A Love Story Part Six

The Continuing Saga:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

I came home a few days before my 25th birthday.  At lunch with my grandma and Mom, they asked me what I wanted to eat.

"Nothing.  I'm not really hungry."

Grandma gave me the stink-eye.  "You're not hungry because you're in love.  I never ate when I was in love either.  I got down to 110 pounds!"

I was kind of shocked.  Was it that obvious?  I hadn't talked to either my mom or grandma about my trip, besides the superficial basics.    But then, for my birthday, my Mom got me a children's book called "Miss Spider's Wedding".  She knew, too.  She totally knew.  The title of the book was no accident.  Rob sent me a dozen roses for that birthday.  And we plotted our next get together.

This long distance thing was expensive.  But we just couldn't wait another month to see each other again.  Rob bought a ticket to come out west the last week in July.  We had our annual family reunion then - he could meet the ENTIRE family at that point,which included over 100 people.  Lucky him. 

I remember my cousin Vicki pulling me aside at the reunion (it was her friend that I had been dating before I met Rob), asking what was going on with Rob and I.  She cautioned me not to move too fast.    I assured her that this visit was technically only our "third date", and she needn't worry. 

Twentyfour hours later, I was engaged.

This is how it happened.

Rob and I went to the Olive Garden for dinner, and then to the park for a symphony performance and fireworks.  All throughout dinner, he was quiet.  I thought he must be mad at me.  He had insisted on buying a bottle of champagne at a grocery store before dinner, and carrying it around in a Styrofoam cooler, even in the restaurant, which I thought was odd.  After dinner, as we walked to the park, he kept moving farther and farther back from the stage. 

"We won't be able see the symphony!  We're so far back here behind the trees!  Can't we move up?"
"NO!" he replied.  "I want privacy."  Privacy for WHAT??? We were at an outdoor concert!  I didn't get it. 

The concert was great.  It was a warm summer evening, the music was beautiful by moonlight, and there were lots of people milling around.  Rob remained unusually silent.  Maybe he wasn't having any fun.  I couldn't tell. 

Then, the music ended, and there was a pause, right before the fireworks began.  As the first light burst into the sky, Rob turned to me, and pulled a small box out of his pocket.  I don't remember the exact words he said when he revealed the half-carat diamond solitaire.  I just remember that it finally dawned on me why he was acting so strangely.  He was proposing, and didn't want anyone to see. 

I said "Yes" with fireworks blaring above us.  He brought out that silly Styrofoam cooler, and poured us each a glass of champagne.    Third official "date" or not.... YES!!!


This was the picture we took immediately afterwards, back at my apartment.  We're glowing, right???  It wasn't just the champagne.