Want the good news briefly?
Cos, I'm kind of getting married. :)
Monday was quite a special day for us. I was quite excitable all day about my plans, seeing as I've been mulling over things for several weeks now and had finally decided on a date and a plan to do it. I was quite impressed with how well I'd planned it - right down to arriving earlier than expected at her house so I'd have enough time to ask her dad for his approval while she was still in the bath.
That was the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done. Maybe on a par with having to stand in the witness box after my assault a few years ago. The problem was that I had very little time to ask him, so I couldn't delay it because of nerves. I had to ask him there and then, while he was watching TV! "Um," I said, the tiniest word but with several hesitant gaps in it. "Tonight, I want to ask Adele to marry me..."
"Do you?" he mumbled. "Er, yeah, if that's alright with you...", I replied, nervously scratching the life out of their armchair. "Suppose so." he uttered, before rambling on about their family holiday to Canada this December, whether it bothered me, then finally suggesting I come along with them. After that the silence was far too much for me to bear so I fled the room and hurried Adele along to get her out of the house and down to the pub as soon as possible.
The problem with her dad is that he's so totally laid-back and not bothered about things, and that he's always been brilliant with me, which made me even more nervous than I would have been if he'd been some sort of tyrant father who I had to work hard to impress. Still, I'd done that part, and the important stuff was still to come.
I chose the right place, too. My original idea was to take her to a pub-restaurant in Hartfield, but that would have meant she would have to drive and not drink, which wouldn't have been fair. So we went with my second choice. The Greyhound in Hever (village in Kent where the well-known castle is) is a gorgeous pub and restaurant that is a favourite of her parents. Until now my plans had gone perfectly but after our starter Adele rambled out a story about a conversation she had a few days ago with her friend, who decided that the reason I was taking her out to dinner that night was to propose! I let her finish the story, and after a few moments of silence burst out laughing.
"You know how to spoil things, don't you!" I said, by now in fits of giggles. She took a while to understand what I meant before it actually sunk in with her. With hindsight I'm glad she told that story - without it I'd have stunned her with the question and being Adele she'd no doubt have dithered and doubted and either not given an answer, or said no. Having been warned what was to come of the evening we had the chance to share a bottle of wine and relax a bit.
So we got a taxi back, kissed lots as we walked up her driveway and then under the arch leading to her house we stopped for a bit. She didn't seem to mind whether I asked her there or inside the house but I thought that was the most romantic place and so got down on one knee, rambled on for a bit about being in love with her and asked her. She just sort of smiled at me and said gently, "Yes, of course."
Today we've had fun breaking the news to everyone and answering the same questions over and over... "No I haven't got a ring yet, we will be going to choose one soon"... "About two years"... "Yes, we'll be having a party soon"... etc etc. The best bit was hearing Adele on the phone to her sister and telling her that she was really happy. That melted me a bit. :)
Monday was quite a special day for us. I was quite excitable all day about my plans, seeing as I've been mulling over things for several weeks now and had finally decided on a date and a plan to do it. I was quite impressed with how well I'd planned it - right down to arriving earlier than expected at her house so I'd have enough time to ask her dad for his approval while she was still in the bath.
That was the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done. Maybe on a par with having to stand in the witness box after my assault a few years ago. The problem was that I had very little time to ask him, so I couldn't delay it because of nerves. I had to ask him there and then, while he was watching TV! "Um," I said, the tiniest word but with several hesitant gaps in it. "Tonight, I want to ask Adele to marry me..."
"Do you?" he mumbled. "Er, yeah, if that's alright with you...", I replied, nervously scratching the life out of their armchair. "Suppose so." he uttered, before rambling on about their family holiday to Canada this December, whether it bothered me, then finally suggesting I come along with them. After that the silence was far too much for me to bear so I fled the room and hurried Adele along to get her out of the house and down to the pub as soon as possible.
The problem with her dad is that he's so totally laid-back and not bothered about things, and that he's always been brilliant with me, which made me even more nervous than I would have been if he'd been some sort of tyrant father who I had to work hard to impress. Still, I'd done that part, and the important stuff was still to come.
I chose the right place, too. My original idea was to take her to a pub-restaurant in Hartfield, but that would have meant she would have to drive and not drink, which wouldn't have been fair. So we went with my second choice. The Greyhound in Hever (village in Kent where the well-known castle is) is a gorgeous pub and restaurant that is a favourite of her parents. Until now my plans had gone perfectly but after our starter Adele rambled out a story about a conversation she had a few days ago with her friend, who decided that the reason I was taking her out to dinner that night was to propose! I let her finish the story, and after a few moments of silence burst out laughing.
"You know how to spoil things, don't you!" I said, by now in fits of giggles. She took a while to understand what I meant before it actually sunk in with her. With hindsight I'm glad she told that story - without it I'd have stunned her with the question and being Adele she'd no doubt have dithered and doubted and either not given an answer, or said no. Having been warned what was to come of the evening we had the chance to share a bottle of wine and relax a bit.
So we got a taxi back, kissed lots as we walked up her driveway and then under the arch leading to her house we stopped for a bit. She didn't seem to mind whether I asked her there or inside the house but I thought that was the most romantic place and so got down on one knee, rambled on for a bit about being in love with her and asked her. She just sort of smiled at me and said gently, "Yes, of course."
Today we've had fun breaking the news to everyone and answering the same questions over and over... "No I haven't got a ring yet, we will be going to choose one soon"... "About two years"... "Yes, we'll be having a party soon"... etc etc. The best bit was hearing Adele on the phone to her sister and telling her that she was really happy. That melted me a bit. :)