Oh, yes, I'm recalling the night I transformed from "a plaything into a person" right before my eyes and without even knowing it. I had no idea what that meant but assumed he was admitting that he loved me. Being on the "shy" side definitely has its downfalls.
With a long distance relationship now ongoing because I had moved 300 miles away, I tried not to get my hopes up for anything permanent. As Montana winters lurked in the near future, he came to see me every other weekend until the snow flew and the roads became dangerously wicked. I, too, would make the journey to see him whenever possible.
After three years of racking up the highway miles between us, I became restless. This relationship was going nowhere except "back and forth" between two rural towns. Obviously he was content with the way we were, but I wanted more. Don't all women want more?
He was too easy going, too laid back. In order to get what I wanted, I'd need to be more assertive and take things into my own hands. Once I had a plan, I grabbed his sister Karen and took her with me to the jewelry store. You have to know Karen to understand just how crazy the two of us were that day. We giggled, we laughed, and we picked out the perfect ring for me and her brother that day. Of course, we had no money to purchase it; besides, that was neither my intent nor my job!
The jeweler photographed the ring for me so I could show the prospective "groom" and said that he would hold the ring for ten days. If after that time the ring was still there, it would be returned to the showcase.
Later that evening, I presented the photograph to him and nonchalantly said, "I have a birthday coming, and if you'd like, you have ten days to pick this present up for me at Zale's." He never said a word, but...
...he gave me the ring for my birthday and two months later we were married. After what I consider the longest "enragement" (my pun for engagement) in history, we are still together 34 years later....the love of my life...my "true friend." I love you, TC.
To be continued...
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