The proposal by the still Lake

"For the past couple of weeks, the same dream has kept returning. I was at the local park, walking beside the lake with my boyfriend. The air was soft and the water was still, and everything felt ordinary, which made it feel even more special. Then he stopped and turned to face me, and I knew right away what was happening. He got down on one knee. There was no crowd, no big show, just the two of us by the water. He asked me to spend forever with him, and I said yes. I didn't need anything fancy, because he was everything I wanted. In real life, being engaged just isn't in the cards for us right now. Financially, it isn't the time. But in the dream, none of that mattered. I woke up smiling, my heart full and fluttering. For a moment I could still feel the warmth of the park and the happiness of saying yes. Then I remembered it was only a dream, and I felt a gentle, happy ache. I knew it had come again, and part of me didn't mind at all."