Engaged!

It happened Monday evening, one day after our one year anniversary of dating. I have to say, I thought it would happen sometime "soonish", but for some reason that night I just wasn't thinking he would pull out the ring just then. Sitting in a booth at Manuel's downtown, a nice quiet night. The waiter was a little clueless about what was going on and kept interrupting us right in the middle of the best parts, but it was okay. My ring belonged to Andrew's mom, Nancy. She passed a way a few years ago. I felt her there in a really strong way. I felt a wave pass over me. Sadness that she won't be here to be my mother in-law. Certainty that she was very much there sending all of her love, and that she will continue to do this. When I walked into the house later that night it felt a little different. Andrew pointed it out, even. 'How do you feel? Feel any different?' 'What do you mean?' Probing him to see what he was picking up on. 'You know, since tonight.' 'Yeah. It does, actually.' Wow, this is real. I'm going to be a married woman. I'm going to be a wife. An insta-mother, even. And maybe even hold my own little bambino sometime next year...