*****
Jeromy and I actually began talking about getting married back in January! (And since November, joking about running off to elope--in fact, we still do!) Very early on we knew this love was real, that God had His hand in this relationship and that there are plans He has for us together. Since we hadn't known each other very long we thought this connection we encountered was absolutely CRAZY! And it really IS!
We started talking about rings in February, and Jeromy started shopping around while I spent some more time in Charlotte. The week of Valentine's Day he called up my parents' house (well, after staring at his phone for 20 minutes!), and he asked my dad to unshackle his daughter--I mean, to marry his daughter! ;) Jeromy picked out a beautiful oval solitaire online, and he allowed me to choose the trellis setting. Knowing we were planning on getting married in the Fall (funny how SOME plans change...) and that we had long since been committed, waiting on the official proposal was TORTURE! I wanted to tell the world about my man, but I had to learn some patience.
Fortunately, Jeromy didn't make me wait too long. (He says I was "chomping at the bit"--how romantic!) While on vacation with the Cecil's in Vermont (beginning of March) he set up the details with the lighthouse caretakers, and planned to ask me shortly after my return a week later.
That weekend we had friends visit, and they had to leave earlier that morning. During the drive back from church Jeromy thought to call the guys to see where they were at on their trip home. Before hanging up one of his friends, unaware that he was on SPEAKER PHONE, said, "Oh, and pre-congratulations about tonight." Jeromy's ears turned bright red and I stared straight ahead. I didn't hear that, I really didn't hear that! "You're an idiot, I'm on speaker phone." Not another word was said about it! I thought it was ruined! I thought he for sure would decide not to propose that night.
We ate an entire pint of potato salad while sitting on the dock at Piney Point that evening. I still wasn't sure what was up Jeromy's sleeve, as it was pretty leisure. I was wearing capris, and my legs were getting cold, so I asked Jeromy if I could borrow his fleece jacket to cover them. I had no idea, but the ring was in the jacket pocket, and could have easily fallen into the water! But how was I to know? The sun was setting, so we walked over to the lighthouse. I had never seen it with the light on, and that was special in and of itself.
All of a sudden Jeromy began inspecting every square inch of the lighthouse. He was looking for a key, an open padlock, anything that would let us inside like he had been promised. I didn't know any of this. To me he looked like a crazy man running around the thing! He then ran over to the house a few yards away, jumped up the steps to see if the key was taped to the door. I was like, "What are you doing?! We're going to get in trouble for trespassing!" A dog started barking in one of the windows, yet he kept running around the property as if he owned it!
Finally he gave up his search, led me closer to the water's edge, and said, "Well....I brought you here for a reason." My eyes grew as big as saucers, I could feel it. Jer got down on one knee and, "I'm asking...will you be my wife?" (or something along those lines--no girl is thinking straight at a moment like that!) I do remember, however, responding with a hearty, "Of course!"Not everything went as planned, but everything was absolutely perfect!
