Upon inspection, one could say that it would be hours before I would get out of my mess. Mixing bowls and cooling trays littered my kitchen like rocks on the beach. Salt was scattered along the floor and the sink seemed to be overflowing with dirty dishes. It had not been clever of me to spend six hours kneading dough and reading recipes when I knew I had to be on a mid-afternoon bus but nonetheless, I did it in preparation for the holiday season. Before I knew it, it was 3:48, exactly 42 minutes until I had to catch the bus to go see my boyfriend in the center of the city.   
Noah and I been together for six years, had met in our senior year of highschool and powered through college. People would always say “Riley and Noah were destined to be together. “ and I liked to believe it was true. He was my other half, his neurotic qualities molded with my easygoing mindset to clash into an imperfectly perfect balance. However, one of those neurotic qualities was his dislike for tardiness and I knew that if I was late for the bus he would be panic-stricken.
I raced around the room like an Olympic athlete vying for the gold. Bowls and pans washed? Check. Cookies put into containers? Check. The clock was ticking down. 35 minutes left to go. At this point, my clothes were heavily riddled with flour and greasy with perspiration. A shower would take 15 minutes off of my available time but it was a leap I would have to take. I knew that this was an occasion I had to look nice for. Noah and I had gone annually to the New York Tree Lighting Ceremony since our freshman year of college. It was an event I always looked forward to. Between the buzz of excited families and the frostbitten air leaving lipstick kisses on our noses, the warmth of the final sip of hot chocolate and the soft outline of Noah’s structure as the tree blazed into a starlit phenomenon, it was bliss. A bliss I could not be late for.
I rushed up the stairs. I figured I would have to condense my shower to five minutes and would have no time to straighten the mess of curls on my head. I pulled on a top that  I prayed didn’t clash with my Mediterranean skin, swiped on a final dab of lip gloss, threw on a coat and headed out into the December air.
I had managed to finish in 20 minutes, leaving me with 15 minutes to get to the bus. Things were finally working out, I would make it there in time and Noah and I would have a wonderful time. Nothing could go wrong. I had no time to enjoy my scenery and my legs ached with anticipation but as I rounded the corner of 3rd Street and the saw the bus stop, I knew it had all been worth it. I sat down with a prideful grin, not only had I made it there in time but with five minutes to spare.
The bus would be arriving any minute and I found myself reaching into my pocket to grab the amount for the fine. From 3rd to Madison Ave would be a 5 dollar fee, one I knew all too well. But as I reached into my coat, I found that my hand had sneaked its way into an empty pocket. Empty, barren, void of money. I continued to search myself. How could I have been so stupid? I felt hot tears prick at the corners of my eyes. My frozen ears became enflamed with embarrassment. Noah would be so disappointed. I recollected myself just as the bus pulled into the stop and a fresh wave of tears cascaded down my face. Ignoring the wary looks, I stood up to proceed home. The phone call I would have to make to Noah would be devastating.
A flood of passengers poured off of the bus and swarmed around me. I felt like all the air had escaped my lungs as a tall body crashed into my tiny frame. Suddenly, I felt strong arms wrap themselves around my shaky waist and all I wanted to do was scream. This stranger had the audacity to put his hands on me and I had no tolerance left to not think before giving him a piece of my mind.
“ What do you think you’re doing?” I angrily muttered as I went to face the mystery man. I turned around to find none other than Noah, my Noah, the Noah that I had been previously trying to reach, going down on one knee. Every cog in my brain stopped turning and my heart raced in foresight. Everything we had ever done in the last six years had led up to this moment. Memories of beach parties and moonlit dinners floated through my mind. This was it.
“Riley Grace Johnson, you are the center of my world, the light in my darkness and the match to my puzzle piece. The only thing else I could ever wish is that you become my wife. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?” Noah stated. The intensity in his gaze made my pulse reverberate. The stressful events of the morning blurred from my memory as a smile graced my face.
“ It would be my pleasure.” I proclaimed and Noah, once again, grabbed in me in a firm hold and redirected me towards the bus. As we boarded, he explained to me that his plan had been to grab the bus to 3rd Street and propose once I had gotten on, but as he saw my retreating form he knew he had to move quickly.
We ended up making it just in time for the ceremony and through it all, it ended up being not only the most magical night of the year, but also one of the most magical nights of my life.
The End