The picnic proposal

As Allie readied herself for a day at the stables, Constable Nathan Grant stood in front of the mirror for what felt like the thousandth time. His eyes were not focused on his reflection, however, but on the ring clasped between his left thumb and forefinger. He placed his other hand palm down on the dresser, his only means of keeping himself from falling over. The room, along with his nerves, was spinning like the globe in Mrs. Bouchard's schoolhouse. He had assured himself all week that the nerves were entirely unnecessary, and yet here they were all the same.

"Dad!" exclaimed Allie, "I'm leaving."

Nathan cleared his throat and made his way down to see her off.

Mei Suo had the strangest feeling that today wasn't going to be like any other day. It wasn't an ominous sensation, but something told her that she would remember today as long as she lived. A surprise picnic with Nathan wasn't so unusual, as he was always finding new ways to show how much he had revealed in their time together since that first kiss when he walked her home from Elizabeth and Lucas's wedding. She chose to ignore the butterflies in her stomach for the moment and continue her morning, the pharmacy wasn't going to open itself.

As she walked down Hope Valley's bustling main street towards Yost's, a familiar voice rang out. "Oh, Mei!" exclaimed the unmistakable Rosemary Coulter, looking more and more each day as if the baby were going to arrive any minute, "I am so glad I ran into you!".

"Good morning, Rosemary," Mei replied, smiling back at the beaming mother-to-be.

"Is Nathan feeling better?" asked Rosemary.

"Better?" Mei answered, quizzically tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, I thought you two might have spoken already over the phone," said Rosemary. "He looked awfully strange on his way back from the stables when I saw him."

Mei's eyes widened. "Do you think he is alright? We are supposed to meet after I open the pharmacy for a morning picnic near the schoolhouse."

Rosemary did not reply, instead, a knowing look crossed her face.

"Rosemary?" asked Mei in a way usually reserved for Lee when he is about to accuse her of plotting something.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Rosemary said, smiling in that oh-so-Rosemary way.

As Mei resumed her stroll, so resumed the butterflies.

Later that morning, as she closed the pharmacy's front door and hung the out for lunch sign, Mei heard yet another unmistakable voice, only this time it was that of her beloved Constable.

"Meeting someone special?" Nathan asked as she turned and met his smirking expression with a smile.

"You could say that," Mei replied, taking his hand, and kissing his cheek.

"By the way," she said as she softly felt his cheek where she had just pressed her lips. "I ran into Rosemary earlier and she said you looked ill. Is everything alright?".

Nathan was astonished.

"Yes!" He blurted, causing Mei to recoil slightly.

Her darling Mountie was never prone to outbursts, ever the personification of composure. She chose to chalk it up as just another coincidence of such a strange day and took his arm in hers and headed toward the schoolhouse for their romantic endeavor.

They walked, making idle chat and salutations with what seemed to Mei to be quite a bit less of her Hope Valley friends and neighbors than she would normally pass on any other morning.

Upon arriving at the schoolhouse, Mei noticed that the door was open.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, "Nathan, something must be wrong!"

She darted up the stairs, rushing through the door in a huff, only to happen upon the most unexpected thing. It seemed as if the entire town had gathered there, and they were holding candles!

Her eyes fixed instantly on her dearest friends Faith, Elizabeth, and Fiona.

"This is wonderful," said Mei, smiling quite embarrassingly, "but it's not my birthday so what on earth is going on here?"

Fiona was first to speak, albeit in a whisper and with tears beginning to sparkle in her eyes.

"Turn around, Mei" Fiona could barely get out.

Nervously, she turned. The whole time was moving at a snail's pace now. Her heart was suddenly thumping so loud that her ears were beginning to hum.

When she finally completed her turn, Nathan was on bended knee, holding in his outstretched hand the most wondrous diamond ring her eyes had ever beheld.

"Mei Suo," Nathan said in a quiver, and Nathan did not quiver.

"The moment you rode into Hope Valley, I could feel my entire life change. You've brought so much love, joy, and peace to mine, and Allie's lives. I know, in the deepest part of me, and with every piece of my heart and soul that you are the person I'm meant to be with forever."

Mei's breath seemed stuck in her chest, and she was fighting tears that she was sure would echo into the mountains of Hope Valley if she didn't let them out that instant.

In typical Rosemary fashion, she could be heard weeping and sniffling. "Sweetie you're hurting my hand," whispered Lee. Everyone laughed, breaking the tension, and allowing Mei to finally take a breath.

"I've been honored twice thus far in my life," explained Nathan holding back tears of his own. "When I became a Mountie, and when Allie called me Dad. Now I humbly ask that you honor me a third time, and by becoming my wife. Mei, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed instantaneously as if not speaking the word fast enough would make all of this some sort of dream. "Yes, my love I will!"

As Nathan slid the ring onto her finger, stood, and placed the greatest kiss upon her that she had ever felt, all of Hope Valley cheered and celebrated.

Allie rushed up from amongst the crowd, hugging them both so tight that they nearly burst from the sheer joy of it all. As Nathan kissed the top of her head, she looked Mei in her tears, sparked her eyes, and spoke. "If I could pick anyone on earth to buy my new mom, I'd pick you a thousand times."

Another tear-soaked hug ensued, and the soon to be Grant family knew that Hope Valley really was the greatest place they could ever find themselves.