Something is fishy

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Maybe Dan will share his perspective on the day, but for now here's mine:

The things in (italics) are what I was thinking in my head at that moment. 

Just like any normal Saturday, I chatted with my mom in the morning and on this particular day I headed over to Janet's house to help make brunch for small group around 10 am.

After making scones, pancakes, scrambled eggs, homefries, and sliced fruit, the guests arrived around noon.  Dan was late but I didn't get his text that he was getting a haircut so I didn't consider anything of was off.  While eating brunch I noticed that Dan was squirmy and sweating, like a lot.  I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well so I tried my best to make an excuse to leave...it was getting late anyways.

We did have plans to go into the city and go ice skating but I was wearing a skirt and my skates were still at home so when Dan suggested we head straight to the city I protested a bit that I needed to go back to my place and drop stuff off, change, get my skates.  Also, I wanted him to pick-up his new glasses.  Girl is controlling so I got my way.

As we were walking I started to feel like something was amiss.  First he said he was going to make us dinner.  Then he said he was going to take me out to dinner.  At this point it wasn't even clear if we were going skating.  He was skirting questions and saying "it's fine" as an answer to everything I asked.

(me) something is fishy
(dan) it's fine
(me) well where are we going to dinner?  long pause
(dan) Tanoreen (how convenient it was across the street)
(me) why are we going out?  Today isn't special (you should have taken me there last week for our anniversary)
(dan) it's fine
(me) Did you make reservations?  Because you have to have a reservation.
(dan) No.  We can make them now.

So we go and Dan makes reservations for 7:30. Me thinking (that's a weird-o time.  I'll be hungry before then.  How long are we going skating for?  Why can't we go out in the city?  We won't be dressed-up enough for Tanoreen).  And then we went to the eyeglass store.  I'm really confused and starting to get annoyed that he is acting so weird.  I considered just going to my place while he got his glasses and I would grab my skates and meet him back at the store.  For whatever reason I didn't bring that up.

As we got closer to my place I was getting more uncomfortable with not knowing what all was happening

(me) please tell me what's going on.  where are we going?
(dan) it's fine
(me) I feel really uncomfortable
(dan) Has that house across from your building always been like that?
(me) Yea, they never finished the addition (me thinking this is really bizarre small talk, I know he doesn't care about that house and I know we've talked about how ugly it is and how much I hate it.)

By this point I had that confused nervous feeling like when you are watching a scary movie and you know someone is going to jump out or something bad is going to happen.  The anticipation!

When I opened the door to my apartment I knew immediately.  There were red, white, and pink streamers hanging everywhere and a big sign that said "I Love You."

Dan shut the door and told me to put all my stuff down.  The rest is a blur.  I remember he told me to look and read everything.  I spied the flowers on the table and the sign that said "will you marry me" but I was scared and didn't want to look closely at it just yet.  Pieces of paper were on the ground leading into the room and forming a giant heart on the floor. 

There were pink post-it notes on the wall forming a heart shape. They said: We have laughs.  We have kisses.  We have sleepy faces.  We have surprises.  We have silliness.  We have hugs. We have snuggles.  We have joy.  We have love.  We have each other.

The next two notes on the wall were sweet and heartfelt love notes, one filled with special Bible verses referencing qualities of love.

The last spot to go was the table.  There was a huge bouquet of flowers on the table with roses and my favorite stock flowers.  A new snuggle buddy bear named Philbin.  A three wick candle.  A giant box of chocolates.  And our two other buddies Stowaway and Puddles.

I turned around and Dan was on one knee in the middle of the paper heart.  He said some beautiful things that I wish I wish I wish I had recorded and then he asked "will you marry me?"  I got down on the ground with him and said "yes, of course I'll marry you."  Then we hugged and kissed.

Kiss Bomb!

I had been insistent since the beginning of us talking about engagements that I wanted it to be a special moment between only him and me.  No friends.  No strangers.  No big screen.  Nothing.  No one but us.  And it was perfect.  He did it in the privacy and comfort of my home and a place where we had spent so much time and built so many memories.

So although it wasn't a complete surprise (because boy can't hide his nerves and I'm a suspicious person) it was a totally creative and unexpected way of asking a question that I knew was coming but still felt so little girl happy and scared about.

CHEESE!

After the intense moment was over, we cancelled all plans and reservations and just soaked each other up the rest of the day.  Of course first telling all close relatives and then snuggling up to watch a movie and toasting to ourselves over Thai take-out.  A perfect evening in my opinion.