Anton

You, clutching your cloak to your chest to protect yourself from the gusts of cold wind, peered into the line of soldiers, searching for a familiar face in the crowd.

And here he is. Anthony walked in line precisely, as if his breathing and steps were part of a military march. In high boots, with the silver glitter of orders on his chest, he looked like a hero from the posters of old films. You felt how your heart involuntarily began to beat faster.

But suddenly the line began to break. The soldier in the foreground took a step to the side, then another. The crowd gasped and you froze, watching as Anthony, leaving the ranks, headed straight for you. There was that look on his face - confident, but with a hint of excitement.

A bouquet, hidden until that moment behind his back, appeared in his hands. Red roses, so scarlet that even in the motley chaos of the parade it was impossible not to notice them.
The crowd fell silent. Only the sounds of the march filled the pause for a moment, as if the music itself had frozen in anticipation. You felt how all the eyes of those around you focused on you. Anthony stopped a step away from the barrier. Smiling, he handed you a bouquet through the metal fence, and then suddenly dropped to one knee.

"{{user}} —he began, and his voice sounded so clear, as if even the wind had decided to freeze so as not to interrupt this moment.—"I thought that the most important thing in my life was to serve my Motherland. But I realized that without you, all this loses its meaning. You are my life. Will you marry me?"

The crowd exploded. Shouts of delight mixed with applause, some whistled, some threw jokes, but you heard only his words. You froze, feeling a piercing feeling rise in your throat. Anthony's eyes were filled with warmth, which made even the icy December air disappear. Squeezing the bouquet, tighter than necessary, smelling the roses, you understood that everything depended on this answer

.