My name is Mike. I am twenty-three going on to twenty-four. I am currently getting my masters in abnormal psychology. I am a fun guy, but also very simple. I live in a small, cheap, but clean apartment with my girlfriend.

I am sitting here, on this chair, in front of a wooden table that is set to the wall. A lamp lights the surface, that is littered with papers and books. Textbooks are pushed to the side. The wood is a red oak, varnished thickly to give it a warm shine.

I am holding a slip of paper. I found it in my girlfriend's underwear. The underwear was pink with frills on it. The piece of paper was pinned onto the outside, folded into the small frills.

Now, many would wonder why I would be rummaging through my girlfriend's personal stuff. Well, because she asked me to. I remember when she told me, "Mike! Wash the laundry, including mine, and make sure you put it in the dryer afterwards. I have to go to work the whole day, so I don't have time for it." She kissed me after that. I remember it very clearly, I am not insane. I don't know what job it was, she never told me. Still, as gentleman as I am, I couldn't resist to take a soft sniff of the cloth that once covered her most intimate parts.

I don't really know what job she had today, everyday it's different. What I do know about her is that she is a very beautiful girl. I wouldn't be able to doubt that. She has striking green eyes and flowing brunette hair. Her name is Alice, the words ring a loud bell in my ears. She loves children, she takes walks with them when baby-sitting for income. When I come home, she lets me talk about my rises and falls in life, and will save room for herself to talk afterwards. I am number one on the list to her. She once gave me advice on how to save money in the shortest amount of time, a secret to only her and I.

The paper I am holding in my hand right now is a letter. It starts of with, "Dear Alice."

I look at the very top to see the date the letter was written. It says, "June 8th, 1990". That was yesterday.

I scan through the letter and I know what it is. It is a marriage proposal.

It reads:

I have waited all my life to meet someone like you. I can't live without you, I need you by my side. Thanks for coming to my place every day to talk with me, cook for me, and make love with me. Thank you for the intense kisses you gave to me every time you left back to your home. You're so beautiful, it's unbelievable that you're single. Come to my place tomorrow. We can stay together all day long. I asked for you to marry me once, but you told me you would think about it. Come, and I'll give you a surprise. I'll propose to you again, but this time, I will impress you for sure.

The man dying for you,

Jake.

I raise my girl friend's underwear to the lamplight and make sure it was clean enough to notice. I then take the letter and I tear it to pieces between my fingers. I pin the pieces together to the outside of her underwear again and carefully fold the panties into her undergarment drawer.

My face is as stiff as stone.