The after party was winding down, but Tristain's heart was racing. All night he'd been thinking about this moment, and now it was finally time. He found Ayana on the back patio, looking beautiful in the moonlight.
"You ready to get out of here?" he asked, extending his hand.
"Already? The party's still going," she said, but she took his hand anyway.
"I got something I want to show you. Somewhere special."
"Somewhere special? It's almost midnight, Tristain."
"Trust me," he said, his voice carrying a weight that made her look at him more closely. "Please?"
Something in his tone made her nod. "Okay. But this better be good."
"It will be," he promised, leading her toward the BMW. "I guarantee it."
---
As they drove through the quiet streets, the convertible top down and stars visible above them, Ayana could sense Tristain's nervous energy.
"You're being really mysterious," she said, studying his profile in the dashboard light. "What's got you so worked up?"
"Nothing. Just... want tonight to be perfect."
"Tonight's already been perfect. The pictures, dinner with your boys, the party... everything's been amazing."
"It's not over yet," Tristain said, turning onto the road that led to Sunset Lake - a quiet spot about fifteen minutes outside town that they'd discovered a few weeks ago.
"The lake? At midnight?"
"Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, but... just trust me, okay?"
Ayana squeezed his hand. "I trust you."
Here we go. Everything I've been planning for weeks.
---
The lake was peaceful and empty, moonlight reflecting off the water's surface. Tristain parked the BMW near their usual spot - a small clearing with a perfect view of the water.
"It's beautiful out here," Ayana said as they got out of the car. "But Tristain, what's this really about?"
"Let's walk for a minute," he said, his heart pounding. "I want to talk to you about something."
They walked hand in hand along the water's edge, their formal shoes slightly impractical for the terrain but neither caring.
"You know," Tristain said, "everything's been crazy lately. The tournament, the fame, the money, all of it. But through everything, you've been the one constant thing that's kept me grounded."
"Tristain..."
"Let me finish," he said gently. "You've been patient with all the attention, all the craziness. You've been there for me when I didn't even know what I needed. And I realized something tonight."
"What?"
"I realized that none of the other stuff matters if I don't have you to share it with."
Ayana stopped walking and turned to face him. "Where is this coming from?"
"It's coming from here," he said, placing his hand over his heart. "I've been thinking about this for weeks, trying to figure out the perfect way to do this."
"Do what?"
Tristain smiled nervously. "You'll see. But first, close your eyes."
"Close my eyes? Tristain, what are you up to?"
"Please? Just trust me one more time."
Ayana sighed but smiled, closing her eyes. "Okay, but if you're planning to push me in the lake, I'm gonna kill you."
"I'm not pushing you in the lake," he laughed, despite his nerves. "Keep them closed and let me guide you."
---
Tristain had spent three hours that afternoon setting everything up with Marcus and Deshawn's help. Hidden behind a cluster of trees near their favorite sitting spot was his surprise - something he'd been planning since the day after they got back from Chicago.
"Okay," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "You can open your eyes."
Ayana opened her eyes and gasped. In front of her was the most elaborate setup she'd ever seen:
A massive bouquet of 100 red roses arranged in a heart shape, illuminated by small LED lights he'd strategically placed around the area. Next to the roses sat a giant teddy bear - not just any teddy bear, but a custom-made four-foot-tall bear wearing a miniature North Bridgeton football jersey with Tristain's number.
But the centerpiece was a beautiful wooden carving sitting on a small easel. Her name "AYANA" was carved in elegant script across the top, with intricate designs surrounding it. Below her name was a carved wooden heart that looked like it could be pulled.
"Tristain..." she breathed, her hand covering her mouth. "What is all this?"
"This," he said, his voice full of emotion, "is me asking you something I should have asked a long time ago."
He walked over to the wooden carving and gestured toward the heart. "Pull it."
"Pull what?"
"The heart. Pull the heart."
With trembling hands, Ayana reached out and pulled the wooden heart. As it slid out, it revealed hidden text carved underneath in beautiful script:
"MAY I BE YOUR BOYFRIEND?"
Ayana's eyes filled with tears as she read the words. She turned to find Tristain standing behind her, his own eyes misty.
"Ayana," he said, his voice cracking slightly, "I know we've been dancing around this for months. I know the timing's been weird with everything that's happened. But I can't wait anymore."
He took her hands in his.
"You've been more than my host sister, more than my friend, more than anything I ever expected to find when I moved to Indiana. You've been my anchor, my motivation, my reason to be better every single day."
Tears were streaming down Ayana's face now.
"I want to take you on real dates, not just hang out. I want to call you my girlfriend, not just 'my friend Ayana.' I want to post pictures of us together and not have to explain what we are to people."
"Tristain..."
"I want to wake up every morning knowing that you're mine and I'm yours. I want to share all of this crazy success with you, not just tell you about it. I want to plan a future that includes you in it."
He squeezed her hands tighter.
"So, Ayana Sayana, will you officially be my girlfriend?"
For a moment, the only sound was the gentle lapping of water against the shore and Ayana's quiet crying.
Then she threw her arms around his neck.
"Yes," she whispered into his ear. "Yes, yes, yes! Of course I'll be your girlfriend!"
Tristain lifted her off the ground and spun her around, both of them laughing and crying at the same time.
"Really?" he asked, setting her down but keeping her close.
"Really," she said, cupping his face in her hands. "I've been waiting for you to ask me properly for months."
"I wanted it to be perfect."
"It is perfect," she said, looking around at the roses, the bear, the wooden carving. "This is the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me."
"You deserve romantic. You deserve everything."
"I love you, Tristain."
"I love you too, Ayana. My girlfriend," he said, grinning at the word.
"Your girlfriend," she repeated, smiling through her tears.
They stood there for several minutes, just holding each other by the moonlit lake, the weight of finally being official settling over them like a warm blanket.
"So," Ayana said finally, "what do we do with a four-foot teddy bear?"
Tristain laughed. "I didn't really think that part through. I just wanted to go big."
"You definitely went big. This is insane, babe. The roses, the bear, the carving... how long did this take you to plan?"
"About three weeks. Marcus and Deshawn helped me set it up this afternoon while you were getting ready."
"Three weeks?" She shook her head in amazement. "You've been planning this since we got back from Chicago?"
"Since before Chicago, actually. I knew I wanted to ask you, I just needed to figure out how."
"And you decided on... all this?"
"I decided I wanted to make sure you knew how serious I am about you. About us."
Ayana looked at him with so much love in her eyes that Tristain felt his chest tighten.
"I know," she said softly. "I've always known."
"Good," he said, pulling her closer. "Because this is just the beginning."
"The beginning of what?"
"The beginning of everything."
They kissed then, officially as boyfriend and girlfriend, with 100 roses and a giant teddy bear as witnesses under the starlight at Sunset Lake.
It was perfect.
---
As they drove back toward town, Ayana couldn't stop smiling. The giant teddy bear was somehow crammed into the backseat of the BMW, and the wooden carving sat carefully on her lap.
"I can't believe you did all that," she said for the tenth time. "The carving alone must have cost a fortune."
"Money well spent," Tristain said, one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding hers. "You're worth every penny."
"I'm gonna keep this forever," she said, running her fingers over the carved wood. "This is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done."
"I'm glad you like it."
"Like it? Tristain, I love it. I love you. I love that you're finally officially mine."
"Officially yours," he repeated, bringing her hand to his lips. "I like the sound of that."
"Me too."
As they pulled into the Sayanas' driveway, Ayana turned to him.
"You know what this means, right?"
"What?"
"You're stuck with me now. Officially."
"Good," Tristain said, leaning over to kiss her. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Girlfriend. Finally. Everything's falling into place.
---
As soon as Tristain got back to his room, his phone exploded with texts. Marcus and Deshawn had apparently been waiting for updates.
Marcus: "BRO DID SHE SAY YES?!"
Deshawn: "I've been waiting for two hours! What happened?!"
Tristain: "She said yes 😁"
Marcus: "YESSSSSS! FINALLY!"
Deshawn: "About damn time! How'd she react to the setup?"
Tristain: "She cried. Good tears. It was perfect."
Elijah: "Wait what setup? What'd I miss?"
Jaylen: "T finally asked Ayana to be his girlfriend officially"
Carlos: "With roses and shit?"
Tristain: "100 roses, giant teddy bear, and a custom wood carving"
Terrell: "Damn T went ALL OUT"
Deshawn: "Boy spent tournament money on romance 😂"
Marcus: "Worth every penny though. They're official now!"
Jaylen: "Flight Boys captain has a girlfriend!"
Elijah: "This calls for celebration"
Tristain: "Already celebrating. She's mine now"
Carlos: "Finally! Y'all been dancing around this for months"
Terrell: "Tournament winner AND got the girl. T really living his best life"
Marcus: "As he should. Both of y'all deserve this"
Tristain: "Thanks for helping set it up today"
Deshawn: "Anytime bro. That's what brothers do"
Brothers. Girlfriend. Tournament winner. Life is good.
Tristain fell asleep that night with a smile on his face, thinking about Ayana's reaction, the way she felt in his arms, and the fact that he could finally call her his girlfriend.
Everything was falling into place.