A couple holding hands is walking on a street in Old Town, which is lit up by wonderful Christmas installations. It's Christmas Eve, only a few hours until Christmas. She is upset. He is very serious.
"This snow is so beautiful and so are the lights! The Christmas installations are so wonderful too," said Sam.
Sam is a handsome, dark-haired, thirty-year-old man, accompanied by a most beautiful woman, with long dark hair, caught up in a bun, the face of an angel and the body of a siren
"Sam, you know it is Christmas Eve. Only a few hours until Christmas," said Mary, the woman.
"You know that I love you so much, and I love Angel more than anything. But never could I think that you—"
"Dear, but I told you that we would find something."
"But don't you see that everything is closed? Every store!" Mary was upset.
"Yes, I see. But I bet that at the end of the street we'll find something open. The stores must make money even on the Christmas Eve—I hope," said the very serious Sam.
Mary didn't say anything else. But it was obvious that she was very nervous.
"Look! That store is open!" Sam exclaimed.
"Don't you see the store hours? It's open until six o'clock, and now . . . ," Mary said in a sharp voice looking at her watch, "and now it half past seven!"
"Yes, it's closed," said Sam seriously but calmly.
The couple walked further. Sam looked left, then right, but no store was open. He sighed, and after few seconds he spoke: "How about—?"
But Mary cut off his words. "I already told you. The present was bought by me. It's from me, for me. My Christmas present! Bought by me!"
"But why don't you want a present from me? I can give you the money for it. It's something you like. Maybe the present from me wouldn't be such a great present. I didn't have the time to buy a present. You know that yesterday I landed here from Paris. Please understand," Sam pleaded.
"No! You had enough time last week and the week before. The present I got for you I bought a month ago. So, no again!" yelled Mary.
"Mary, Mary, you should be more understanding," Sam responded.
"You should be more thoughtful with me. Once a year it is Christmas. And I think I'm the only woman without a present. The only woman," Mary continued in a trembling voice, beginning cry. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she spoke with a drowned voice: "Sometimes I feel that I don't know you, and you don't know me!"
Sam hugged Mary. He held her tightly in his arms and gently patted her head. After a couple of seconds he spoke. "Okay, then . . . I have a present for you. But I will give it to you only if you give me a 'yes' answer to my question." Sam released Mary from his arms and knelt in front of her. "Mary Johnson, will you be my wife?" He takes her left hand into his, and holds the ring poised in his right hand, waiting for her answer.
Although she has tears in her eyes and on her cheeks, Mary is smiling now. But she hits Sam in his shoulder. "Yes, Sam Stone! I want to be your wife!"
Sam stands up. He and Mary kiss each other and then continue on their walk, but much happier this time, smiling and joking as they talk about their next step
***
Mary and Sam are in front of the altar. Sam's mother is sitting in the front pew, holding a baby.
An old priest wearing a blue robe with golden draws on it stands in front of Sam and Mary. He is looking at them and speaks while putting a ring on the man's finger.
"Sam Stone, will you take Mary Johnson to be your wife, as long as you live, to protect her, to respect her and to take care of her?"
Sam is shining in his white suit. He looks at the one who will become his wife and says in a loud voice, "Yes, I will!"
The priest turns to Mary and speaks again while putting the ring on her finger. "Mary Johnson, will you take Sam Stone to be your husband, as long as you live, to protect him, to respect him and to take care of him?"
"Yes, I will!" yelled Mary.
After finishing the vows, the priest put a crown on Sam's head and Mary's head, and said, "I pronounce you husband and wife. Man, take care of your woman! Woman, listen to your husband! Live happily all your life and have beautiful and healthy children."
