The only back story on this...is that my parents are sweet and old, and totally clueless to how men propose to women these days. I guess it used to be like a business agreement. Ha!
Although, Virgil had asked permission from my dad before he proposed, he told me later that we drove around in his car for two weeks with the ring in his glove compartment. I think his plan was to just let me find it, or if a great moment presented itself, he though he would be prepared. :) That's my husband.
So, on his way over to my parents house, he gets a little impatient that I haven't found it etc. While he was coming over for a swim (my parents back yard is gorgeous in the summer), I had been hosing off my parents windows and cleaning them for them. Yup, so I was GROSS. My mom had brought out a snack of chips and queso, and I am not shy about food. I was digging in when Virgil arrived. He was on a mission.
I was in the backyard sitting by the pool eating...or stuffing my face. He walked right out. I noticed that his pocket was huge and his hand was in it, and when he reached me he pulled out a pair of sunglasses that I had left at his house. "You left these at my house." I took them from him and as I turned around to say thank you, he was already down on one knee.
I will admit over and over, that this is not exactly how I imagined it, but it was spectacular. It wasn't roses and candles, it was surprise and the most beautiful words that have ever been spoken to me.
"Jackie, will you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?"
I said, "no. no. are you serious?" I think I was about one word away from going crazy about how boys should not joke around with girls about pretending to propose because it is mean. That's how in disbelief I was that it was happening.
Of course rings come in huge boxes now a days, and as I am about to go on my diatribe of fake proposals, I notice that Virgil is struggling a little bit to get the huge thing in his pocket out of his pocket. How he ever got that ring box out of his swim trunks pocket is beyond me.
At this moment, I see the box, and I know. I know. I really know. I know, that this is a real proposal. We aren't playing at the pool. And I continue to say, "I am not dressed. I look like crap. Are you sure?" and various other phrases that were making him go crazy because I hadn't actually said the one word he was waiting to hear.
"Jackie, I think you look beautiful (wiping Queso off my face), I hope there is a yes somewhere in there."
Now, if this was That 70s Show, we would cue the crazy music in the basement, and I would call this my "outer body experience."
And I laugh. And I laugh. Because I know in my mind, that I have actually been waiting for this.
Waiting for him my whole life.
Praying for him my whole life, and finally God has put him right here in front of me at my parents' pool down on one knee, and he is waiting....he is getting nervous...and I scream,
back to reality
"YES! Of course yes! Yes one million times! I will marry you!"
We kiss. we jump in the pool like crazy people, and I learn the first lesson of being engaged. When men spend a lot of money on a ring, they get crazy about how you take care of it.
"Do you think you should take it off while we are in the pool?"
"I just got it. You want me to take it off?"
"Well, just while we are in the pool."
Then Virgil learns the first lesson of being an engaged man, consider your life to be run by a woman!
"Well, then let's get out of the pool." :)
Back to the part where my parents are old and sweet. The whole time this is happening, they decide they should hide because they want us to have our privacy. So, when I finally get my sea legs back, I run in the house and I am like, "Did you see it?! Did you see Virgil propose?!" I can't find them. They are tucked away back in my dad's office. I am a little disappointed that they didn't watch from the window like I thought they were, but I finally find them and once again announce my exciting news.
My mom suggests that we grill some steaks and open a bottle of champagne. So, we sit around the table and eat and drink. Low key but absolutely perfect.
"Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Justice!"
The End!
