Adrift on the Boat

In our lakeside town, if a woman wanted to marry the love of her life, she must personally build a wooden rowboat to serve as her wedding vessel. On the exact day of our seventh anniversary, my girlfriend, Sarah Granger, held the launch ceremony for her newly finished boat. The crowd cheered as they witnessed the moment, and my heart pounded furiously against my ribs.

However, just as I was about to board the boat, I caught the hushed whispers of her best friends.

“Are you really giving this boat to Logan? Aren’t you afraid Austin will throw a fit?"

“Yeah, Austin can be pretty sensitive. Be careful not to push him too far.”

The next second, Sarah’s casual voice rang out, filled with absolute certainty.

“He won’t. Austin is the easiest guy to appease. He’s completely head over heels for me. Besides, around these parts, if a guy isn’t married by twenty-eight, everyone starts looking at him like a pathetic bachelor. He wouldn’t dare make a scene. Think about it: the marriage certificate goes to Austin, and the wedding vessel goes to Logan. It’s totally fair. Plus, it… makes up for my regrets.”

So, agreeing to get legally married to me was a regret for her? Easy to appease? Pathetic bachelor?

Those words hurt my ears, and I started to choke up, but I didn’t cry. Instead, I pulled out my phone and sent a single text message.

[Mom, I’m taking your advice. I’m twenty-eight now, and I’m not waiting around anymore.]

The boat, fully adorned with fresh roses, hit the water, and people immediately began shoving me forward playfully.

“Austin, get on the boat already!”

“Aussie! It’s been seven years, and you two are finally making it official!”

My close friend, Marcus Bell, spoke with genuine excitement. He was truly happy for me.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Sarah Granger stepped off the boat and walked over in my direction. However, she paused beside me for a split second before walking right past. Instead, she stopped right in front of Logan, her voice soft and filled with affection.

“This is your birthday present. Do you like it?”

An eerie silence filled the surroundings.

Logan’s eyes were wide with pure delight. Then, hand in hand, they walked toward the boat together. This time, as Sarah passed by me, she paused.

She sounded completely nonchalant as she said, “Aussie, I’m letting Logan have this boat first. The next one is already being built, so be patient.”

Some people looked on just for the drama, while others stared straight at me. It felt like everyone was waiting for me, the guy famous around these parts for having a fiery temper, to kick up a huge fuss. However, I just looked at her calmly.

“There’s no need, Sarah.”

She froze, clearly not expecting that kind of reaction from me. Sensing that the atmosphere was growing tense, Sarah’s best friends quickly jumped in to smooth things over for her.

“Austin, don’t