

Joy washed over me at the thought of him wanting to spend his life with me, just after a year of dating. But that happiness quickly morphed into a bittersweet realization—the surprise element was gone. I felt a twinge of guilt for having invaded his privacy, yet I resolved to act surprised when the moment finally arrived.

In the days leading up to the proposal, I practiced my feigned surprise in front of the mirror, trying to perfect the look of shock and delight that would mask my foreknowledge. Each time I attempted it, I couldn’t help but critique myself. "That’s too fake," I would mutter, shaking my head. "Who even asked me to read his notes?"

Then, two days before the big day, he traveled. He said he was going to spend a week away, and my heart sank. "Wait, I didn’t read this part in the note. Did he update it, and I didn’t know? Or... or... wait, don’t let me think of that. Maybe it’s all part of the game. He would appear out of nowhere and put the ring on my finger."

While he drove to his destination, we stayed connected over the phone. I peppered him with questions about his journey, eager to catch any hint of his plans. He made a stop and called me on video, his smile brightening my screen as he shared mundane details about his food choices. It felt so ordinary, yet my heart raced at the thought of the extraordinary moment that awaited me.

As night fell, we talked for hours, our laughter echoing through the phone. But beneath the surface of our conversation, I was a bundle of nerves. What if he had changed his mind? What if this week apart was more than just a trip? The uncertainty gnawed at me, and I found myself replaying the words in his notes over and over again, hoping they still held true.

The clock ticked down to the 11th of May, and with each passing moment, my anticipation grew. I envisioned the perfect setting, the soft glow of candles, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Yet, the nagging doubt lingered. Would I be able to act surprised, or would my secret ruin the moment we had both been waiting for?

As the day approached, I knew I had to prepare for anything. Little did I know, the journey we were on was about to take an unexpected turn, one that would change everything I thought I knew about love and surprise.