A Perfectly Ruined Engagement

It was two and a half years into our relationship.

We had survived the "Worst First Date" ever.

We had survived his High School graduation.

We had survived my college graduation.

We had survived moving to another city together.

We were ready.  Ok, I was ready.  He was stalling.

The last 3 months had been a whirlwind of emotions, anger and frustration.  I wanted to get engaged and get married already!  I was ready for our lives to officially begin.  And I wasn't shy about telling him these things... on a daily basis.

Annoying much?
Very much.

And then when it finally came, I ruined it.

Let me back up and tell you the whole story.

It was September 27, 2006.  My best friend Jennifer had just started dating this guy, Tommy (who she would end up marrying and having their first baby girl just LAST week!).  She really wanted me to meet him because he was "the one".  So Mauricio and I met up with Jen and Tommy at a comedy club that was hilariously NOT funny.  We decided to leave after Jennifer almost got kicked out for heckling the comedian.  (It wasn't her first time doing that either).  And we chose a restaurant to meet at.

I was driving the car, and on the way to the restaurant, Mauricio asked me to pull over at a nearby park with a beautiful lake to take a walk with him.  I looked at him strangely.  Didn't he know we were supposed to join someone for dinner in like 10 minutes?  I told him no and kept driving.  I wanted to find out more about Tommy and I thought Mauricio was being rude.

So we have dinner, we both approved of Tommy and then it was time to go home.  I was driving on the way to his house,  and he again asked me to stop at another nearby lake to have a walk with him.  Again, I looked at him strangely, wondering what the heck was up with this guy.  Uhhh, it was like 11 at night. There were homeless people at the park... and wild animals... and bugs.  No!  So I kept driving and dropped him off at his apartment so he could get his car and come back to mine.

When I get back to my place, I close and lock the door and go to the bathroom to pee.  As I'm in the bathroom, I hear a knock on the door.

Why is Mauricio knocking on the door when he has a key?

I say, "Mau, I'm in the bathroom... come in".

Again, a knock.

"Mau! Just use your key and come in!"

Knock... knock...

So I get up, with my pants still unbuttoned and look through the peep hole just to be sure it's him... but I don't see anyone.

"Mau, are you there?"

Then I see him crouched on the floor... hiding from me.

"Mau, I can SEE YOU!  What are you doing?!  What's wrong with you?!"

Then softly and defeatedly, I hear him say, "Can you just open the door please?"

And I do.

And there he was, at my door step, on one knee with a beautiful ring.

I was shocked.  Shocked.

He asked me to marry him, I said of course, and the rest is history.

Later he told me that he had been trying to propose the entire evening but that I kept on blocking each of his advances.  That's why he wanted to take me to the park!

And THAT's how I ruined my own engagement!  But it turned out pretty perfect anyway.  I love that he proposed at my door.  I love that he didn't do a grand gesture... that wouldn't have been us.  We're comfortable.  We're best friends.  We don't need a romantic-comedy-esc scene... we just need each other... with no frills.

At our engagement dinner celebration with the fam!