Daryl had been with Kristine for seven years—seven years of laughter, of late-night calls that turned into early morning coffee runs, of silent stares and shared playlists. He loved her with a certainty that only grew with time. And now, he wanted to ask her the one question that mattered most: Will you marry me?

But Daryl wasn't the kind of guy who took big moments lightly. He wanted the proposal to be perfect. He spent months planning, saving, dreaming.

The first plan was a weekend at a luxury beach resort in the Maldives. Crystal waters, private dinners, lanterns on the sand—it was breathtaking. But Kristine had a stomach bug that weekend, and they ended up spending most of it indoors, curled under a blanket with ginger tea.

Strike one.

Then came the mountaintop lodge in Aspen. Snowflakes, fireplaces, and a sunset view. But a storm hit. The cable car closed early. They ended up stuck in the lodge lobby with no view, surrounded by noisy tourists.

Strike two.

Still determined, Daryl flew her to Italy—a surprise gondola ride in Venice. Romantic, classic, foolproof. Until the gondolier’s Bluetooth speaker blared outdated pop hits, and a seagull stole Kristine’s gelato mid-ride. She laughed so hard she cried, but Daryl just couldn’t bring himself to kneel in that moment.

After three attempts and no ring presented, Daryl began to lose hope. Maybe perfection was just a myth.

One quiet Sunday, as they sat on his couch, pizza box between them, watching reruns of their favorite sitcom, Kristine leaned into him and said, “You know, these are my favorite moments. Us. Our friends. Our weird little traditions.”

That’s when it hit him.

It wasn’t about the fireworks or five-star resorts. It was about them. Their world. Their people.

The next weekend, Daryl invited all their closest friends over under the pretense of a casual get-together. Laughter echoed in his backyard, string lights twinkled overhead, and there was Kristine, laughing in the kitchen with her best friend while holding a plate of homemade brownies—the same kind they baked on their first date.

When it was time for a group photo, Daryl called everyone to gather. He stood next to Kristine, his hands trembling slightly. When the camera timer beeped, he turned, pulled a small velvet box from his back pocket, and dropped to one knee.

Everyone gasped.

Kristine blinked in shock, her hand flying to her mouth.

Daryl smiled. “This... right here. You, me, our people. This is perfect. Kristine, will you marry me?”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she laughed through a sob. “Yes. Of course, yes!”

Cheers erupted, the camera clicked, and for once, nothing went wrong. No seagulls, no stomach bugs, no missed sunsets.

Just love. Just them.

It was the perfect proposal.