• Walking down main street, looking in all the shop windows a couple began their journey into Magic Kingdom on their anniversary. His arm was around her waist and her face held a never faltering smile. They looked to be the perfect couple. The icon she had always seen that said “They say Disney world is the happiest place on Earth. Obviously they’ve never been in your arms” popped into her head. She knew that it was incorrect. The truth was Disney is the happiest place, but only when its spent in his arms.

    “Sam, come on, lets go on some rides, then we’ll come back and I’ll buy you the best present ever.” Jeremiah, Sam’s long term boyfriend, was always trying to spoil her. They had been dating since freshman year in college, now they both had jobs. Jeremiah was a reserved Marine, only shipping out when they really needed him, and Sam was a full-time journalist for the Rolling Stone. She was in charge of the music section which meant either assigning someone to a band or going to an interview herself. All in all, they were very well off and very fortunate.

    Sam was a big kid and at the mention of rides her eyes lit up. Jeremiah smiled at his beautiful girl and led her away from the shops. Her smile melted his heart and made what he was going to do during the fireworks even more special.

    “Well, beautiful, what ride first?” Sam blushed at the compliment as she always did, even after all of these years, and grabbed her map. Magic Kingdom was a very large park and they planned to cover all of it. They were closest to Frontierland, so that was where she looked first.

    “How about Splash Mountain?” Her smile brightened his whole day.

    “Anything for you beautiful.” He took her hand and pulled her through the many crowds. He had known this would be her first choice so he used their fast past earlier and reserved them a time, which was in two minutes.

    He pulled her up past he lines and showed the man the fast pass slip. Sam, not knowing he did this, squeezed his hand in thanks. They sat in the seats, snuggled close to each other, as the boat began to move out of the ‘port’.

    “Thank you so much, I love this ride!” Jeremiah smiled at her and pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her. He kissed her head and just watched her eyes light up as the ride progressed. He watched as her eyes shined in the sun then clouded as she noticed the thorns, her least favorite part. Knowing her uncertainty he gripped her hand and smiled to her, calming her and returning the smile to her face.

    The ride ended much too quickly, but remembering Jeremiah’s promise to buy her the ‘best present ever’ her smile remained. They made their way back to Main Street and he covered Sam’s eyes with his hands. He took her into the Emporium. Inside he grabbed her hand, knowing she’d keep her eyes shut, as he had silently instructed.

    He brought her to the toy section and grabbed a small Mushu plush and purchased it. Jeremiah then took her from the store, knowing she’ll love his gift. He sat her on a bench outside of the shop and kneeled in front of her.

    “Okay beautiful, you can open them.” Sam opened her eyes and gasped, Mushu was the last plush she needed to complete her collection of Disney dragons. She tackled Jeremiah to the ground and kissed him.

    “How did you remember? I haven’t said a thing about my collection in three years! Oh, it doesn’t matter, thank you so much.” Jeremiah merely laughed and hugged her, knowing she was the happiest she’d been in a while.

    “Hey, I remember everything about you. I know that he’s your favorite dragon, period, and that you wanted someone you love to give him to you, but only when you needed him to complete the collection. I know that your three favorite movies are Mulan, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast. Mulan is your favorite princess and Belle your second. I know you think that Disney is the happiest place, but only in your loves arms. And I know that you will never forget the way I asked you out for the first time.” His smile challenged her memory as she recalled on of the best days ever.

    Jeremiah approached Sam after school on the third week. They had every class together and Jeremiah noticed her from day one. He knew some stuff about her from her friends and hearing her talk so he quickly learned the best way to ask her out.

    He gave her a stuffed husky pup and it had a card around its neck. On the card it read, ‘Hey beautiful, meet me at sundown tonight, hope to see you there.’ He left it inconspicuously outside her dorm and waited that night. She arrived looking hesitant wearing a beautiful purple embroidered shirt with black skinnies and black runners. She walked up to him, a smile on her lips as she asked, “Did you give me Mushu?”

    He had been unsure of who ‘Mushu’ was but nodded, asking about the name choice.

    “Mushu is my favorite dragon, Disney or otherwise. I have a collection and I want him to be the last one I collect, from my love.” Her answer caused him to smile and he reached for her hand. They began to dance to no music before her friends, as earlier informed by Jeremiah, began to play a soft song so they could slow dance to a real pace.

    “That was the best date.” She sighed in remembrance and kissed him again, softer and more lovingly. She pulled away first and got off of him, helping him up after. She clung to his side, clutching her new Mushu plush to her. Their hands were gripped tightly together and he led her to a restaurant for lunch. The ordered, ate, and then spent the rest of the day riding rides and playing games until it was finally time for the fireworks display.

    Jeremiah pulled Sam to the top of the hill as the fireworks started. Other couples and families gathered around them and paid them no mind. Sam’s brown eyes lit up as each of the rockets erupted in the sky. Her smile matched that of the little kids around them.

    Turning her to face him he got down on one knee, catching the attention of some other people, and pulled a small purple box from his pocket. He heard his love gasp and he opened the box.

    “Sam, I love you more than anything. You are the most important person to me and I want you to be mine and I, yours. Please accept this ring and give me your hand in marriage.” The women around them that were watching sighed and moved closer to their significant others.

    Sam, tears building in her eyes, placed a hand on Jeremiah’s shoulder. “My love, my Jeremiah, of course I will. Even if you were wrong about one thing about me.”

    He stood and hugged her, but abruptly stopped at her words. “What did I get wrong?”

    “You said, ‘I know you think that Disney is the happiest place, but only in your loves arms’ but the truth is, Disney is the happiest place, but only if its spent with me in your arms.” Her childish smile made him smile and they kissed. When their lips touched the fireworks display was over, but the show wasn’t. A light flashed on above them, illuminating them to the rest of the people. A song began to play from every speaker in the park.

    “Tale as old as time
    True as it can be
    Barely even friends
    Then somebody bends
    Unexpectedly

    Just a little change
    Small, to say the least
    Both a little scared
    Neither one prepared
    Beauty and the Beast

    Ever just the same
    Ever a surprise
    Ever as before
    Ever just as sure
    As the sun will rise
    Tale as old as time
    Tune as old as song
    Bittersweet and strange
    Finding you can change
    Learning you were wrong

    Certain as the sun
    Rising in the East
    Tale as old as time
    Song as old as rhyme
    Beauty and the Beast
    Tale as old as time
    Song as old as rhyme
    Beauty and the Beast”

    It was their song, from one of Sam’s favorite movies. The song described them perfectly and the others around them applauded. Sam blushed as they began to sway to their song and pushed her face into Jeremiah’s neck.

    “I love you,” she whispered.