Every morning, Amelia walked through the park on her way to work. She loved the park – the tall trees, the colourful flowers, the sound of birds singing. One sunny morning, Amelia noticed a man sitting on a bench, reading a book. He had kind eyes and a warm smile. Amelia smiled back, a little shyly, and continued on her way.

The next day, the man was on the same bench, reading the same book. This time, Amelia stopped and said, “Hello.”

The man looked up, surprised. “Hello,” he replied. “I see you walk here every day.”

“Yes,” said Amelia. “I work nearby.” She hesitated, then added, “I like your book.”

The man chuckled. “It’s a good one. My name’s David.”

“Amelia,” she said.

They talked for a few minutes, about the book, about the weather, about anything they could think of. Amelia learned that David was a writer, and that he often came to the park to think. She told him she worked in a library.

“A librarian, huh?” said David. “That sounds interesting.”

“It is,” said Amelia. “I love books.”

Suddenly, Amelia realized she was late for work. “Oh, I have to go,” she said. “It was nice talking to you, David.”

“Likewise,” said David. “See you tomorrow?”

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. “Maybe,” she said, then hurried off.

The next morning, Amelia was there again, a little earlier than usual. David was there too, holding a different book. They talked for a longer time that day, about their favourite books, their dreams, their families. Amelia felt comfortable with David, as if she had known him for a long time.

This became their routine. Every morning, they would meet in the park and talk. Amelia looked forward to their chats all day long. She even started leaving work a little earlier so they could have more time together. One day, David brought her a bouquet of flowers. Amelia’s cheeks turned pink with pleasure.

“These are beautiful,” she said.

“They’re for you,” said David. “You’re beautiful too.”

Amelia felt a flutter in her stomach. She had never felt this way before.

David continued to visit the park every morning, but Amelia was running late one day. When she finally arrived, David wasn’t there. She waited for a while, but he didn’t come. Disappointment filled her heart.

The next day, Amelia returned, hoping to see David. He still wasn’t there. Days turned into weeks, and Amelia went to the park every morning, but David never came back. She missed him terribly.

One day, a woman was sitting on David’s usual bench. Amelia recognized her – it was David’s sister, Sarah, who she had met briefly at the park.

“Hello, Amelia,” said Sarah. “David told me all about you.”

Amelia’s eyes widened. “Is he… is he okay?”

Sarah smiled sadly. “He’s fine. He had to leave town for a while, for work. He didn’t want to worry you, so he asked me to tell you.”

Relief washed over Amelia. “When will he be back?”

Sarah shrugged. “He’s not sure yet. Maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months.”

The news disappointed Amelia, but at least she knew David was okay. She continued to go to the park every morning, reading books and hoping to see David again.

One sunny afternoon, a familiar figure walked into the park. It was David! Amelia jumped up and ran towards him. They hugged tightly, both of them smiling broadly.

“I missed you so much,” Amelia whispered.

“I missed you too,” said David. “I’m so sorry I left without saying goodbye.” He pulled out a small box from his pocket. “I brought you something.”

Amelia opened the box to find a beautiful silver necklace with a small heart pendant. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“It’s perfect,” she said.

David took her hand. “Amelia,” he said, “I’ve realized something while I was away. I don’t want to lose you again. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Amelia’s heart overflowed with happiness. “Yes,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “Yes, David, I will.”

They sealed their promise with a kiss. The park, which had become a place of worry for Amelia, now felt filled with joy and possibility.

The following weeks were a whirlwind of happiness. They spent their evenings together, going to museums, trying new restaurants, and simply talking for hours. David introduced Amelia to his friends, who welcomed her with open arms. Amelia, in turn, showed David her favourite parts of the library, letting him lose himself in the labyrinth of bookshelves.

One afternoon, while browsing the travel section, Amelia stumbled upon a book about a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. The pictures showed crystal-clear water, white sand beaches, and charming little villages.

“This looks amazing,” she said, showing the book to David.

David’s eyes lit up. “It does,” he agreed. “We should go there someday.”

The idea sparked something in Amelia. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Maybe we could go for our one-year anniversary?”

David smiled. “Our one-year anniversary? That’s a bit soon, isn’t it?”

Amelia blushed. “Right, of course. I just… it looks so beautiful.”

David squeezed her hand. “It does. But even better than a beautiful place is being with you. How about we make a plan? We’ll save some money, and then we can go somewhere amazing for our second anniversary. What do you say?”

Amelia beamed. “That sounds perfect, David.”

The months flew by, filled with laughter, shared dreams, and a growing love. Their first anniversary arrived, and while they didn’t travel to a faraway island, they spent a magical weekend in a cosy cabin in the countryside. Sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket together, Amelia knew she was exactly where she wanted to be.

A year later, they found themselves back in the library, standing in front of the travel section once more. This time, they weren’t just browsing. They held hands, looking at a brochure for the island in the Mediterranean. Their dream was about to come true.

The trip was even more wonderful than they imagined. They explored hidden coves, swam in turquoise water, and enjoyed delicious food under the warm sun. Most importantly, they had each other. Lying on the beach one evening, watching the sunset paint the sky in vibrant colours, David turned to Amelia.

“Amelia,” he began, his voice serious, “there’s something I want to ask you.”

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. Could this be…?

David reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Amelia gasped, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Amelia,” David continued, “you are the love of my life. You make me laugh, you support my dreams, and you fill my world with joy. Will you marry me?”

Tears welled up in Amelia’s eyes. This was the moment she had been secretly hoping for. With a trembling voice, she said, “Yes, David. Yes, I will marry you.”

They sealed their promise with another kiss, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore a perfect melody in the background. The park, where their love story began, had led them to this beautiful moment, under a foreign sky, but with a love that knew no bounds.

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Vocabulary Notes

walked through: (phrasal verb) to go on foot from one place to another across an area
tall: having a large height
colourful: having many bright colours
sound: the act of making noise
noticed: saw or became aware of something
kind: gentle and caring
warm smile: a smile that expresses friendliness and happiness
shyly: in a nervous or awkward way, especially when meeting someone new
hesitated: paused for a moment, unsure of what to do or say
chuckled: laughed quietly

writer: someone who writes books or stories
nearby: close to a particular place
librarian: someone who works in a library, helping people find books and information
skipped a beat: (idiom) to experience a sudden moment of nervousness or excitement, often causing a person to hesitate slightly
routine: a regular way of doing something
looked forward to: felt happy or excited about something that is going to happen
bouquet: a bunch of cut flowers arranged together
cheeks turned pink: (idiom) to blush, become red in the face due to shyness or embarrassment
flutter: a light, quick movement
disappointment: a feeling of sadness or displeasure because something has not happened as you hoped

missed: felt sad or regretful about the absence of someone or something
recognized: identified someone or something that you have seen or known before
briefly: for a short time
relief: a feeling of happiness because something bad has not happened or has stopped
washed over: (phrasal verb) to quickly affect someone in a strong way
familiar figure: someone or something that you recognize because you have seen them before
jumped up: moved quickly to a standing position
hugged: held someone close in your arms as a sign of affection or greeting
broadly: widely or in a big way
whispered: spoke very quietly

whirlwind: a state of great activity or confusion
museums: buildings where objects of historical, artistic, or scientific interest are exhibited
labyrinth: a complicated network of passages or paths that is difficult to find your way through
stumbled upon: (phrasal verb) to find something unexpectedly
crystal-clear: completely clear and transparent
charming: very pleasant and attractive
sparked something: (idiom) to suddenly cause someone to have an idea or feeling
beamed: smiled widely, especially in a way that shows happiness or pleasure
flew by: (idiom) to pass very quickly
anniversary: the yearly celebration of an event, such as a wedding

cosy: small and comfortable
wrapped in a blanket: covered in a warm piece of cloth
exactly where she wanted to be: (idiom) to be in a perfect situation
brochure: a small booklet or leaflet that gives information about something, such as a product, service, or place
dream: something that you hope to achieve in the future
turquoise: a bright blue-green colour
vibrant: very bright and colourful
skipped a beat: (see page 2)
velvet box: a small box made of soft, smooth fabric, often used for holding jewellery
trembling: shaking slightly, especially because of fear, excitement, or cold
sealed their promise: (idiom) to confirm or make something official with a kiss

Story written by Google Bard AI

Image created by dezgo.com AI

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