Summer Rain

This was the best weekend ever for lots of reasons: I got to meet Kristina, Erin and Shanen, I got an awesome chair on our thrift store outing, I got a great deal on fabric to recover the chairs, Maya behaved really well, and we spent quality time with friends. But it all pales, PALES I TELL YOU, in comparison to what I'm about to share.

So, about a month ago we actually purchased my engagement and wedding rings. The story about that day is a good one too - but for another time. I'd only put them on for a couple of hours the day he brought them home after they'd been sized but besides that, he'd had them in the bedside stand. I didn't know this until Friday night, when he told me where they were after he'd sampled a few too many beers when he was out of town! Well, now that I knew where they were it was REALLY hard to keep from putting them on and not taking them off!

Well, last night Steve and Michael came over for dinner. I've talked about Steve, Drew's best friend before, and Michael is a good friend of Steve's, therefore he's a friend to Drew and me. Both of them are really good people and I'm very thankful we got to spend time with them. Neither of them knew about my rings and when Drew suggested I show them, I happily complied. They were both duly impressed and started ribbing Drew about when he was going to make it official. I secretly agreed but I never said anything because I knew the drama with my dad affected him.

Anyway, dinner proceeded wonderfully and I made a big deal about the four of us sitting at all the tables in the house! We talked and laughed and they even helped us clean up after dinner - that's the perfect dinner guest in my book!

When they left, we sat on the front steps just taking in the weather. Michael talked a lot about us getting married and I guess it got Drew's wheels turning. He turned to me and asked me what I was thinking. I told him that I was thinking about the fact that we're sitting on the front steps of our house and how that's pretty cool. The wind was blowing, it was nice and cool outside and it was just starting to rain a little bit -- nothing to make you go inside, just enough that you knew it was raining.

Then he started talking about how he likes the smell of rain and I just said, 'yeah, me too'. I started out sitting on one of his legs, not entirely on his lap. When that got uncomfortable I just slid off his leg so we were still sitting close with my legs swinging between his (important later). I had my left arm around his shoulders and my right arm hugging his waist and my face mushed in his neck. I felt like he was probably going to propose but I wasn't sure how and the funny thing is, I didn't want him to get on one knee -- I found myself hoping that he wouldn't. Isn't that strange? I always thought that that was the way I wanted it, but there in that moment I wanted us to stay just as we were, all tangled up on the front steps.

Now remember, I was wearing both of my rings and I had told him that I wanted to wear the band first and get the solitaire later. He said, 'Hey let me see your hand', and I flipped up my left hand off his shoulder. 'No, let me see it'. So I held it up there a moment longer and he slid off the solitaire. He sat there twirling it around the tip of his index finger with the other hand open to catch the rain.

Looking up at the sky he said, 'You know, no matter what happens with your dad, we're going to be ok. We're going to weather this storm and all the ones that come after it'. I said 'I know baby', all muffled into his neck.

Him: I love you.

Me: I love you too. (Some smooches)

Him: Hey (nudging my face out of his neck and then waiting till I'm looking at him) Will you marry me?

Me: Are you proposing to me?

Him: Yes.

Me: (beginnings of a cheese-tastic grin) Okay. :-)

Him: Okay?

Me: Yes! Yes I will!

Honestly it was perfect. There wasn't a lot of nonsense - just us and the rain. After I dried my tears, I looked up at the sky and said 'I don't know if this is foreshadowing or something. There's a storm coming!' And then he said,

'Well, I like to think of it as the rain is coming to wash everything away and make it new and clean for us. It's washing away the past, your relationships and mine and leaving things nice and clean for our future.' How sweet right! I told him I liked that perspective that much better.

So we sat there a little while longer just listening to the wind in the trees and watching the raindrops get heavier. When it was time to go inside we stood up and were just hugging each other in front of the door when we looked down at where we were just sitting. Because I was kind of draped over him my legs and feet didn't make an imprint, just my backside. We had made a heart on the steps because of how we were sitting and it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. We paused before going in and looked at Maya sprawled out on the sofa, knocked out. Drew said she looked pretty cute and I had to agree - in that moment I would have agreed to just about anything. It's a good thing he didn't ask to get another dog! Then we went inside and jumped on the bed and started calling people.

His parents were super happy and welcomed me to the family as was my cousin and of course all our friends. With each person I told, it became more and more real. I'm going to be a Mrs.! I'm engaged! I'm a fiancee! I have a fiance! I'm going to be a wife! I'm going to have a husband! How cool is that!!!

We decided against telling my father straight away because of that drama (whole nother story) but my mom knows and is super happy for us, as is my brother. Two out of three ain't bad I guess...

We'll figure out what to do with my father, but right now the only thing that matters is WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!!