Page 88 of The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos

“Evan.”

He freezes too, staring at the ring box in her hand, and then he pats his jacket pocket. Whatever he’s searching for isn’t there.

“Is this …?” She can’t get the words out.

Bashfully, Evan nods and sits down. “It’s … for you.”

“Evan,” Dalisay gasps, but she can’t finish. She has a million things she wants to say, but her mouth refuses to work.

“Open it,” he says.

With shaking hands, she does. Inside the box is a diamond ring. It sparkles in the strobe lights. She puts her hand to her mouth. It’s beautiful.

“It was Nicole’s idea,” Evan says. “I wanted to dopamam—”

“Pamamanhikan,” they say together. Dalisay is breathless. He’s done his research. It’s the traditional way of asking for her parents’ permission to propose.

“Of course you know,” Evan says, blushing. He gestures to the room. “Nicole said I should do it today, here, but I didn’t know when it would be a good time …”

At a loss for words, Dalisay shakes her head. She can’t believe this is happening. It feels like a dream, and she never wants to wake up. Evan’s smile fades a little.

“I get it,” Evan says, misunderstanding. “It’s too fast. I understand. You don’t have to say anything.”

He holds out his hand to take the box, but Dalisay holds the box closer to her chest. “You bought this for me? Like, forme?”

“Yeah,” he says, eyes soft. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to travel the world with you. I want to do everything with you. Not another day apart.”

Dalisay stares at him, her heart practically breaking out of her rib cage.Yes, she thinks.Yes! Yes!But she waits a beat to take all of this in, to remember it forever. The way Evan leans toward her, eyes full, yearning. He holds his breath, as if readying himself for what comes next. She knows he’s never been more confident in saying anything else before. For once, she’s not scared of the future. Tradition was thrown out the window a while ago.

Maybe they can make their own traditions, new ones, together.

“Evan,” she says again, breathless. “Ask me for my hand.”

“You don’t want to wait for—?”

“Askme,” she says, smiling.

Evan’s eyes search hers, and she sees it all coming together for him as his face brightens and he takes her hand. She can feel him trembling, and it makes her giggle. He can be so cute when he’s nervous.

Evan swallows, making his Adam’s apple jump, and he looks like he’s about to melt when he looks at her.

Ask me. Ask, she thinks. She wants to answer with her whole chest because she’s never been surer about anything in her life. She’s holding on to the ring box so tightly, her fingers have gone numb. Nothing else matters in the entire world except for the two of them now. The rest of the party hasn’t realized what’s happening.

“Dalisay Ramos,” Evan says. Slowly, he makes her stand up as he gets down on one knee, his hand warm in hers.

Oh my God, this is real, Dalisay thinks. She’s shaking so badly, he’s the one keeping her upright.

Nicole gets everyone’s attention by tapping her fork on her glass and gesturing toward the couple. The music fades, and their mother gasps.

But Dalisay has no brain power left to register any of it. All she can see, all she can hear, is Evan. He smiles at her, his eyes already wet with tears.

“Will you make me the happiest man on earth, and marry me?”

For once, Dalisay can’t conjure the word. All this time, she’s imagined what this moment would be like, and now, as it’s actually happening, she’s so happy she can’t say anything. She can only nod and throw herself into his arms.

Distantly, she can hear people clapping and cheering, encouraging them, but it doesn’t register in her mind. All she can do is bury her face in Evan’s shoulder and cry with joy.

Evan holds her tightly, rising to his feet, and spins her around, lifting her off the ground. She’s dizzy and doesn’t care. After a moment, he sets her down and cups the back of her head with his hand. He’s so warm, and everything is so perfect. Nothing could have prepared her for this moment.

“Um. Is that a yes? I hope that’s a yes,” he says.

“Oh!” she says, pulling back. Dalisay kisses him, holding the sides of his head, and pulls back again. Tears blur her vision, but she can see Evan’s smile through it all. Finally, her mouth works. “Yes! Whole-ass yes! Yes!”

Evan laughs and the other wedding guests burst into applause again but neither Evan nor Dalisay can hear it. It’s like the whole world has faded into the background, and the only one who matters is in their arms.

They kiss again, and neither of them can stop smiling.