1 A Special Day

One early summer morning, at Maman a luxury all-inclusive resort located on B Island, a young woman lay sleeping blissfully in bed. The large king-sized bed was plush and covered with a fluffed navy comforter and luxuriously smooth cream-colored sateen cotton sheets.

The room was surrounded by large floor to ceiling windows with a large balcony and pool connected to the side. Each of the windows was covered by white, nearly sheer, chiffon curtains.

A ceiling fan spun slowly. Its leaf-shaped blades each causing a soft brush of wind to circulate through the room. The curtains swayed gently as the early morning light filtered through them; faintly illuminating the rest of the space.

Sunlight gently cascaded across Claire's face, floating slowly over her mouth and nose before ultimately resting on her eyes. Her lashes began to flutter, and her brows wriggled slightly as she shifted uncomfortably in the sheets. Though the mattress was incredibly plush, and the sheets were unbelievably soft, something was off.

Through her movements, she noticed that the other side of the bed was weirdly cold.

Her eyes snapped open as she quickly rolled over to check the other half of the bed.

It was empty. Strange.

"Derek?" she called out into the room, looking around for any signs of movement. Normally, at this time in the morning, Derek would still be asleep. He was not an early riser.

Claire stepped out of the bed and started looking around the room. There was nothing unusual in the bedroom, so she decided to check the bathroom. She entered the bathroom, but no one was there except for her reflection.

Frustrated, she turned away and left.

"Derek?" She called out again, this time louder than the last. The room was still silent.

'Where could he be this early in the morning?' she thought to herself.

Suspicious, Claire carefully walked through and inspected the other rooms in the suite.

'Maybe he's actually preparing something special for today? I did see that Epiphany jewelry box hidden in the back of our closet before we left yesterday. Could today really be the day?!' A wave of excitement pulsed through Claire as she thought of the possibility of a proposal.

Considering what they had been through in the past and where things stand today, Derek proposing this weekend was a very real possibility.

'We will have been together for 5 years tomorrow, and things have finally started going well for us recently. Derek's business has really taken off over the last few months. Although it's been making him busier than ever, but the outcome has been really good.' Claire continued, thinking to herself.

'I should probably get ready while he's gone. That way I have no distractions, and I can look super cute by the time he gets back.'  Filled with renewed resolve, Claire makes her way back to the bathroom to prepare for the day.

"I am so excited to use this bathroom. It's definitely the fanciest bathroom I've ever used. It's even nicer than the bathroom in our new house, and I thought that one was sent from heaven! It's mind-blowing that people really get to live like this." Claire said aloud, squealing girlishly between breaths.

Marveling at the reality before her, she continued "Derek, did so well choosing this place. Especially since this is also our first ever trip together, I'm really glad it was worth the wait."

The bathroom in this suite had beautifully tiled floors, with sandstone counters and artisanal aged wood sinks. In the center of the room stood an oval shaped standalone tub made of stone. The back wall contained a large rainfall shower encased in glass, and the entire right side was floor to ceiling windows with views overlooking the jungle.

"I really can't get over how breathtaking this place is." Claire sighed as she walked towards the shower.

As she got closer, she found that there was also a control pad next to the glass doors of the shower.

"Steam function? I can use this show as a steam room too? Amazing."

Claire stepped into the shower and allowed the heat of the water to relax her mind. Though she tried to convince herself otherwise, Claire was still anxious about Derek's absence. Though it was plausible that he had something special planned for today; it wasn't guaranteed.

"I don't want to get my hopes up too high for this, but what else could it be? The timing is perfect, and he knows that this is something I've been dreaming about for years. I hope he comes back soon."

  Claire stayed in the bathroom battling her nerves for nearly an hour.

After getting out of the shower, Claire returned to the bedroom. She noticed that the suite was still silent, and it didn't look like anyone else had been in any of the rooms.

'Hmm, it's really taking him a while to get back. Maybe I give him a call to see where he is?'

Still wrapped in a towel, Claire ran to her phone and dialed Derek. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered.

Feeling the anxiety start to swell in her stomach, Claire texted Derek.

'Hey, where are you?' She sent, but there was no response.

'I just got out the shower, do you want me to order you anything for breakfast?' She sent again after waiting a few minutes. Still nothing.

Grasping her stomach, Claire laid her phone on the bed and took several deep breaths.

  'I should order room service in the meantime. Maybe he'll be back by the time the meal arrives.' Claire assured herself as she began dialing guest services for the room delivery.

She ordered a sumptuous breakfast for both of them and continued to get dressed. 

The outfit that she had picked for the day was a short off the shoulder lace dress with a tiered lace skirt and floral detailing. She pulled her hair back into a sleek braided bun but left a few tendrils of hair out to frame her face.

As she was applying the finishing touches to her face, there was a knock at the door.

Surprised, she stumbled as she rose to her feet, banging her shin in the process. Ignoring the pain and the quickly growing bruise, she trotted towards the door. She could feel her heartbeat start to accelerate.

'Did he forget to bring his key with him when he left?' she thought as she approached the door excitedly.

"Room Service." Called the person at the door, and Claire's expression faltered. Attempting to hide her disappointment, she slowed down, took a deep breath and then slowly opened the door.

Though she was able to calm her actions, her eyes still appeared more watery than normal.

"Hi ma'am, the meal you ordered is ready. Please tell me where you would like for me to place everything." The staff member said politely.

"Please, come in. You can place everything on the table over here." Claire opened the door wider and stepped to the side to allow the food to be brought in. As she turned her gaze to the table, she noticed a folded piece of paper on the corner.

She watched the hotel staff member neatly arrange the breakfast plates that she ordered and thanked them as they finished.

After they left, Claire hurriedly grabbed the note at the edge of the table. She quickly unfolded the paper and almost fainted when she read the words written on it. 

The note read:

Hey babe, an emergency meeting with a super important investor came up at work. Don't worry about me and enjoy the rest of our reservation at the resort. I'll call you when I'm done.

-  Derek