“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Zel snapped, pointing across the meadow. “What’s THAT doing here?”

“Uh, you ordered a giant ice sculpture,” said Zel’s planner, glancing at the clipboard she was holding. “Or wait… maybe that was my last client.”

Zel groaned. None of this was going like he had hoped.

“I can call a guy to get it out, but it’ll be a few hours till he gets here.”

Zel pushed his glasses a bit farther up his nose and tossed back his amber-colored hair. “Fine. But have Kate— she’s my sister, over there by the food— make the call. She’s pretty good at getting people to do stuff for her.”

The planner raised an eyebrow. “By what means?”

“Just give her the phone.”

The planner shrugged and set off for Zel’s sister.

“HEY!” someone suddenly shouted from across the elaborate setup, bumping into two people trying to lug a giant cardboard heart off a truck. “HEY! ZEL!”

Zel spun around, his eyes widening. “Oh no no—“

This could NOT get any worse.

Lilac was here.

“Hey!” his girlfriend said sweetly, bounding towards him. She was wearing a gorgeous green sundress and sandals that sparkled when she moved.

“Hey!” Lilac jogged up to him. “What’s all this for?”

“Uh...”

Zel glanced at his sister back at the catering table, hoping she’d turn his way and give him some advice. She didn’t.

“Um… Li, what are you here?”

“You said seven,” Lilac said, confused. “I was supposed to meet you in the meadow at seven.”

“Crap,” Zel muttered under his breath. It was just like him to forget to tell her AM or PM. And it was just like Lilac to assume they’d actually be going somewhere this early in the morning.

“I’m twelve hours early, aren’t I?” Lilac said. “Ah well. Might as well make myself useful. What are you up to out here? Planning a party or something?”

This what was Zel loved about her. She wasn’t the kind of girl who’d spend twenty minutes complaining that she’d got all dressed up for nothing— never dwelling on the past, always on the future. Always looking for ways to help somebody.

It made him look pretty lame.

And today… stupid.

“It’s Kate’s birthday,” he blurted, glancing back at his sister. She’d apparently noticed Lilac’s presence and was gaping at him, open-mouthed.

“Come on.”

Zel grabbed Lilac and dragged her towards the table, maneuvering between more people dragging cardboard hearts and balloons and boxes of candles.

“Li, this is my party planner,” he said quickly as they stumbled to a stop. “Talk for a while!”

Zel shoved Li and the planner away, leaving Kate and him alone.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” his sister hissed once they were out of earshot. “You were supposed to tell her to come at seven!!”

“It is seven.”

Kate glanced at her watch. “Damn it, you idiot! You didn’t tell her to come at seven IN THE EVENING!?”

“Shh, not so loud! And… okay, maybe I forgot that part. But she has no idea this is going to be our engagement party.”

He glanced back dreamily over his shoulder, where Lilac was, her silvery hair blowing gently in the wind as she chatted smoothly with the planner.

“For God’s sake, Zel, screw your head on tighter!What did you tell her this was?”

“What? Oh. I told her it was your birthday party.”

Kate groaned. “And you didn’t stop to think that she came to my birthday party not two months ago?”

Zel reddened. “I’m horrible at lying! You know that!”

“Right then.” Kate sighed. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do…”

Zel nodded along. God, this was a disaster. Thank good he had Kate here; he’d be even more of a mess otherwise.

Zel was always a mess when Lilac was involved. His head got all light and his stomach got all fluttery and none of his words came out right.

And once he met back up with his girlfriend, she seemed even more brilliant and beautiful than before.

The flutters returned.

“All sorted out?” Lilac asked, her eyes like stars.

“Yeah. We can still meet tonight,” he managed.

Lilac smiled, linking her arm with his as he walked her back away from the meadow.

“Zel?”

“Yeah?”

She leaned in his ear. “I’m gonna say yes, you know.”

And all he could think of was sunshine as he bent her down and kissed her like it was their wedding day already.