Two months passed, two months, no mention of getting married, nothing. And I was happy to date, I was, but who brings up marriage and then just drops it like nothing was ever said? I wasn't about to become the needy girlfriend who pressured commitment though, so I did what every girl should do, when waiting for a proposal.
I enjoyed my time with Joe. I got to know him. I learned all about him. I focused on each date like it was the best one ever, and there were some best ones in there. The fun thing about living an hour apart and seeing each other once a week made for a couple of nice things.
-We recognized how valuable our time was together.
-It made it SO EASY to surprise each other occasionally in the middle of the week by showing up on the doorstep of one another.
Finally, November came, and Joe told me he was intent on marrying me, he hadn't forgotten about it, but he wanted to talk to my parents and ensure they were on board. I had a football game one day, and Joe arranged to drive up to my parents' house and "ask for my hand in marriage."
All day long my stomach was rumbly and in knots. I didn't know how it was going to go. What if my parents hated him? What if Joe decided it was too much and decided not to pursue me anymore?
The Utes won that day.
And my dad texted me and said I couldn't have picked a better guy. They liked him, they really liked him! And really I shouldn't have been worried, but I was. Joe and I had spent a lot of time with my family, and everyone got along so well, things just seemed to click. I loved the harmony.
The ball was once again in Joe's court (had it ever left?) and now he had to pop the big question.
And boy did he make me wait.
The first weekend came and went, as did the second... we had a trip planned to Colorado for Thanksgiving with his family, and I thought if ever there was going to be a great opportunity to propose, it'd be on this trip.
But no such luck. It was still a fantastic trip. The Becars spoiled me, they really did, and I loved getting to know them all a little better. If ever Joe was going to ask me to marry him, I was glad I would be joining a family like them!
Thanksgiving ended, we came back to Utah and back to school, and still nothing happened. I started dropping hints. I'd tell people who may tell Joe different ways that it'd be nice to get engaged....
For example, my parents had pretty much gotten engaged watching Doctor Who, and Joe had introduced me to Doctor Who, wouldn't that be funny if we got engaged the same way my parents did?
One weekend we were watching the season finale of Doctor Who. This was going to be his chance. The show wasn't coming back for months. It was now or (in my mind) never.
"Lara, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Yeah? Joe? What is it?" Maybe I was on edge.
"Lara.... will you go out with me tomorrow?"
And then he laughed and laughed and laughed. The next day we had a date planned anyways, to a German Christmas festival. Maybe his opportunity was there?
And the festival came and went and NOPE. We were making dinner that night, and I was up on the stool grabbing some spices off the top shelf. I turned around to find Joe down on one knee.
"Lara?"
"Yes? Joe?"
"I'm tying my shoe."
And he laughed and laughed.
The next day was Sunday. Joe had been teasing me all weekend and I DO love to be teased but you can only handle so much.
Joe said that since an engagement would be coming soon, maybe it'd be nice to go for a drive and look at some places we could take pictures after the matter. We bundled up because it was windy, rainy, and cold out, and went for a drive, taking stops here and there to see what we thought of the location.
He knew something I didn't.
We ended up at Fort Douglas, on the University of Utah campus under a gazebo. It was freezing. It was windy. There were candles there that were no longer lit. There were little items representing dates and inside jokes laying all around, and there was Joe.
On one knee.
"Lara Jean Smith, will you marry me?"
And there it was, that feeling you dream of where your heart jumps and your life is there before you and you've never felt so confident in a one word answer.
"Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!"
Or maybe a 6 word answer.
April 25, 2013, the date was set.
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