Valentine's Day. I finally had someone on Valentine's Day!
Twenty five years is a looooong time to be single, my friends. Remember, no boyfriend, no nada.
As it turned out, people all over our Singles Branch were getting together. Couples were forming. Love was definitely in the air in early 2004.
It's funny, but although each couple was different in their own way, almost every couple that got married in the coming summer had one thing in common-- an older girl marrying a younger guy. Then they would get married and put their husband through school!
So you see, I really wasn't the only one robbing the cradle, so to speak.
Anyway, on Valentine's Day, Jon took me to a burger joint in Selah. It was yummy. I think I gave him a stuffed animal dog, because he had talked fondly of his dog Fluffy but I was really against indoor livestock, as my dad would say. I told Jon that this stuffed animal would have to suffice (alright quit laughing... YES we have a dog and a cat now). Jon gave me a CD of music he had compiled and it said "Te Amo" on it.
I forgot! I had figured out how to say "I love you" in Spanish like a week before and surprised him by telling him "Te amo" on our way out to the car from someone's house. Jon loved it. And then as he pulled his Honda out of the driveway, his wheel well caught on an old track and ripped off. To this day, he has to watch out and avoid puddles or water flies up and floods his engine. Oh the memories.
ANYWAY... back to Feb 14, 2004.
Later that night, we got ready and headed down to the church for the Valentine's Day dance at the Singles Branch. I was wearing a black dress, and there were couples everywhere. People had more or less gotten over the weirdness of seeing me and Jon together. Not that we cared. We danced pretty much every dance and I felt so grown up. I felt peaceful. I felt settled. We had fun every waking moment.
Jon had hidden a ring in his pocket. But he didn't want to be sappy and do the "engaged on Valentine's Day" thing. So he waited until about 1am. He didn't waste much time in waiting for Feb. 15.
In my apartment sometime after we had arrived there from the dance, he got down on one knee.
It wasn't the official ring--actually it was a cheapie from Fred Meyer, but cute and sweet nonetheless. He opened the box.
I had known the question was coming. But it caught me off guard. "Will you marry me?"
We had been dating for one month. One month! It seemed so crazy. Logically, it didn't make sense, that two people so different had crossed paths and now seemed so perfect for each other in such a short period of time.
Logically, love doesn't make sense. I'll just tell you that right now. But that is what makes love so great. It's so awesome. Love!
Of this I was certain: I had been brought here, to this point, for a purpose. I had changed my planned course and moved to Yakima. I had grown in previous years and was sure what type of person I wanted. I had spent the last month learning how wonderful and amazing Jon was... how he was who I wanted to be with for eternity. How he made me laugh and feel happy every moment.
Hello! Of course I'll marry you!
Or something like that. With kissing and joyous rapture, perhaps waking of my roommate and a night of not being able to sleep, and other such giddy nonsense.
Oh how I loved it all.
I left for a work trip a few days later. I stared at the ring on the plane. I stared at the ring during my meetings. I stared at my ring as I was going to bed.
The meetings took me to Rochester, New York, where of course there was snow, and it was colder than cold. I had a day of no meetings in between the other events, so I rented a car and drove out to Palmyra.
I had been to the Sacred Grove before, but this time I was alone amidst the trees as I prayed about my recent eternal decision. >>Continue to part 24
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