Steven turned the small box in his pocket as he waited for Miranda. For years they met here sharing dreams and solving world problems. They knew each other as well as anyone could know someone, Steven thought. Today, he would propose to his soulmate.
Miranda plopped in the chair, giddy with excitement. “Could she possibly know?” Steven wondered.
As she waved her left hand toward him, she happily chirped, “I’m engaged Steven…isn’t that wonderful?”
Steven dropped the box to the bottom of his pocket, took her hand and forced a smile. “It’s lovely Miranda…I’m so happy for you…”
kat ~ 30 December 2015
(100 Words)
A story for Rochelle Wiseoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers flash fiction challenge based on the photo above by Jean L. Hays. If you would like to read other stories or enter your own, click HERE.
like mercury colliding... 
December 30th, 2015 at 12:50 pm
“heartbroken”
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December 30th, 2015 at 1:03 pm
I know… Poor fellow. Guess he didn’t know her as well as he thought, 😞
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December 30th, 2015 at 1:08 pm
😉
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December 30th, 2015 at 3:27 pm
Aww poor guy. Yes, he did not know her as well as he thought.
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December 30th, 2015 at 3:29 pm
😔
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December 30th, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Damn I saw that coming ….. poor guy!!
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December 30th, 2015 at 4:49 pm
Yep! Big of him to congratulate her!
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December 30th, 2015 at 5:22 pm
Yup deep sorrow…do you think he is the revengeful type??
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December 30th, 2015 at 6:16 pm
One never knows! I hadn’t thought of that.
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December 31st, 2015 at 2:59 am
🙂
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December 30th, 2015 at 5:04 pm
No way …
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December 30th, 2015 at 5:13 pm
Hey…it happens…😕
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December 30th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
Funny the way some people think they know you.
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December 30th, 2015 at 6:14 pm
Yes…especially if they only spent time in a coffee shop. 😉
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December 31st, 2015 at 4:19 am
Time, and fair maiden, wait for no man. 😯
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December 31st, 2015 at 4:21 am
So true! 😕
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December 31st, 2015 at 4:40 am
Dear Kat,
Touching story that made me gasp at the end. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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December 31st, 2015 at 6:06 am
Thank you Rochelle! Peace to you.
Kat
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December 31st, 2015 at 5:07 am
I think it’s fair to say he’s no judge of a relationship. Poor man, but gallant, yes.
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December 31st, 2015 at 6:08 am
I agree with you on both points Sandra. It’s so tragic.
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December 31st, 2015 at 9:02 am
Oh that has to be devastating.
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December 31st, 2015 at 10:21 am
Indeed!
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December 31st, 2015 at 10:33 am
Awww that’s so sad. He was just a little late. Or, maybe she was a two-timer! Great story!
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December 31st, 2015 at 10:49 am
One thing for sure…he didn’t know her as well as he thought!
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December 31st, 2015 at 11:16 am
Yes! Very true!
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December 31st, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Obviously they didn’t share ALL their dreams… Or maybe he wasn’t listening…
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December 31st, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Or maybe a tad bit of both. Definitely a disconnect somewhere! 😜
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December 31st, 2015 at 4:39 pm
Oh my !!! 😦
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December 31st, 2015 at 4:40 pm
I know…poor fellow…🙁
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December 31st, 2015 at 4:45 pm
So sad!
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December 31st, 2015 at 5:17 pm
“They knew each other as well as anyone could know someone” Whoops. She must have seem him as ‘one of the girls’?
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December 31st, 2015 at 5:21 pm
Yep…he was definitely relegated to the “friend zone” in her mind!
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January 1st, 2016 at 6:17 am
Oh poor Steven. He should have spoken up sooner. Sad story – but most engaging storytelling.
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January 1st, 2016 at 6:30 am
Thanks Margaret! I don’t know if speaking up sooner would have mattered. What he perceived as love was viewed by her as friendship. 😕
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January 1st, 2016 at 10:41 am
I’m with Margaret. The silly boy left it too late. Now he’ll never know.
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January 1st, 2016 at 11:02 am
You all might be right…:)
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January 1st, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Sounds like he waited a little too long. Still, you never know! In the future, maybe say “I love you” before getting the ring? 😉 I like how this seems to look back on an older time of courtship and then the relationship. Who knows where this will go? Now more than ever, he has to say *something*… I dunno.
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January 1st, 2016 at 2:05 pm
I am enjoying reading several thoughts that perhaps he didn’t speak up soon enough. To be honest, I never considered that angle. But after hearing from you all, I’m starting to think so too. It’s tragic that he didn’t communicate his feelings before the “ring”.
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January 2nd, 2016 at 1:34 am
Who knows? Maybe she did him a favor. His true love could be at another cafe!
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January 2nd, 2016 at 6:12 am
Haha! I like the way you think! That’s a unique twist! 😊
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January 2nd, 2016 at 5:24 am
Oh, no!
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January 2nd, 2016 at 6:20 am
Unrequited love is so tragic!
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January 2nd, 2016 at 12:40 pm
Oh no, poor guy. As others have said, obviously they didn’t share quite *all* of their dreams, and he totally misread the relationship. Maybe this will be an important lesson to him, that there’s a lot he’s missing between the “talking in a cafe” and the “proposing” stages of a relationship!
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January 2nd, 2016 at 1:01 pm
Yep! I totally agree Joy! Lesson learned the hard way!
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