The Proposal

Sommer had bronchitis the day I proposed to her.  She didn’t know it at the time, just knew that she felt terrible.  So terrible that we almost postponed the trip.

 I think that is the best way to start this last chapter of our magical tale of love. 

So I had the ring, I had Sommer thinking I was going to propose in January, I had the trip, I had the place….or did I?  I was thinking of proposing at the observation deck in the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.  A couple days before the trip I was looking at the Willis Tower website and decided that the observation deck was not so much romantic like Sleepless in Seattle but more like proposing in the middle of a Disney parade with screaming (and possibly vomiting) children all around.

I needed another place.  So I got to work Googling….

 “Top Places to Propose in Chicago.”

 Or something like that.  I just Googled that phrase and the website I had found last December didn’t show up, maybe I dreamed it.

Anyways….one of the top places was Willis Tower.  Apparently people like hordes of people around.  Another places was Buckingham Fountain.  A giant beautiful fountain near the lake.  When I checked out where exactly it was I discovered it was a 10 minute walk from Shedd Aquarium where we were going to be.

Score.

The website even talked about how beautiful the fountain was in the winter.  And at night they lit it up!  Perfect!

I had found my spot.

 

The Day Of

 

We decided to ride the train into Chicago and avoid the hassle (and cost) of parking.  This was a good idea, riding the train with Sommer was a very relaxing and fun time…for the most part.  The ring was in its box in my front coat pocket.  I assumed that every woman had a sixth sense and any time Sommer would brush against the front of my coat she would feel the ring box and know I was about to propose.  Fortunately for me, she lacked this ring sense….or maybe the bronchitis covered it up.

I was texting with my friend Cameron (see what I did there Cameron?) who knew the whole plan.  At one point, when Sommer and I were looking at Google Maps on my iPhone, a text from Cameron popped up, “Nervous?”

One word can ruin everything.

 

Sommer looked at the message, then looked at me blankly, “What would we be nervous about?”

 Bronchitis getting in the way again.

I made some joke then hurriedly texted back that Sommer could see my phone.  Cameron was good the rest of the day.

From Union Station in Chicago we caught a bus to Shedd Aquarium, where we then proceeded to stand in line, in the 13ish degree weather, for an hour and a half…..did I mention Sommer had bronchitis?

Shedd Aquarium was cool, but not worth an hour and a half wait, and definitely not worth freezing the entire hour and a half.  It was such a relief to get inside.

And the jellyfish exhibit was cool.

Whateves, yo....on to the good stuff!

Sommer and I had brought warmer clothes to wear when we walked around Chicago after leaving Shedd.  Sommer took a little longer to get changed and while I stood outside the restroom waiting for her, the realization that I was really and truly about to propose hit me.

My heart started pounding

Nerves came and went

Time slowed to a crawl

I texted Adiel...maybe Justin....then, I think, Cameron..... possibly Gabrielle....maybe not even in that order...letting them know that the moment was fast approaching.  My memory is pretty hazy.  I might have just been Googling their names instead of texting.

Sommer came out, blissfully unaware that I was a complete wreck at this point, and off we went.

 
Side Note: If you are wondering why I didn't text YOU when I was texting others, the answer is that they had texted me throughout the day with cryptic messages letting me know that they were excited for me.  Also, my brain was a scrambled mess so I'm sorry that I didn't text you, Great-Aunt-Thrice-Removed Martha.

The walk along Lake Michigan is a beautiful walk I’m sure, I just don’t remember it.  I do remember Sommer needing me to slow down at one point because I was walking too fast for her, which has never happened before nor will happen again most likely.

I was tracking our progress on Google Maps and we arrived at the park, or what I thought was the park.  Where the giant beautiful fountain should be had been replaced with some pathetic looking shrubs….

 

....or at least I thought so until I realized that the fountain was one more block north.

Off we went!  I could see that the fountain plaza was raised up.  You had to walk up some steps to get up to the plaza to see the fountain, but as we approached dread started to fill me.  I didn’t see any lights.  I kept hoping that I was just missing something, that nothing was wrong, but then we reached the top step.  The fountain lay before us in all its majestic beauty…

 
Totally dry.

Bone frickin' dry.

 

No lights, no nothing.

 

Tumbleweed blew through the fountain and plaza.

Just some bum wandering around looking for, I assume, meth....maybe food, but definitely meth....ok, maybe he wasn't a bum, and he was like a mile away, but the story sounds better if he was a meth addicted bum.  He was probably a pastor searching for homeless people to get to his shelter so they could have a warm place to sleep and a good meal....or a meth-head, nothing in between, that much is certain.

We walked up to the railing, one that was thankfully tall enough to protect us from falling in and drowning in the dry fountain.  My heart pounding like I had just run a 10 mile race.  I looked around.  The Chicago skyline was on two sides, the lake on the east, the bum/pastor was far away, no one was around, this was as good as I was going to get, I needed to ask.  I couldn't hold it in for another 10 minutes much less another week or two.

Sommer, trying to lighten the mood, made water motions with her hands and said “swoosh!!” as if the fountain had just started up.  I laughed, glad to find that my vocal cords were still working.

I used her mood lightening moment to snatch my glove off of my left hand and place my hand in my pocket, clutching the ring box, practicing opening and closing it, making sure that it was facing the right way.

“Did I ever tell you the story about my mother and grandmother?” I began.  And with that I launched into the tale of the ring, be careful to call it a piece of jewelry.  I waxed on eloquently about how much my mother loved that (piece of jewelry) because grandma had given it to her.

I paused

 “The jewelry was actually a ring," I paused and let that linger in the air, "and I have it here with me….”

 

I turned Sommer toward me, realization dawning in her eyes.

 

I opened the ring box as I went to one knee, her eyes lighting up

 

“…..and I would be honored if you would marry me.”

 

She nodded, let out a happy "yes!" then began to cry.

 

It was a beautiful moment, one I will never forget.

 

Then she said, between tears, “But it isn’t January!”

 

 

In two weeks (from the writing of this post) I will watch in wonder as my beloved (and hot) Sommer walks down the aisle towards me.  I have no idea what God has in store for us, but I know that we will both work hard to have an amazing marriage, one that honors God and makes others envious…

 

Yep, I went there.

 

I love you, Sommer!  It could only have been someone as amazingly special as you to get into my heart so quickly and cut through the fear that I had wrapped around me to try to protect myself.  I have no idea what life looks like anymore without you as a part of it.....and I don’t even want to try.