A Long Engagement.
It has been
a constant running joke between my husband and I that he never asked me to
marry him. We’ve been married 25 years, and together over 28 years, how we ever
got around to getting married I can’t think!
When
girlfriends would trot out their romantic stories of how they met and married I
always felt I had no decent story to tell.
I never had
an engagement ring, and felt like I’d missed out. In fact, using my great
grandmother's wedding ring on the day, he didn’t even have to buy me a wedding
ring! I’d always hoped for an eternity ring after my first born, but it took
until my fourth baby before I got a ring at all!
It was
worth the wait when finally my first ring was given, on Christmas Day after our
youngest was born, Paul gave me a ‘children’s ring’ that he designed it has
sapphire, diamond, diamond, sapphire. Representing daughter, son, son,
daughter. Nice and sparkly!
When
telling a friend in America that year during our annual phone call she went all
soppy and exclaimed how lovely he was, and how romantic a gesture he’d made.
She then asked me what I’d brought him, to which I replied ‘A toaster’.
The next
ring turned up was my wedding ring, finally! This one engraved with roman
numerals, punctuated by diamonds. It’s very useful, as I often forget the year
we got married, and by taking a look on my ring, can work it out and fill in
the odd bit of paper work.
Then, on
my ‘big birthday’ after the Goblin (our
youngest) turned 10, I finally had as my birthday present the ring to end all
rings… my eternity ring! I used every bit of birthday money, and the lion's
share from Paul. I love it! Diamonds… and I do like a bit of sparkle. The ring
I had hoped for after my first baby was born had only taken 25 years to
materialise! I’m nothing if not patient!
Then May
last year, we had our silver wedding anniversary. As our anniversary treat we
returned to Sevilla, where we had our honeymoon. On our original honeymoon, we
took our one year old daughter, on our silver anniversary trip, we took our 10
year old daughter. At least we are consistent!
On the day
of our anniversary we went for a horse and buggy ride around Parque Maria
Luisa, and the Gobin was allowed up front with the driver, and he let her hold
the reins as we walked around the beautiful gardens. At the end of the ride, as
we were about to climb out of the carriage, Paul turned to me and asked me to marry
him. Erica pulled out a ring box from her bag, and handed it to Paul, and I
wish I’d had the foresight to get him to ask twice… or think about it- but of
course I flung my arms around him with a big kiss and said “YES!’
We have
lived our lives backwards, baby, marriage, three further babies, and finally a
proposal! Paul says he waited to make sure it was ‘going to work’.
Fair
enough.
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