The Engagement...

<-------I'm the Fi(ance,) and I was told(not asked,) to write a little bit about how I popped the question to Brooke. Just kidding, she asked very nicely(I love you!)

Back in October we went ring shopping. We went to a number of stores, and Brooke had an idea about what she wanted already. We found a great ring for a relatively cheap price and it looked like it was about to happen. We checked our credit at Zales(I think it was Zales,) and it looked like we would be able to buy it with our combined credit. It was all feeling a little fast for me, and Brooke was in disbelief that we were about to get a ring.

It didn't happen.

I think Brooke was a little distraught, and I was a little stuck on the idea that it was too soon to get married.

Tension building in our relationship, Brooke sad, and with me as stubborn as can be on many issues, she asked, "Why not now? What's the difference between now and then?"

Those words hung with me, and in that moment I played it off, but that week in early December I did a complete 

180. What is the difference between now and then? I know right now that you are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Brooke, you are my love, my joy, and my pride. Let's get married, I thought to myself.

The next time she asked if we were ever going to go ring shopping again, I said that we should go. That day, after basically being groped by the salesman at Goldsmith Jewelers(he wouldn't stop putting his hand on my shoulder and calling me by the wrong name,) we decided on a ring and put money down to hold it.

So I now have a beautiful ring on the way to match my 

beautiful girlfriend, and all that's left is to pop the question.

<----Brooke elated after we put money down on the ring

We found that the ring would be available to pick up the day after Christmas. That was a Friday. This was perfect because it was busy that week at Sundance, and I was already working a lot, so I picked up that shift before we even got the ring. Not able to wait to do it, I gave the shift away and didn't tell Brooke. She was up at her grandparent's house in Grantsville that friday night, and wasn't going to be home until around 8pm. 

Perfect.

I had the whole day to pick up the ring, get a key to the house from Brianne(her twin sister,) pick up a whole bunch of roses, print pictures, get rose petals, and of course, chocolate.

While I'm waiting for them to get home in their basement, I fell asleep on the couch. Luckily, John(my brother who is married to Brooke's sister Jessica, it's not weird I promise,) came over because he is a romantic and had to be there when it happened. Actually, to this day I don't know why he showed up. But at least that woke me up in time.

So here's how I envisioned it happening. Brooke walks in from the garage before her family(because they knew.) She takes off her shoes and pauses as she notices the trail of rose petals and pictures of us. Slowly she walks down the hallway taking notice of the perfect angle I placed each picture and remembering every picture with fondness. When she finally gets to the room. I'm nowhere to be found. She just stands there confused for a second. I sneak up on her and start the music.

Earlier that day I rewrote some lyrics to one of our recent favorite songs about a guy wishing he didn't screw up the relationship and watch his girl walk out the door never to be seen by him again. It's a great song, and there is one lyric that I love to sing to Brooke when it plays. So I didn't change that. 

But here is what Snow Patrol wrote:

You Could Be Happy 

Snow Patrol 

Eyes Open 

You could be happy and I won't know

But you weren't happy the day I watched you go

And all the things that I wish I had not said

Are played in loops till it's madness in my head 

Is it too late to remind you how we were?

But not our last days of silent screaming blur 

Most of what I remember makes me sure 

I should have stopped you from walking out the door 

You could be happy I hope you are 

You made me happier than I've been by far 

Somehow everything I own, smells of you 

And for the tiniest moments it's all not true 

Do the things that you always wanted to 

Without me there to hold you back don't think just do   

More than anything I want to see you girl

Take a glorious bite out of the whole world 

And this is was what I wrote instead.   

You could be happy, and I won’t know..    

But I don’t want it that way, I want more.   

All the little things about you, I really love.    

They always make me smile, what rhymes with love?          

Is it too early to tell you, that I’m sure?

That a life without your love, would just hurt…

Most of what I remember, of our past,   

Makes me want to be sure, it really lasts.   

You could be happy I hope you are

You made me happier than I’ve been by far

I’m so in Love that I resort to singing.

And that’s why I have to, pull out this ring.

Do the things that you always wanted to  

With me there to hold your hand in my hand.  

More than anything I want to Marry you, girl.

We can face everything together from now on.

Just marry me girl…

I drop to my knee and pop the question. She cries and says yes.

This is not what happened....

Instead, Brooke walks in the door, has already seen John's car, so the pictures on the floor must be of him and Jessica. But upon closer inspection, she realizes that it's of me and her. She starts running down the stairs following the trail, and gets into the room. I'm hiding in her closet...

She doesn't stop at the doorway or by her bed, she starts searching everywhere for the ring. 

I open the closet door, and push play on the music. She comes over and hugs me, and I try to start to sing, but thinking I'm just singing her a sad song, she laughs and says, "You don't have to sing!" "It's okay! Don't sing, let go of me" She's trying to get away from me. She realizes that I'm not at work, and remembers that the ring was done that day. Not basking in the most romantic thing that I could come up with,  she keeps pulling away so she can check the bouquet for an engagement ring.

Realizing that she's too excited, I stop singing my beautiful song, stop holding her away from the bouquet, and pull out the ring. She doesn't notice. She's already on her way to the bouquet. I stand in front of her, and put the ring box in her line of sight. 

Like a dog who sees you holding a treat, she stares at it and starts to grab at it. I hold it away from her, drop awkwardly to my knee, and propose.