The Engagement

The engagement went really well. Here's the story:

The day after Thanksgiving I (Chris) went to the mall, knowing my every intention - to buy Reneé an engagement ring. I went to Tiffany's first as I had been referred there by a few friends and new I would get a classy stone.

I entered the store with my khaki shorts and Hawaiian print shirt knowing only two things about the ring Reneé wanted. (1) Do not get gold. She made it very clear to me that I was not to get gold. (2) I new the ring size as she wore rings on the same finger opposite hand. On two occassions I snuck into her ring stash and tried on the ring to measure which of my fingers it would fit.

So, there I am. I find the perfect stone, I go to 5 other shops in the mall who try to sell me nasty yellow diamonds for half the price. I figure, this is forever. May as well do it right. So, now that I can't eat for nine months I'll be taking donations in any form.

I flew up to San Jose New Year's Eve weekend with her Christmas gifts and the ring. I was there on the 29th, so I had to buy some time before I presented the ring. I gave her the gifts (which included a Princess Bride Barbie). Yes, she picked up on the bride thing right away, but I played the stupid man part and she blew it off as an innocent mistake. Boy, was she wrong.

Then, New Year's Eve was upon us. She worked until about 10. I was rapidly thinking of how the hell I was going to do this as I had absolutely no plan. I picked her up from work and she asked if I wanted to go to a party with some of her co-workers. I chose not to. I suggested we just go home, get dressed up and pretend we had our own party. We could video tape it and put it on our website, as chrisandrenee.com was a gift from me to her/us.

We arrived back at her Aunt Dona's house who was out of town for the weekend. How convenient. As much as I would love to say I asked if we could be alone, I can't take the credit for that. We both prettied ourselves up. She asked if she should dress up pretty or sexy. I told her whatever she wanted. She went sexy.

I set up the video camera to tape the minute before midnight. We danced and acted stupid in front of the camera. Little did she know what was to happen at the stroke of midnight.

The clock struck 12 and we set off our poppers. We cheered, we kissed when quickly the air was tense. I grabbed her tight as her lips released me. She went to make a move away from me. I held her still, my arms frozen like pipes in the middle of winter. She looked at me curiously as if I was playing. When I spoke, she knew something was awry. She asked me to turn the tv off as my tone deepened and the room cleared of everything but the two of us. My vision blurred. I told her she was my best friend and my best girlfriend. Getting down on one knee was like a building calapsing. Her head looking down at me in disbelief from a hieght that seemed miles above me. I said, "Now, I want you to be my best wife." I asked, "Renee, will you marry me?"

She calmly said, "Yes," as if she wasn't really saying it but instinct had taken over. To my surprise, not one tear dropped from her pool-like, blue eyes.

As we were next to the Christmas tree I said, "Well, for answering the question correctly, you get a prize." I reached into the tree where earlier that night I had stashed the gift, and pulled out the little blue box. I was still on one knee and she rested on the other for the possibility of falling was immenent. She unwrapped the box and found the perfect ring.

And that's how it happened. :)