He Who Makes Me Smile: Chapter Three – Engaged!

Engagement!

Despite knowing and planning and talking and well, knowing…it feels quite different.

He Who Makes Me Smile originally told me about a family diamond, and had me thinking about a setting for an engagement ring. And then he changed his mind and decided he wanted to get me something brand new instead.

Yikes!

I had no idea what kind of a ring I would want? I never even really pictured wearing an engagement ring to tell you the truth! So I started browsing lots and lots online and found many gorgeous examples. Of course, this is only online in person they look radically different…

I found one or 10 that I enjoyed and sent along links. And started to wonder…is he trying to fool me asking about what I like when I think he already knows? Is he trying to throw me off the trail and is going to ask sooner than later? You know, thinking like a woman. It’s not like we haven’t talked extensively about our future together…and ideas about a wedding (including phone calls to venues.)

At Opening Weekend of Curtain Up, I invited my sister-in-law and niece Little A (who is not even little anymore!) to see Pinkalicious at the Theater of Youth. Before the play we went to dinner where I was talking all about the above when Little A stopped in her tracks and said…

“Now, I know what you’re talking about Aunt Jenny! Why don’t you just ASK if he bought a ring yet?” 🙂

Adorable. Too stinking adorable.

I went home that night, ok, the next morning, and asked…and he just smiled.

Fast Forward to Saturday, September 24th. An evening of Roller Derby was planned but we wanted dinner before hand. But dinner finished early and we needed to waste time so I suggested looking at pretty jewelry at the store since I’ve never really looked before…he agreed, easily.

We walked in the store and instantly I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (after she had the help on Rodeo Drive, not before…)

“CONGRATULATIONS!”

“Would you like some cappuccino or water?”

YIKES! We just came in to browse at the pretty rings…………

Ok, we will sit with a specialist and listen to a presentation and yes, coffee would be lovely (after the 3rd person asked!)

Basically, I knew what I didn’t really like. I knew I wanted a round stone (or I thought, and this was because this was the stone that He Who Makes Me Smile already had…) and I knew I liked vintage-y settings or classic solitaire look, not the three stone kind or the diamond on the band side. We both knew we liked White Gold and He Who Makes Me Smile knew what size he wanted the middle stone to be, and all the other K’s or C’s or whatever those things are.

Ready…Go!

The diamond specialist had his assistant going to the boxes and bringing me selections for a setting and started talking to He Who Makes Me Smile (I guess and me?) about the center stone. I looked at a few that I said I would like and then…

LO!

I saw THE RING over in the display to my left, among the rings I said I didn’t want that had diamonds on the band. I loved it. I didn’t think I would love it, but it called to me anyhow. I kept putting it down and picking it up again and thinking “I like this one but it has diamonds on the band and feels too sparkly.” This went on and on and on. A center stone was decided on and the jeweler kept trying to place it on the top of the setting to show me what it would look like once made and I couldn’t stop looking at the shiny, shiny setting. At one point I was so excited to see it again close up I lifted my hand up before the jeweler removed the loose diamond and the diamond flew…into my lap on my black skirt, thankfully. At this point the words “platinum head” and “six-prong” joined the conversation. Ha ha. Gotta love being me!

Despite having a clear love affair with the setting I never thought I wanted, it looked sort of vintage and unique to me…instead of side stones it had three small diamonds in the shape of a triangle on each side of the center. I liked that. I absolutely KNEW it was perfect after seeing a sample of the one I “liked best” online. Not even close.

I couldn’t stop staring.

I forget at what point, but at some point shortly thereafter He Who Made Me Smile said “we’ll take it.”

WHOA.

Really?

I WAS HOLDING MY FUTURE ENGAGEMENT RING!!! REALLY?

I started to get a little giddy and very quiet. Totally surreal. The jeweler told us that the ring would be ready to pick up on TUESDAY the 27th. (The 27th!!! SERENDIPITY!)

And I tried to contain myself.

Gulp. The 27th!!!

Tuesday after work I decided to stop at the liquor store to pick up some spirits. I asked He Who Makes Me Smile if I should get a bottle of Jamison for him or a bottle of bubbly? And he said bubbly…oh boy…bubbly… When I walked in the door I was playing it cool and he said to me that there was bad news and the ring wasn’t ready…followed a half a second later with “ONLY KIDDING” and then he went into the other room.

As I walked into the dining room he was standing there, so happy and so smiley WITH THE RING BOX IN HIS HAND!

Here?

Now?

Here now? Likethis? Here? Now?

He Who Makes Me Smile came over to me and asked me to marry him.

I said, yes…and followed it up with a sweet voice  “say it again?”

Tee hee.

Say it again! I was gooey and teary and smiley and smoochy and over the freaking moon.

And I hadn’t even thought about opening the box!!! He had to prompt me! When I saw the ring under the light I freaked out for a minute. HOLY CRAP! THAT’S THE RING? And as it went on my finger I could hardly believe what just happened. EVEN THOUGH I TOTALLY KNEW EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IT WAS HAPPENING! I knew I didn’t like surprises, but I can’t even imagine how I would have been if it was a surprise. I probably would have passed out and ended up in the hospital.

He Who Makes Me Smile asked if I wanted to go out for dinner, since I had planned on making his Mama’s chili…and we went to our favorite (and only?) country restaurant in town and sat at the same table we sat at the first time I went to Ransomville. Even better, we had our traditional beer and a shot at the bar. He took my phone away from me and we enjoyed dinner together. When we got home I called my mom and the Smith Family and then posted it over here on the blog and on Facebook. (Of course, love 2011 style, it ain’t official till it’s Facebook Official!)

Pretty sure I haven’t stopped smiling yet…