Part 7: Engagement

So Jon left me alone in Provo. We knew we were getting married in December, but I still didn't have a ring on my finger. And that, my friends, is the most important part of an engagement.

Because we were living halfway across the country from each other, engagement/wedding planning was very nontraditional. We never went ring shopping--my roommate Sagers took me. When I found the ring I wanted, the store emailed a picture to Jon and he made the arrangements. Now the problem was how to get the thing on my finger...

We got me a flight to Texarkana in August. Our families thought it was pretty funny that I was flying down there just so he could propose--where's the surprise in that? But we really didn't care. Neither of us care too much for big, showy, romantic displays, so this was just fine. Besides, I would be there for a whole week, so he could surprise me because I wouldn't know exactly what day he would propose!

My time in Texarkana was interesting. Jon was gone all day at work, so I slept in and read a lot. When he got home, we'd just hang out inside because it was too blasted hot to leave the house (not that there was anything to do, anyway). I was just happy to be with him.

Halfway through the week, he got a phone call saying that the ring wasn't ready. They told him they would give us a free upgrade and try to rush it, but there were no guarantees it would be there before I left. I was furious--I flew all this way and now I wouldn't even be engaged when I left?

Of course, I seriously considered the idea that this was a big prank Jon was trying to pull on me. Every night I secrectly thought he was going to surprise me and whip out the ring. But it never happened.

All my hopes were banking on my last night in Texarkana. We got all dressed up and went out to dinner at Red Lobster. I kept staring at his pockets to see if I could see a ring in there, but there was nothing. We ate, and then Jon suggested we drive around for a bit. "Aha!" I thought. "We'll drive somewhere nice and then he'll propose." But there is nowhere nice in Texarkana.

When our drive ended with us back at his apartment, I knew he really didn't have the ring. We went inside and I called Lynda to arrange my ride from the airport. She was disappointed to hear that I would be coming home exactly the way I left--unofficially engaged.

I got off the phone and noticed that Jon was kind of awkwardly lingering by the bedroom door. When I asked him what was going on, he motioned for me to come out into the front room. I noticed he was acting strangely hesitant, but I had no idea what was going on until he proposed. I honestly believed that he didn't have the ring until the moment he pulled it out. It was beautiful, and more than I expected. Jon was disappointed that it was too big for my finger, but that could be easily remidied once I got back to Provo.

We were officially engaged in the middle of Jon's empty front room. It doesn't sound like a dream proposal, but I thought it was perfect. (Apparently he really did want to find a nice place to propose while we were driving around, but Texarkana foiled his plans). I managed to hold myself together until he told me he'd called and gotten my dad's permission to marry me. I hadn't asked him to do that, and it meant so much to me.

We got a few hours of sleep before we had to leave for the airport at 3am. It was hard to leave him, but I knew I would see him again in a month. Plus, I could officially announce our engagement to our wondering friends in Provo. Only 4 months until the wedding...

PART EIGHT