A Time To Love

My alarm went off and I quickly silenced it before it could wake Rye and got out of bed. I had some preparing to do, seeing this was a very special day. I got the roses I bought her, put them on the nightstand and put a little note with it, just in case she would wake up before I was ready.

“Goodmorning birthday girl, stay in bed, I will bring you your breakfast, prepare for a day full of surprises. Love you. M”

Her day today would be full of surprises and I would go out with a big bang, I mean, it was her birthday and I was going to give her the world today, she deserved it.

I walked into her walk-in closet and hung out the dress I bought for her, and put a little note on it “Wear me”.
Next stop was the bathroom, I put some candles on the edge of the tub and put steaming hot water in it, that would have the exact right temperature when she would be ready for it. For the finishing touch I scattered some rose pedals in the water, I nodded satisfied.
The rest of the gifts I bought I put in all her favourite places in the house for her to find after she was ready with breakfast.

Breakfast! I quickly prepared all her favourite breakfast dishes and put the first present right next to her plate. I was ready to go and went upstairs, my hands full with a tray. When entered the room I saw Rye, already awake and drawing in her little sketchbook.
“I love seeing you like this, but I would have liked it better if you would have slept in this morning” I said with a big smile on my face “You need your strengths today”
She looked at me with a big smile “Are you going to wish me a happy birthday or just stand there complaining that I’m already awake?”
I quickly put down the tray and crawled over her, kissing her deeply “Happy birthday, Rye”
“Thank you” she smiled into the kiss “What’s all this?”she said looking at the tray “All my favourite food!” She digged in and I just watched her... I loved her so much, this would be the best day ever.

“Open the box, please” I asked her, after she was done eating and we had put the breakfast mess aside. In the box was a note and a smaller box.

“This present will be the finishing touch before you have to go out to lunch with me, but before that, you have to find all your presents at your favourite places in the house, starting in the bathroom”

She took out the box and looked at me “Can I open it?”
“Of course sweetie” She opened the box, finding a necklace, perfectly matching her skin.
“Oh Matt, this is just too much”
“It’s never too much for you, and this is just the beginning” I kissed her passionately.

After Rye’s bath, her dressing in her new dress and putting on the necklace she went through the house to find matching earrings and a matching bracelet, new shoes, new drawing supplies and the latest seasons of her favourite television series.
“Oh Matt, this is just..” I shut her up with a kiss “I don’t want to hear it. And now you have to get ready for lunch”

“Where are you taking me?” Rye asked as I sneaked into the bathroom, where she was putting the final touch to her hair. I laid my arms around her body and pulled her close to me.
Our eyes met in the mirror and I smiled, burying my face in her soft hair.
“A surprise.”
I inhaled her perfume a final time and placed a tender kiss on her shoulder.
“I like this shoulder free dress, this way I can always kiss the skin right here, but I totally love you without any clothes on… maybe we should just cancel…”
“Cancel where?” Rye turned around in my arms and I grinned at her.
“Nice try, birthday girl…” I pecked her lips and took a step back.

“You didn’t say anything about my outfit, I made myself pretty for you.” I turned around for her and saw Rye’s eyes wandering over my body and I felt my cock stirring in my pants at her exploring eyes.
Shit, I had to think of something else if I wanted to be in time for our appointment.
“You look delicious.” Rye finally said and took a step towards me, lying her hands on my chest.
“Thanks, but you really need to keep your distance now, or we won’t leave this house and we will miss all the surprises I have planned.”
“More surprises?” Rye lifted her eyebrows and I grinned.
“Maybe.”
“Fine, I am ready. Let’s go.” Rye let go off me and walked out of the bathroom, I looked after her swaying hips, damn another mistake.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply in and out until I felt comfortable to walk again.

We drove over to our favourite restaurant, this was something special actually.
This was the restaurant where Rye and I had our first dinner together, when I had asked her to sing on our album. We have gone there again and again always remembering that this was where it all started…

We were greeted at the entrance “You table is ready Mr. Sanders. Let me show you the way.”
“Thank you.” I nodded and followed the waitress towards our table.
I had rented the complete back room so we would be undisturbed.
The waitress stopped at a table for two, avoiding the long table that was also prepared.
I held the chair out for her and she sat across from me.
I lit the candles for us and Rye looked around with a small smile on her lips.
“It’s so nice that you reserved a table here today. Always reminds me of our first meeting.” Rye grinned, then pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked a little sad when she put it back.
“What’s wrong, babe?” I didn’t like the disappointed look on her face, it was her day, everything was about her, she should be happy, I wanted her to be happy.
“I just… I didn’t receive any calls or messages from my friends… I didn’t even see Leyla online or something… Do you.. I mean do you think they forgot?” Rye asked a little shyly and I had to hide my grin so I looked down trying to remain calm.
“Ah come on, it’s only noon, they will call. They won’t forget about it… I guess the guys are also still hung-over or something… If they won’t show up today, I will kick some ass later.”
Rye nodded still looking sad. I grabbed her hand over the table and Rye looked at me “Thank you for the amazing day, babe. I am really glad that I have you.”
“Oh don’t thank me yet. Let’s see what the day will bring, shall we?”

The waitress came back to our table. “Mr. Sanders, I am really sorry but we need this table for two.
I have to move you towards the long table here… Some other guests will be seated next to you, but they shouldn’t arrive before half an hour, so you still have some time for yourselves.”
“What, but I…” I began and the waitress shook her head at me “Very sorry, but that’s the only way, I mean we can always-”
Rye as lovely as always shook her head “That’s okay, don’t worry. We will sit on the long table and when we are done we will leave, everything is fine.”

So we were placed on the other table and we ordered our first appetizer when I saw the door open and our first table companion arrived.
Rye was so concentrated on her appetizer that she didn’t realize someone was taking the place next to her. “Could you please scoot over a little, I don’t have enough space to sit down.”
Rye looked up, Jimmy standing next to her, Leyla on his arm, when she realized who was speaking to her, she stood up and fell into Jimmy’s arms.
“YOU ASS!!”
“Way to greet a friend who brought you a present! Happy Birthday little Rye” Jimmy made a little room for Leyla to hug Rye as well and the girls talked for a moment while the next arrived.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUU!” Johnny came walking inside singing, having a present in his hands and I don’t think that I want to know what he got for my woman.
“Oh thank you Johnny” Rye looked so excited that slowly more and more friends came walking in.
“But we would be all thankful if Rye’s man would do the singing and you better shut up.” Leyla said grinning and Johnny narrowed his eyes on her.
“Where is the special woman of the day, I need a hug right now!” Brian walked in having Meike on his arm.
“You already got one woman, with you and now you want my woman as well?” I asked him on a laugh.
“You can never have enough beautiful women around you, right?” The hugging and congratulations went on and on until the last couple of friends finally arrived.“Lang zal ze leven, Lang zal ze leven…” Kim walked in with Zack on her heels.“Damn you could have waited for me.” We heard him murmur but then plastered a smile on his face for Rye.

We ate together and had our fun, when Rye looked at me from the side a beautiful smile on her lips.
“So you planned this? You planned all this and didn’t tell me?” Rye asked offended but I knew that she loved it.
“Yes, everything for you, babe. I know you love to spend your time not only with me but with your friends, so here they are. All flew in for you…”
Rye looked around with a smile and when the lunch was done, Jimmy stood up glass in hand.
“ A small toast for our dear friend. We wish you a wonderful birthday with a lot to laugh, wonderful surprises and a happy day with all your loved ones. May all your dreams and wishes come true. We love you.”
We all raised our glasses and I saw tears in Rye’s eyes she mouthed thank you, not able to speak now.

The whole afternoon was spent catching up with Rye’s friends who still lived on the other side of the world and we closed our little get together with the cake. We all sung to her and cheered when she blew out all the candles “May all your wishes come true” her friends whispered. I looked at the four, squirmed themselves next to Rye and they were holding on to each other as if they hadn’t seen each other for years now. I smiled, Rye looked really happy, but I had to take her away from them if I wanted my plan to work... If all went well, she would see them again later today.
“Rye, sweetie, we have to go for your last surprise for today”
She looked at me, shortly disappointed and then kissed her friends goodbye, grabbing my hand, smiling. “I will accept one more surprise”

I drove us over to the beach and even though I was completely certain of my last surprise, I couldn’t help but getting a little nervous and seeing how Rye was glancing over to me, more and more, I wasn’t able to hide it very well.
“Matt, are you okay?” She got a hold of my hand, my sweaty hand... Damnit!
“Hmm, yeah, I am, just a little heated, you are that hot” I smirked, trying to hide my real feelings.
I parked the car and opened the door to her “Wanna go for a walk on the beach?” I asked as I held out my hand to her “the sun is almost setting, I know how you like the colours at that time of the day”

We walked the beach, holding hands, both bare feet, holding our shoes. The sun had set and the stars starting to appear in the sky.
“This day was perfect, Matt, it was amazing, thank you so much for all of this” she turned to me, standing on her toes to kiss my lips. I put my arms around her and held her close, kissing her for a while. She calmed me down and I knew this would be it, I only needed to get there. I turned away from her again and put my arm around her, walking a little further in a comfortable silence, until I finally saw what we were heading to. A small gazebo was build on the beach, white fabric draped all over it, flowers and little lights decorating the frame.

I took a minute for Rye to see it too
“Oh Matt, look! That’s soo pretty, what could that be for?” She asked me, questioning everything like she always was, not for a moment thinking it could be for her. She was so modest, never putting herself first.
“I think that’s for us” I said as I bridged the last steps for us to stand under it, I turned towards her and saw her face full of astonishment “But... how... what” she stumbled on her words.
“I wanted to end this day as it has been all day, full of surprises and completely about you and making you happy... I hope this will do the trick”
I heard my voice jump at those last few words and I had to breathe in deeply to get a hold of myself again, I was full on freaking out now. What if she would say no?

“Matt. What are you doing?”
“Give me a second okay?” I smiled at her, before I put both her hands in mine and looked into her big eyes.
“My dear Rye, love of my life, the first time I heard you play guitar, I was mesmerized by the sound, I never heard something so sweet. Then you began to sing and I knew I had to get to know you, I wanted you, without even knowing who you were. The first kiss we shared that first night already gave me the feeling I never wanted to let you go again, and here we are. Still together after all these years, still together after tours, still together after the different continents and time zones. We survived the long distance and I can’t imagine being without you ever again.”
I got the ring out of my pants pocket and got down on one knee, holding her hand. I saw tears well up in her eyes and I had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump in my throat.

“Rye, love of my life, never leave me again, will you marry me? Will you please do me the honour of becoming Mrs. Sanders?”

Tears trailed down her cheeks as she softly replied “Yes. YES!” I put the ring on her finger and got up, pulling her up to my body, swirling her around. I kissed her tears away and then engaged her into a deep sensual kiss. She was mine and she would be forever.

Notes

WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!
MAY ALL YOUR WISHES AND DREAMS COME TRUE!!

(Damn this time difference... but its already your birthday there, so this is all right)

WE LOVE YOU!
AND HOPE YOU WILL HAVE AN AWESOME BIRTHDAY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!

<3<3<3