Just as John and I were enjoying our anniversary on the beach, a woman in a swimsuit ran up to us, knelt down in front of him, and said his name.
My heart stopped.
Who was she, and what did she want from my husband?
I had no idea that a tearful realisation awaited me that day.
‘JOHN… No, please don’t leave me… John!’ I screamed and jumped into the empty bed.
My heart was pounding when I realised it was just a nightmare.
I am Rosa, and I have just had the most terrifying dream of my life.
My husband John left me in some tropical paradise surrounded by turquoise waters and swaying palm trees.
When the morning sun shone through the curtains, I tried to shake off the unpleasant feeling.
‘Rose? Are you okay?’ John’s voice came from the hallway.
He appeared in the doorway, a worried look on his face.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Yes, just a bad dream. What time is it?’
‘Almost nine. I made coffee,’ he said with a smile.
‘Oh, and happy anniversary, darling.’
My eyes widened.
How could I have forgotten?
It was our 10th wedding anniversary!
I jumped out of bed and hugged him.
‘Happy anniversary, John! I can’t believe it’s been ten years.’
John’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
‘I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.’
I did as he said and felt something light in my palms.
When I opened my eyes, I saw two plane tickets.
‘No, it can’t be,’ I gasped when I read the destination.
‘The Dominican Republic? Seriously?’
John smiled.
‘Pack your suitcase, dear. We’re leaving in three hours.’
I squealed with joy and showered his face with kisses.
‘John, this is incredible! I can’t believe you did it!’
‘You better hurry,’ he laughed.
‘You have 20 minutes to pack before we leave.’
As I quickly packed my suitcase, I couldn’t help feeling guilty.
John had been so busy at work lately, and I had hardly seen him.
This trip was just what we needed to be together again.
‘Ready for our adventure?’ John asked, leaning against the doorway.
I closed my suitcase and smiled.
‘With you? Always.’
The flight to the Dominican Republic was a whirlwind of excitement and anticipation.
When we stepped off the plane, we were enveloped by warm tropical air, like a welcoming embrace.
‘Oh my God, John, it’s so beautiful!’ I exclaimed when I saw the lush greenery and bright colours around the airport.
John squeezed my hand.
‘Wait until you see where we’re going to live.’
An elegant black car was waiting to take us to our resort.
As we drove along the coast, I couldn’t take my eyes off the sparkling turquoise waters.
‘I can’t believe you kept this a secret,’ I said, turning to John.
‘How long have you been planning this?’
He gave me a mischievous smile.
‘Let’s just say it wasn’t easy with all those late nights at the office.’
I was immediately overcome with guilt when I thought about how distant we had been from each other lately.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been so absorbed in my work. I know your new project has been stressful.’
John’s expression softened.
‘Hey, that’s why we’re here. No work, no distractions. Just us.’
The car pulled up in front of a stunning beach resort.
Palm trees swayed in the breeze, and I could hear the gentle lapping of waves on the shore.
” Welcome to paradise!” our driver announced with a smile.
As we checked in, I couldn’t stop admiring the luxurious lobby.
‘John, this must have cost a fortune,’ I whispered.
He just winked at me.
‘Only the best for my girl.’
Our room was even more impressive — a spacious suite with a private balcony overlooking the ocean.
I stepped out onto the balcony and breathed in the salty air.
John came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
‘What do you think? Was it worth the wait?’
I turned in his arms and looked into his warm brown eyes.
‘It’s perfect. You’re perfect.’
He leaned down to kiss me, and for a moment all my worries melted away.
When we pulled apart, John’s stomach growled loudly, which made us both laugh.
‘I think that’s a sign we need to find something to eat,’ I giggled.
‘How about we go to the beach and grab some snacks?’
John smiled.
‘I challenge you to a race to the water!’
As we ran hand in hand towards the sparkling sea, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this trip would change everything.
The next few days were a whirlwind of sun, sand and pure happiness.
We lay on the beach, drank fresh coconuts and enjoyed delicious seafood.
Every night we danced bachata under the stars, our bodies moving in perfect harmony.
On the third evening, we lay on a deckchair and watched the sunset paint the sky in bright orange and pink tones.
I rested my head on John’s chest and listened to his steady heartbeat.
‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’ I asked, lazily drawing circles on his arm.
John’s chest shook with deep laughter.
“I couldn’t imagine a better time than our anniversary.
Besides, I wanted it to be a surprise.”
I lifted my head to look at him.
‘Well, I feel completely surprised and totally spoiled.’
As we lay there, I thought about the little surprise I had prepared for John.
My hand involuntarily fell on my stomach, where our little secret was growing.
I found out I was pregnant shortly before the trip and was waiting for the perfect moment to tell him.
‘What are you thinking about?’ John asked, noticing my pensive gaze.
I smiled mysteriously.
“Oh, nothing.
Just thinking about how happy I am.”
He kissed me on the top of my head.
‘I’m the lucky one.’
As the last rays of the sun painted the sky in bright shades of orange and pink, John suddenly sat up.
“Hey, do you want to walk on the beach?
The sunsets here are always magical.”
I nodded eagerly, already planning how I would tell him the news.
‘That sounds perfect.’
We walked hand in hand along the shore, the warm water gently lapping at our feet.
The fading light gave the beach a golden glow, making everything around us magical.
I took a deep breath and felt in my pocket for the small gift box I had brought from New York.
‘John, I want to tell you something…’ I began.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the fading light, running towards us.
Before I could understand what was happening, a woman in a white swimsuit fell to her knees in front of John.
‘John!’ she exclaimed.
“You are the love of my life.
It’s time to stop lying and tell her everything.
I want you to be my everything.
Will you marry me?”
I froze, my hand still in my pocket, clutching the gift box.
It felt like the world had turned upside down as I looked from the woman to John, waiting for him to say something… anything… to explain what was happening.
John’s face turned white as chalk, his mouth opening and closing without sound.
And then, to my utter amazement, he burst out laughing.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest as John’s laughter echoed across the beach.
Was this some kind of sick joke?
I watched in horror as he picked up the woman and hugged her tightly.
‘You couldn’t have picked a better moment, could you?’ John said, still laughing, holding the stranger.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I finally found my voice.
“What the hell is going on here?
John, who is she?” I squeezed out, and my recent happiness dissolved like fog in the sun.
The nightmare I had seen on the morning of our anniversary came back to me.
John, leaving me alone in a tropical paradise…
Is this a twisted version of that dream come true?
John turned to me, his eyes widening when he noticed the tears on my face.
‘Rose, darling, I’m so sorry,’ he said quickly, coming closer to me.
“This is Julia.
We went to university together.”
Julia smiled and held out her hand to me.
“Nice to meet you, Rose.
I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”
I stared at her hand, unable to comprehend what was happening.
John continued, “Once, I played a prank on her during a theatre production, and everyone laughed.
She swore she would get her revenge one day, and I guess this is it!”
Julia nodded vigorously.
“Exactly!
I saw him from a distance and spent 20 minutes trying to figure out if it was really him.
When I was sure, I couldn’t resist playing a little joke!”
When her words sank in, the tension in my body began to gradually subside.
It was just a joke.
A stupid, ill-conceived joke.
‘You… you’re not going to leave me, are you?’ I asked John anxiously.
His face softened as he hugged me.
“Never, Rosa.
I’m so sorry we scared you.
I had no idea Julia was here or that she was going to do that.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and punched him lightly in the chest.
‘You almost gave me a heart attack, you idiot.’
As relief washed over me, I remembered the gift box in my pocket.
Maybe now really is the perfect moment.
‘Darling,’ I said, stepping back to look at John.
‘I’m sorry, I’m not going to get down on my knees, but… there’s something I wanted to tell you a couple of minutes ago.’
I took out a small box and placed it in his hand.
John’s eyes widened, and his face lit up with pure joy as he opened the box and took out a delicate silver chain with a tiny medallion in the shape of a baby shoe.
‘We’re expecting a baby,’ I whispered, feeling a new wave of emotion.
John’s eyes filled with tears as he hugged me tightly.
“I love you so much, Rosa.
You just made me the happiest man on earth.”
Julia clapped her hands enthusiastically.
“What a twist I didn’t expect!
Congratulations to both of you. “
As we stood there on the beach, watching the sun set over the horizon, I realised that this crazy, emotional day had brought us even closer together.
And with a new chapter ahead of us, I couldn’t wait to find out what the future had in store for our little family.
