Love Sick {Our Proposal Story}

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It’s wedding season and this time of year has me reminiscing on my own love story. I’ve always enjoyed diving headfirst into a good chick flick, drowning in the eyes of some cute guy from the 1800s with a hot accent (I see you Bridgerton). But that is never quite the reality is it? At least for me, our love story looks a bit more like a romantic comedy with two off-beat actors trying to survive until the credits roll.

I suppose it started with the proposal.

proposal

It was the Christmas of 2006, a very cold, appropriately white Christmas day in Ohio. I just knew he was going to propose, and I couldn’t wait to scream “YES!” I just knew he was going to pull off an elaborate, tear-filled proposal with all of our family present. I just knew it was going to be sprinkled with roses and doused in champagne. I just knew. I was very, very wrong.

One by one, my entire family came down with the stomach flu. They were dropping like flies by that afternoon. The entire extended family was supposed to come over, which all had to be canceled of course. Each person retired to their bedroom, and I was completely deflated. My dream of a sweet mistletoe Christmas proposal was as lost as the wrapping paper tossed into the trashcan. My boyfriend called and said he had to drive back to Tennessee for a job interview and asked if I wanted to come along for the weekend. I remember trying to hide my disappointment and climbing into his truck as we prepared to head south.

I think we got to Lexington before it got me. The worst, most gut-wrenching nausea hit me like a punch from Tyson. It wasn’t like a sweet “Oh, my stomach is a little queasy.” Absolutely not. It was a “Dear Lord, get me to the bathroom as fast as humanly possible because I am not sure what is happening inside my body and unless you want a mess on I-75, you will break every speed limit on the road.”

We pulled over, grabbed a few grocery bags and continued our two-hour trek to Knoxville. God bless him, I am sure that poor guy heard ungodly noises coming from that passenger seat, but he just kept apologizing that I felt so terrible.

We finally made it.

His apartment was part of a giant old house that had been converted into smaller apartments for college students. It had no heat, walls exposed to the outdoors, and the walls were made of crumbling plaster. It was the typical bachelor pad, with a hand-me-down couch and a giant old television. Once he finally opened the door, I flew around that corner like a sweaty bull toward a red towel steaming full force to the bathroom.

I was completely mortified. We had dated for years, but the demon-possessed wrenching in the car for the past two hours was less than sexy and a whole new side of me, I am sure. I wiped off my face, brushed my teeth, cleaned up a bit and walked out of the bathroom. His face mirrored mine: miserable and completely heartbroken. We settled in on the worn couch and turned on the staticky television. He sighed and said, “Well, if it makes you feel better, I didn’t get what I wanted for Christmas this year.” Y’all, if I could have come any more unglued, that statement did it.

Are you kidding me?

I began to go over the list in my head of all the gifts I got him, and all of the horrible events of the day. Was he serious? You have got to be kidding. As soon as I prepared my epic-length response, I turned to him and he was on one knee.

“I wanted you to say yes, and spend the rest of your life with me. So what do you think, can we do the whole live happily ever after thing? Will you marry me?” He held out the sweetest diamond ring, his face beaming with excitement, pride and hope.

“Are you serious? Of course, yes! Finally!” I couldn’t get the ring on fast enough, and he kissed my forehead.

“I thought about doing it at your house, but everyone got so sick. I just couldn’t wait anymore! It sparkles so much… you have to see it!” He exclaimed as he literally screwed in a light into the plaster wall behind the couch so I could see the diamond facets dance along the walls.

We were barely out of college, with little to no money and in no real place to start a life together, but we were dedicated to making it work. It’s been 14 years since that less-than-ideal Christmas that included disgusting bodily functions and the longest road trip of my life.

No, our love story isn’t grand and sparkly. It doesn’t involve glass slippers or red carpet runways. It looks a little more like Target day dates while the kids are at school and carry out pizza after they finally fall asleep. To know it all began with a hysterically-timed, slightly nauseating yet completely romantic proposal from my best guy, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What is your love story? Please share!