Sí
Ingrid had never been a nervous person. Not really. Not even before the biggest matches of her life. She prided herself on staying calm under pressure, on keeping her emotions in check.
But proposing to Mapi?
That was an entirely different kind of pressure.
The ring was hidden at Alexia’s, far away from Mapi’s prying eyes. Ingrid hadn’t trusted herself to keep it at home. Not with how nosy Mapi was. If she so much as changed her usual routine, Mapi would notice. And Mapi noticing meant Mapi investigating.
So, after an entire afternoon of ring shopping -one where Alexia had been both incredibly helpful and incredibly annoying- Ingrid had found the perfect one. A simple, elegant gold band, not too flashy but still something special.
And now, it was just a matter of waiting.
Their anniversary had always been an excuse to do something a little more romantic, and Mapi was already looking forward to their usual dinner at the small restaurant near their place. It was a tradition at this point, one that made things all the more perfect.
What wasn’t perfect?
The fact that Mapi, at any given moment, could derail her entire plan without even realising. The night of their anniversary, Ingrid took extra care in getting ready. She had chosen a simple but elegant dress, something that wasn’t too much but still made Mapi look at her like she was the only person in the world.
And Mapi did exactly that.
“Princesa,” she grinned, letting out a low whistle. “Te ves increíble.”
Ingrid smirked. “I try.”
Mapi looked her up and down again, before stepping closer to adjust the necklace Ingrid was wearing. Her fingers trailed along Ingrid’s collarbone for a moment, eyes darkening slightly. “We could skip dinner.”
Ingrid laughed, gently smacking Mapi’s hand away. “We’re not skipping dinner.”
Mapi huffed dramatically. “Fine. But you look too good, it’s unfair.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Mapi grinned, taking Ingrid’s hand and spinning her slightly. “Not bad? Princesa, I look incredible.”
“You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you love me.”
That much was true.
Ingrid loved her so much that she was about to get down on one knee in front of an entire restaurant just to prove it.
The dinner itself was perfect, just like it always was. They sat at their usual table by the window, the candlelight flickering between them. Mapi was as talkative as ever, bouncing between topics so fast that Ingrid barely had time to keep up.
Ingrid barely spoke.
She was too busy running through her speech over and over in her head.
At one point, Mapi frowned slightly. “You’re quiet.”
Ingrid forced a smile. “Just taking it all in.”
Mapi grinned. “You are very in love with me, I understand.”
“You are so annoying.”
“Yes, but you like it.”
The problem came when Mapi announced she was going to the bathroom. It wasn’t a problem because Ingrid didn’t want her to go -obviously, she wasn’t going to stop her. It was a problem because Ingrid had been waiting for this exact moment to speak to the server, and now she had to act quickly and do it before she backed out.
As soon as Mapi was out of sight, she all but waved the server over, lowering her voice as she explained the plan.
“I need you to put this on top of her dessert.”
The server -who had obviously dealt with similar situations before- smiled knowingly. “Of course.”
Ingrid handed the ring over carefully, making the woman swear to be discreet.
And then she waited.
When Mapi returned, she was none the wiser. She sat back down, continuing whatever story she had been telling before she left, and Ingrid had to fight the urge to laugh at how completely oblivious she was.
And then the dessert came.
A small chocolate cake, Mapi’s favourite.
With the ring carefully placed on top.
But Mapi, in her usual Mapi way, didn’t even look before digging in.
She had a spoonful halfway to her mouth before Ingrid panicked.
“Wait!”
Mapi froze, spoon hovering inches from her lips. “What?”
Ingrid’s heart was racing. This was not how this was supposed to go.
Mapi frowned. “What’s wrong with the cake?”
“Nothing—just—” Ingrid swallowed, forcing herself to take a deep breath before standing up.
Mapi watched her with wide eyes as she reached across the table, plucking the ring off the spoon before dropping to one knee beside her.
The restaurant fell silent.
Mapi blinked. “Princesa.”
Ingrid took a shaky breath, gripping the ring tightly between her fingers.
“This…is not how I imagined this going,” she admitted with a nervous chuckle. “But honestly, that’s pretty fitting for us, isn’t it?”
Mapi’s eyes were already filling with tears.
Ingrid took another breath. “Three years ago, you walked into my life and turned everything upside down. You drive me insane. You never stop talking. You steal my hoodies. You take all the blankets. You are the most frustrating person I have ever met.”
Mapi let out a wet laugh, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
“And despite all of that, I love you more than I ever thought was possible,” Ingrid continued. “You are my favourite person, my best friend, and the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Mapi sniffled.
“So,” Ingrid smiled, holding the ring up. “Will you marry me?”
The restaurant was completely silent, all eyes on them.
But all Ingrid cared about was Mapi.
Who was currently full-on crying.
“Sí,” Mapi choked out, nodding so hard that her hair fell in front of her face. “Sí, sí, sí.”
Ingrid barely had time to slide the ring onto her finger and stand up before Mapi launched herself into her arms, wrapping her legs around Ingrid’s waist.
Ingrid stumbled slightly but caught her easily, holding her tightly as Mapi buried her face into her neck. More than a few people around them clapped, and Ingrid heard someone whistle, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was Mapi.
Who was still crying.
“I love you,” Ingrid murmured against her hair.
Mapi sniffled. “I love you more.”
“Not possible.”
“Yes, it is.”
Ingrid just smiled, holding her even tighter.
And just like that, the love of her life was going to be her wife.