The Unexpected Proposal

Lingling stood frozen, cornered in her own living room by Orm's piercing gaze. The receipts sat on the coffee table, damning evidence of her recent secrecy. Orm's voice was low but firm. "You've been acting so strange lately. I need to know what's going on. Now."

Lingling's heart raced. She took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly. "You... you deserve to know everything," she said softly, her voice cracking just enough for Orm's expression to shift to concern.

Instead of diving into the specifics of the receipts, Lingling sank onto the couch, motioning for Orm to sit beside her. Orm hesitated but complied, her arms crossed defensively. Lingling reached for her hands, gently uncrossing them.

"It's not what you think," Lingling began, her tone earnest. "But before I explain, I need you to understand why this matters so much to me. Why... you matter so much to me."

Orm tilted her head, her frustration giving way to curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Lingling's lips curled into a small smile. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

Orm's eyes softened. "At the café. You ordered a latte and didn't even look me in the eye."

Lingling chuckled. "Because that morning, my assistant forgot to put coffee on my desk, and I was already running late. I walked into Blooming Beans ready to snap at anyone who so much as looked at me wrong. Then you greeted me with that ridiculous sass of yours and completely threw me off."

"Well, hello there, let me guess—iced black coffee, no sugar?" Orm quoted, her lips twitching into a grin.

"Exactly," Lingling said, laughing. "You were... infuriating. And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I convinced myself it was just your coffee—the best I'd ever had. But no, it was you."

Orm's smile widened, her walls beginning to crumble. "You must've hated coming back."

"I told myself I did," Lingling admitted. "But somehow, I kept finding reasons to stop by."

Lingling continued, her voice growing softer. "And then, as if the universe was conspiring against me, I kept running into you. At the grocery store. Outside that networking event when you were helping Suzy with her pop-up bar. Everywhere I went, there you were."

Orm raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying it was fate?"

Lingling smirked. "I'm saying it was annoying. But yes, maybe it was fate. Because every time we met, you... chipped away at my walls. Your sass, your kindness, your... everything. You made me question everything I thought I knew about myself."

Orm squeezed Lingling's hand gently, her expression softening further. "Go on."

Lingling glanced down at their joined hands and gave a small, nostalgic smile. "Do you remember when I spilled coffee on myself outside the café, and you insisted on lending me your sweater?"

Orm laughed. "How could I forget? You looked like you wanted the ground to swallow you whole."

"That sweater smelled like vanilla for weeks," Lingling admitted, her cheeks warming. "And it was the first time I realized you weren't just some overly confident barista—you were someone who genuinely cared."

"At first, I tried to deny it," Lingling admitted, her voice quieter now. "I told myself I was just fascinated by you. That it was nothing serious. But you... you were so patient with me. So determined to show me that love didn't have to be terrifying."

Orm's gaze softened. "When did you realize?"

Lingling smiled, her eyes glistening. "When you started texting me 'good morning' every single day. Even when I was too busy to respond. And when we had our first fight because I snapped on you, I realized that I didn't want to be without you."

Orm reached up, brushing a tear from Lingling's cheek. "I didn't know it meant so much to you."

"Everything you do means so much to me," Lingling whispered. "You make me want to be better. To be worthy of you."

"You already are," Orm replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lingling took a deep breath, steadying herself. "You taught me how to love, Orm. How to open up to a world I thought I had all figured out. You made my life colorful and vibrant, turning the mundane into moments of joy. Whether it's the way you insist on texting me good morning every day or how you laugh at your own silly jokes, you've brought light into parts of my life I didn't even realize were dark."

Orm smiled, tears brimming in her own eyes now. "Ling..."

Lingling interrupted gently. "Let me finish. You've given me a love I didn't even know I needed. I don't want just this life with you—I want every life after this."

Orm laughed softly, her thumb brushing over Lingling's hand. "You're not bad at this whole love speech thing."

Lingling gave her a half-smile. "Only because it's about you."

Lingling reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring she had been saving for the right moment. Orm's breath hitched as Lingling knelt down in front of her, holding the ring up.

"I didn't plan to do this tonight," Lingling said, her voice trembling. "But I can't wait any longer. Orm Sethratanapong, will you marry me?"

Orm stared at her, stunned. Her eyes flicked to the ring, the diamond so large it seemed to catch every glimmer of light in the room. She let out a disbelieving laugh, her tears spilling over. "Ling, this ring is huge. Did you buy out the entire diamond mine?" she teased, her voice trembling with emotion. A laugh bubbled up through her tears as she nodded. "But yes, of course, I'll marry you. Even with this ridiculously oversized ring."

Lingling slipped the ring onto Orm's finger, her hands shaking slightly. Orm tilted her hand, inspecting the massive diamond with wide eyes. "Ling, this ring is so big it's practically a weapon," she said with a breathy laugh. "I love it... but can we tone it down a little?" Her teasing softened with a smile, and she kissed Lingling's forehead. "It's perfect, though. Just like you."

Orm pulled her into a kiss, their tears mingling as they held each other tightly.

"I love you," Orm whispered against Lingling's lips.

"I love you more," Lingling replied softly. She glanced down at the ring on Orm's finger, her mind briefly replaying the moment she chose it.

I wanted something that would reflect how extraordinary you are, she thought. Even if it's a little over the top, it's because you're worth it.