Red and gold hieroglyphic patterns embossed the maroon jacquard fabric used to encase the bundle. It was carefully folded over to reveal the sequence that translated to say, “As the sun rises, may your prosperity increase”. I had this pattern especially printed for her given her love for the ancient languages, she has no idea what’s coming her way. I thought of how to conceal the bundle in the car, so I hid it in the trunk under the blankets for our picnic. “We’re here”, I said. “Let’s setup under that almond tree near the cliff”. It was a nice spot with a clear view of the valley. A ledge below us would catch anything that fell as the hill tapered off into a pine forest. However, it was still steep. Most importantly, it provided a perfect clear view of the sunset. Having unloaded everything except the gift which I had to stealthily steer her around, and having helped ourselves to a welcomed lunch of sandwiches and vegetables, I made an excuse to go back to the car for the package. My, what a beautiful sight it was, I thought, as I took in the image of her frame under a tree with a background of houses in the valley and a cloudless skyline. The air carried the faint fragrance of her perfume and remained sufficiently cool and not overly breezy. The faint sound of a family of ducks could be heard below. It was a perfect Spring day. I instinctively I reached for my smartphone and took a picture of this living portrait. She caught me taking the shot and squinted curiously at the package I held in my hands. “Yes, for you”, I said, as I reached it to her and she got up to kneel upright to grab the package while I sat beside her. I chuckled looking at her childlike demeanour bubbling with energy to guess first what it could be, interrogating me as she removed the outer layer of black cardboard box packaging to reveal the jacquard cloth. She paused for a moment to beam at the inner package and the language on the hieroglyphics on the cloth then smiled while murmuring the translation to herself. As if suspended in space in gift-opening motion, she came back into focus, slowly passing me the packaging she had suspended high in the air while mentally processing the cloth. Beaming with delight, she proceeded to remove the fabric from its resting place, clenched it in her fists and held it to her bosom whispering a gracious ‘thank you’ through her smile. “This was very thoughtful… You’re quite clever to hise this from me though! Was this what all the turning me around was all about? I should’ve known”, she burst into a light giggling while running her fingers over a portion of the embossment, “I truly was not expecting this - thank you!”. “There’s more”, I replied with a snarky smile. She looked back at the package she’d pain beside her and quickly snapped back dutifully to complete her activity of unboxing the final gift the jacquard had formerly covered. “More”, she smiled glancing up briefly at me. Ripping through the brown paper, then the thin cardboard with her hands while her eyes glittered with delight, she stopped to gaze at what was staring back at her on a sheet of cotton. “It’s as if you captured the sun itself,” she said, dazed and with a look of wonderment. Inside the rectangular box that she held was a necklace with a simple gold string and a small yet brilliant diamond orb hanging on it by an axis. As it moved and the light touched the faces at the right points, it glistened. She smiled and a single tear trickled down her face, a diamond unto itself. I took the box and put her necklace on her. Still clenching the cloth and gazing at the orb while turning it through the tips of her fingers, she sniffled out, “This is beautiful”. I teased her that I could make the fearless anthropologist weep, and she laughed heartily. She threw her arms around my neck for a strong, warm hug and kissed me behind the ear. “Thank you”, she said, “It’s the most beautiful gift I’ve ever received”. I replied, “I’m glad you like it” and kissed her back. “Come, sit with me now, let’s let our food digest, besides, you’ll miss the Golden hour for your pics of the birds headed back to the pond at this rate”. “Oh right!” she shouted as she nestled into my lap as of it were a daybed, pulled her camera out of her bag, holding it in one hand and playing with her necklace in the other - totally unfocused on the clusters of blue herons passing our view. I kissed her forehead and leaned back, thinking, she is the one I’d like to spend my forever with, and perhaps I need to make things official with a proposition she could not refuse.