"So dinner tomorrow night? What do you say? Are you in?" John asked, deciding then and there, that it would be the most romantic dinner she had ever had.

Mesmerized as she was by the beautiful rose in her hand, she didn't even think about the answer.

"Yes, that sounds great," she said immediately.

The moment she said it, he could see that she was shocked by her immediate reply, but she didn't take it back.

For John, that meant that she was giving him a shot to prove to her that love was worth the effort, that he was worth the effort. That made him both exhilarated and terrified.

His heart was beating like crazy, and his palms started sweating profusely. His hands were shaking, and he lowered them under the table, unprepared to let her see how nervous he truly was. She was not ready for the intensity of his emotions yet.

"What if I fail her? What if I fail us? In my whole life, there was never such a great responsibility resting on my shoulders. How do you prove to someone that love is all we need?

"I want her to be happy. Even if she decides that I am not the One, that I am not worth the effort, I want to help her understand that she can and should love. All I want is to make her happy, even if that doesn't include me." John thought as his mind sped through so many emotions and ideas that could help him out in his unique effort.

Not long after she agreed to go on another date, they had to leave because Gem got a message from her mom that she needed her help with something.

Gem told him she needed to help her mom out, but she didn't go into detail. It seemed to John, that although Gem was always honest with him, she did avoid certain topics, and he didn't mind that.

He understood that they were still just two people who recently met, but he was looking forward to her opening up to him. Every day, he wanted to know more about her, and to share more about his own life. It was the strangest feeling ever, one he was not familiar with.

The next day, Gem wasn't her usual self. She spent the whole day humming cheerfully, with her head in the clouds. Even while doing the chores that she usually despised, she had a big grin on her face. The songs she hummed were mostly the ones about love and joy of living, which was out of character for her. From time to time, she would even dance to the music while she worked.

While she was helping her mother, the previous day, even she couldn't help but notice the positive change in her usually dark and gloomy daughter.

"You seem very chipper today. Is there anything you would like to tell me? Is there a boy you like?" her mother, Zara, asked while tucking her long red hair behind her ear.

They were both tired from cleaning the house, but Zara couldn't help but ask about Gem's life. It had been such a long time since Gem was so enthusiastic about anything.

"Mom! I told you already. I am trying to focus on my studies, now. It's not rational to like any boys right now. My attention has to be undivided and focused on finishing my studies," she said, with much less conviction than she usually had.

From that small hesitation, Zara was able to see that Gem wasn't as sure of that as she used to be. She was glad to see that because she wanted her little girl to be happy again. For such a long time, she had been all alone and didn't seem interested in sharing her life with anyone.

That sparkle in her eye gave Zara hope that things might be changing for the better. Knowing how defensive her daughter could get, she decided not to pry. When she was ready, Gem would tell her, she always did.

Since her husband, Rob died, Zara and her daughter became much closer than they had ever been before, united in their shared grief. Even though Zara felt the pain that rare few would be able to understand, she was more worried about Gem.

Since her father's death, she had become closed off to everyone besides her closest family. She didn't hang out with her friends, as much as she used to. When she did spend time with them, it was more of an obligation than anything else. It was her weak attempt to act normal so as not to worry her mother.

Zara could feel all that, but she said nothing, afraid that she would only make the matters worse. Being a single parent was even more difficult, having in mind how close Gem was with her father.

He was always the one who could better understand her emotions and moods, but Zara did her best to be both a father and a mother to her only daughter. She was so close to losing all hope, so, seeing her daughter in such a good mood, warmed her heart.

Finally, the evening came, and Gem decided to wear one of her best dresses for their first official date.

The truth was, she didn't have many dresses, having in mind her limited social life. Nevertheless, she chose the long navy blue dress that her mother convinced her to buy a few years back, that fit her perfectly. It made her eyes bigger and more beautiful, and it was in perfect contrast with her skin color.

As she never wore a lot of makeup, she decided to just put a bit of eye shadow with a touch of mascara, and that was it. People found it unusual, but she disliked wearing large amounts of makeup because she found it uncomfortable and unnatural. Besides, John had already seen her without makeup, so he wouldn't be that surprised.

Finally, she put on the most comfortable shoes she possessed and stepped outside of her apartment. By choosing that pair of shoes, she broke all the possible fashion rules her friend insisted on, but she didn't care.

Gem wasn't sure if those were general rules or just something her friend came up with, but she insisted on following them. One of the most basic ones, that Gem often broke, was to always wear heels when going out in the evening. It made you look taller and usually went better with the dress, according to her friend. However, Gem just wanted to feel comfortable in her skin, and possibly have fun with John.

When she arrived in front of the quaint Italian place, the address of which John sent her the previous night, since she refused to let him pick her up, she was surprised by what she saw.

The place was small but comfortable, and she couldn't help but love its charm. The lights were dim, and it gave the whole place a magical feel that made her feel relaxed and excited at the same time.

Upon entering the restaurant, she could see that John was already there. The moment she reached the table he chose for them, he got up to pull out her chair for her.

"My lady, you look stunning tonight," he said with a slight bow and a huge smile.

She was surprised and touched by the gesture, but the compliment made her blush from head to toe. When she sat down, she realized that she loved the restaurant.

Two tall white candles were placed on their table. Next to them, was a vase filled with a huge bouquet of bright red roses. Around them, all around the table cloth were gentle rose petals. Their red color was in perfect contrast with the strikingly silver table cloth.

What was even more beautiful than the restaurant and its romantic decoration was John. He was wearing monochromatic navy pants and a blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves. But the most breath-taking thing about him wasn't his clothes or his general good looks. It was his eyes.

They seemed to contain a whole galaxy in them, and there were excitement and appreciation in those gentle eyes. The candlelight reflected in his eye, and she couldn't help but think what a perfect picture it would make.

"Tonight is going to be perfect." She thought.