Beth and I drove up to Lake Tahoe for the weekend. (She thought we were heading up for her birthday, which was also that week.) I had the ring in my backpack in the trunk of the car, and when we arrived at the city of Lake Tahoe we stopped at a department store to pick up some supplies. I needed to switch the ring from the bag to my pocket so I told her that I just wanted to switch from flip-flops to shoes and that I’d be in the store in a second. She responded that she’d “wait with me” and I kept telling her that I’d only be a minute and that I’d be right behind her. She kept insisting to wait with me so finally I gave up, changed into shoes and went into the store with her. After a few moments in the store I had to pretend I needed to check whether I brought shaving cream (or whether I would need to buy more) and so I ran out to the car and finally moved the ring from my bag to my pocket.
After the store we went over the beach of the lake. It was windy and sand was swirling all around in the air but I insisted that we go for a short walk. I kept getting more and more nervous (especially as we would get near other people) and finally I just anxiously pulled out the ring and muttered, “So, you know I really love you right?”
Beth began to tear up, and I became even more nervous, especially as I noticed someone watching us, so I eventually blurted out, “Do you want to move further down the beach?” to which she shouted (half-laughing), “No!”
“So, I really love you,” I repeated.
“And??” she prompted.
“And, here’s your ring,” I stammered
“And??!!”
“Oh yeah! Will you marry me!”
She gave me a huge hug and kiss, her tears falling from her cheeks to my shoulders. Things hadn’t gone exactly as I had planned, but it was still the second best day (after our wedding day) of my life.
- M.J., Santa Monica, California