The Proposal

Let’s take it back to August 16, 2008. Around 4am my Mom, Dad, Mr. H, and I packed up the car, bid farewell to Gwenny (their dog), and took off for Cape Cod.

On the car ride Mr. H quietly informed me that he had some possibly upsetting news, but could not tell me until we were away from my parents and their best friends (Tony & Karen were meeting us at the beach). Being the impatient person I am, and a worrywart, I put up a bit of a stink and bugged him all day at the beach. Of course he wouldn’t tell me a thing!

I got a little bit of a stinkface working here… probably because I was mad he wouldn’t tell me his story.

On the way to the Beachcomber Restaurant on Cahoon Hollow Beach, the guys and girls rode in separate cars. Mr. H sent me a bunch of funny text messages from the other car preparing me for a top secret mission to escape everyone and talk about his gossip. I figured that I had waited long enough to hear his so very important information that I could wait until after dinner. I ALWAYS want to go for a walk on the beach so he didn’t understand why I was being a poop.

The thing was I was worried my parents would get mad if we disappeared, I didn’t want to get my feet sandy, and I didn’t want to fall down the crazy hill, so I told him I was going back to the restaurant and he could go take a walk alone. He took off towards the steep sand dune that led to the ocean knowing I would tag right along anyways (cause I love being with him). After sliding down the hill I had to chase him down because he was walking quickly and far away from the restaurant. He was rambling about me living far away from my parents, how it made him feel guilty, and how after 4.5 years of being together, no one in my family liked him for making me live in TN. (I seriously thought he was about to break up with me). The tears started flowing and just when I was about to have an emotional breakdown, he gave me a hug from behind and kissed me on top of my head. As we stood hugging and looking out at the ocean, I realized I felt a box or something digging into my back and started to squirm of out his hug. As I tried to escape he began to whisper in my ear, “I want you to know I made everything up that I just told you. I had to be mean before I was nice…I love you so much…” the rest is a blur.

In one swift motion he spun me around, got down on one knee, and I heard, “Will you marry me?” I was so excited I didn’t even notice he was holding an open box with a ring inside. I was crying and jumping up and down for a good couple of minutes before he asked, “Don’t you even want to see the ring??”Of course I said, “YES!!” and with shaking hands he put the most gorgeous shiny diamond ring EVER to exist on my left finger…

We practically ran back to the restaurant, hand in hand, excited to share the news with my family. When I walked inside with my left hand in front of my face, my mom stared at me confused and unsuspecting, while my dad and Tony smiled suspiciously and excitedly. (Little did I know Mr. H had asked my father’s permission to marry me while I was at the store earlier that day. Of course my father, goosebumps and all, told him YES).

My mother finally processed what was happening and for once in her life was speechless! Her best friend Karen started bawling and we all moved in for a group hug. (Tony and Karen are close to me as like an Uncle and Aunt so it was very special that they were there to celebrate with us.) It was a great moment between the six of us – everyone laughing and crying over how I didn’t want to go for a walk on the beach. Sadly my sister and T missed this moment for they weren’t going to be in the Cape until the following day – Mr. H couldn’t wait to propose and he was worried I’d find the ring. Someone ran off to check in with the hostess and we were all surprised to find out that there was an HOUR wait. We started to head outside to get celebratory drinks on the patio when there was a loud BOOM and bright flash of lightening. The sky then opened up and it started to HAIL!

It doesn’t normally hail at the beach in New England during August and I think the whole restaurant was just as shocked as we were when it started coming down. However, my Grandmother’s ashes are spread in Cape Cod, so we took the hail storm as a little sign from my Grandma Mary up above =0)