Gigi checked her pocket for the twentieth time that evening, her fingers brushing against the velvet ring box. Still there. Good. She let out a breath, then looked up at Cecilia, who was currently swirling her champagne with a look of playful amusement.
“Something on your mind, Gigi?” Cecilia teased, raising an eyebrow.
Gigi straightened up immediately, shaking off the nerves. “Oh, nothing at all.”
She tried to act casual, but her heart was pounding. They were seated at the most picturesque balcony in the city, the entire skyline glittering below them. Gigi had spent weeks planning this—booking the private space, choosing the restaurant where they had their first real date, making sure it was the perfect moment to ask Cecilia to marry her.
She just had to get through dinner first.
Cecilia tapped her nails against her glass. “You’re acting weird,” she said lightly.
“I always act weird.”
“True.” Cecilia took a sip of her drink, studying her over the rim. “But this is different weird.”
Gigi internally cursed. She was being obvious. She needed to steer the conversation back to normal before Cecilia figured out why she was so jumpy.
“So, milady,” she said, slipping back into their tradition—pretending to meet for the first time. “What brings a lovely woman like you to a place like this?”
Cecilia smirked. “Oh, you know. A mysterious invitation from a stranger. A promise of a night filled with fine dining and expensive wine. How could I refuse?”
Gigi grinned. “Sounds like quite the risk. What if I were a villain luring you into a trap?”
Cecilia tilted her head, feigning deep thought. “Well, are you?”
Gigi leaned in. “You’ll just have to find out.”
Cecilia chuckled, and for a moment, everything was easy again.
And then—Gigi saw her reach into her pocket.
For a split second, her heart stopped.
No way. No way.
Her brain screamed at her to react, but before she could say anything, the waiter miraculously appeared beside their table, holding a fresh bottle of wine.
“Excuse me, ladies, would you like a refill?”
Gigi sat there, frozen. Cecilia snapped her hand back from her pocket so fast it was almost suspicious.
“No, thank you,” Cecilia said quickly.
Gigi blinked at her. Suspicion started creeping in.
As soon as the waiter walked away, Cecilia stood abruptly. “Let’s get some air.”
Gigi followed, her mind racing.
Once they were on the balcony, away from distractions, Gigi inhaled deeply. This is it.
She reached into her pocket again, fingers closing around the box. “Cecilia, I—”
But before she could finish, Cecilia turned to her, eyes bright with nerves and something else.
And then—she pulled out a ring box.
Gigi just stared.
Cecilia opened her mouth, then paused. Her eyes flickered to Gigi’s hand, which was still buried in her pocket.
“…Wait.”
They both just stood there, processing.
Then, at the same time, they each slowly pulled their ring boxes into view.
Silence.
And then—
A burst of laughter.
Pure, ridiculous, disbelieving laughter.
Gigi clutched her stomach, bending slightly as the realisation truly hit. “You were hiding something! I knew it!”
Cecilia gasped dramatically. “Excuse me, you were the one sweating through dinner!”
“I was not sweating—”
“Oh, you so were.”
Another round of giggles overtook them, and for a moment, the entire night felt even more perfect than what either of them had planned.
Finally, Cecilia caught her breath, still smiling. “So… what now?”
Gigi wiped at her eyes, grinning. “Well, one of us has to go first.”
They looked at each other.
Another beat of silence.
And then—
“Screw it. Together,” they both said at the same time, laughing.
They each flipped open their ring boxes, hands a little shaky but eyes full of love.
“Cecilia Immergreen,” Gigi said.
“Gigi Murin,” Cecilia echoed.
Deep breath.
“Will you marry me?”
The words left their lips in unison, blending into one.
A stunned pause. And then—
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
More laughter. A kiss—soft, but full of warmth. When they pulled apart, they slipped the rings onto each other’s fingers, hands lingering, unwilling to let go.
“I guess we really are on the same page,” Gigi murmured, shaking her head.
Cecilia smiled, twining their fingers together. “Always.”
And as they stood there, looking out over the city with mismatched rings and hearts still racing, one thought settled in Gigi’s mind.
This—this was exactly how it was meant to be.