Your Milestones Must Have Celebrations

One year ago today, Mr. Fox and I were engaged. Interestingly enough, it was him who remembered this fact, not I. Needless to say, I was super impressed to find this out since his memory isn't really the best. This is how the conversation went, over dinner:

Mr. Fox: Did you know that tomorrow is our one year engagement anniversary?
Me: (completely surprised) No, I had completely forgotten! You're right!
Mr. Fox: (triumphantly) See, I remember stuff.
Me: (kind of excited) So we're going to have a date over sushi to celebrate?
Mr. Fox: (a bit hesitantly) Well, I thought about surprising you with that but then I changed my mind.
Me: (excitement gone, expecting a big letdown) Why?
Mr. Fox: (sarcastically) Because we can go grocery shopping and you could always cook instead.

He's romantic, that one. But seriously, sometimes he really is. Especially that time he decided to propose marriage...

We, like many modern long distance couples, had decided to buy the engagement ring together. There would be no little-ring-box-surprise for me. I would not experience that Sex in the City moment where Carrie puked after seeing the ring Aidan had selected for her (in the following video around 2:20).

But I was okay with it. Choosing the ring together meant that I would ultimately get what I wanted... or so I thought.

You see, after many (exhausting) visits to various jewelry stores in the Princeton, NJ area, we still had not found the ring. We were suffering a time crunch, like always, and had to take the hunt on the road. We were going to Chicago for a conference I had helped to organize and decided to stay a few days afterward to enjoy each other and the city. While there, our ring was born and it was a lovely experience. (We'll talk more about that later.)

Having a lovely time! House of Blues, Chicago.

Normal photo, even including a smile. House of Blues, Chicago.

So it was done! We had succeeded! There was a ring! And I was so happy!

Except...

I had to wait.

Mr. Fox had no intention of giving me the ring in Chicago. He just decided it was more fun to watch me squirm knowing that that lovely piece of expensive commitment was in the hotel safe.

For 3 days he was a complete bastard.

Ok, not really. But I was amped! The first day was excruciating, the second day less so, and with the failure to produce a bent knee on the third day, I resigned and we returned to NJ on July 4th.

Things had gone well with our travels and mini-vacation until I arrived to my apartment and had a nasty spat with my sister. I was upset the rest of the night, but fortunately had Mr. Fox to comfort me.

I returned to work the next day leaving Mr. Fox to play house husband and IT technician while I was away. (Sidenote: he is fantastic at both these jobs... too bad I have no desire to be the breadwinner.) When I came home, I asked if he was interested in having sushi for dinner. He agreed, saying "that was my idea."

During dinner, I anxiously watched his hands and any time they dipped below the table, I eagerly anticipated the big reveal. However anxious I was, with each hand dip, I experienced a moment of panic since the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet is not exactly the kind of classy place you want to be the home of your engagement stories and memories. Alas, the sushi dinner date was simple and uneventful.

We returned home to the plans to watch a movie. While I settled on the couch, Mr. Fox disappeared into the bathroom. Nothing abnormal about that. As I searched Netflix for something I felt like watching, Mr. Fox came out of the nether regions of the apartment and sat on the floor in front of me. He seemed a bit out of sorts, his body language was a bit tense.

He asked, "How long have we known each other?"
I responded, ever so technically, "Well, we met in February 2009 when I visited Germany the first time for my assignment so I guess that makes it about 2 years and 5 months. But we've only been dating since April of last year."
He responded, inching a bit closer to me, voice full of emotion, "These past few years have been the happiest of my life."
I could feel his emotion, I started to get emotional myself.
"I would like to continue this happiness for the rest of my life with you as my wife."
I burst into tears. Huge, ugly, gasping tears. I didn't even really hear the rest of what he said. I just saw the little box brought out and opened with the tiny treasure inside. I cried more as he slipped the ring onto my finger. We hugged, we kissed.

And at some point I was able to get it together and say, "I suppose I'm supposed to respond. (Me, the eternal smart ass.) Yes, yes of course I do!"

And that was it! We were engaged!

We rounded out our emotional evening by watching a very fitting movie: a documentary on the Aryan Brotherhood. We're romantics.