She was all I saw, all I thought about, all I wanted, all I needed. I was terrified, but I had to ask the question.
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We’ve known each other for about twelve years, and have been dating for about six of those. We’ve been on lots of dates, both on the water and on dry land. We’ve lived together in a handful of cities, and taken a handful of trips to other destinations. Newport, Rhode Island is one of, if not our favorite place to go.
Sailing in Newport Harbor has always been a dream for us, and now that dream had come true.
My stomach was in a knot, my mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and sweat was building up on my forehead, all because of a little plastic box hidden in the watch pocket of my pants.
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We took a fairly typical trip to Newport with her family, and one of our planned activities was a sunset cruise aboard a large sailboat in Newport Harbor. It was practically the perfect date for us.
You would think that after being together for so long, it would have been a relaxing experience. You would think that I would have been calm and composed as usual as we boarded the ship. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
My stomach was in a knot, my mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and sweat was building up on my forehead, all because of a little plastic box hidden in the watch pocket of my pants. It was a little plastic box that had spent the previous four months hidden in a guitar case, on the top shelf of our bedroom closet. It was a little plastic box that meant the absolute world to me, and I was hoping for it to mean the same to her.
The cool evening wind blew across the water as we left the dock and let down the sails. One of the crew members went around the boat handing out cups of champagne. We chatted idly and took selfies aboard the boat while waiting for our beverages. When the man arrived, cheerily offering us drinks, we happily accepted. I hoped that it would take the edge off, only to be disappointed. Nothing was going to calm me down that evening.
We enjoyed the views, learning about all of the famous people that owned mansions along the shoreline. I listened to everything but didn’t actually hear a damn thing. There was only one thing on my mind and it gave me the most severe case of tunnel vision of my entire life.
She was so innocent, so elegant. I was terrified.
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About half way into the cruise they turned the boat to view the sunset off on the horizon. The sky filled with shades of pink and orange as the sun softly descended into the ocean. On a normal day, I would make a joke about hearing it sizzle as it sank down in, but this wasn’t even close to a normal day. It was the biggest day of my life.
As the boat turned again to begin heading back to the dock, we decided to get a good picture of the two of us with the sunset in the background. We had been taking selfies, but we wanted a photo taken by someone else to get a better shot. As one of the crew members walked by, I stood up and got his attention.
He was more than happy to take our picture. I handed him my phone and she went to get into position. This was when my master plan began to spring into action. As I handed the man my phone, I instructed him to record a video instead of taking a photo. He seemed a bit confused at first, but agreed nonetheless.
I turned and looked at her, standing there and waiting for me to join her in the photo. She was beautiful. She was always beautiful, but that night was something special. To see her there, in her navy blue dress, completely unsuspecting of what was to come was almost unsettling. She was so innocent, so elegant. I was terrified. It wasn’t her that scared me so, however. It was the love I had for her. Nothing had ever consumed me so completely, so purely. It had utter control of me, in every sense of the word.
She was all I saw, all I thought about, all I wanted, and all I needed.
As I walked to join her in the photo, to her shock, I dropped to my right knee. For as long as I live, I will never forget her reaction. Tears welled in her eyes and she took a step back in disbelief. Her hands covered her mouth and all she could say was “what are you doing?”
She has always been one of the strongest people I have ever known, so to see such a genuine reaction with such tears and emotion was an extraordinary feeling. It almost brought me to tears myself.
In all the commotion I somehow managed to utter the words “will you marry me?” She answered with a “yes!” Suddenly, the knot in my stomach untied, my mind slowed to a cruising speed, and my heart finally took a break.
I noticed a makeup stain on my chest; a permanent mark of the biggest moment of my life.
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We had discussed marriage in the past, and we both knew that it was going to happen. Her answer shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. To be honest, I don’t think it even was; it was validation. We had talked about it so much that it seemed like a distant goal. That night it became genuine; it became real.
She wrapped her arms around me before I even had the little plastic box out of my pocket. I embraced her regardless until she loosed her grip enough for me to get arm free. She stepped back as I opened the box for her. The ring came into view. The setting sun’s rays sparkled against the diamond. When I looked up, I realized that the sun was having a similar effect on her deep, glistening, auburn eyes.
I took the ring from its setting and slid it onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly, and looked astonishing. We embraced a second time, even tighter than the first. I could feel her love; it was a familiar feeling.
As we stood I noticed everyone else on the boat clapping and cheering for us. The captain was honking the boat’s horn, and the crew member was standing by with champagne. I noticed a makeup stain on my chest; a permanent mark of the biggest moment of my life. The ink of her eyeliner sank down into the fabric of my shirt, just as her emotional reaction to my proposal sank down into the deepest fathoms of my memory.
I had asked my best friend to marry me, and she said yes. I can’t wait to grow old with her, creating new and exciting memories but the memory I’ll have forever is the time I proposed to her on a sailboat in Newport Harbor.
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Photo: Getty Images