Mac’s parents left Sunday. That night, we were up in our room. Mac was packing his carry-on bag and getting any last minutes items down before he had to report Monday morning. The sight of his packed bag was too much for me, and I started crying.
The proposal
Mac asked if I wanted something to cheer me up. Knowing that only him staying would accomplish such a feat, I said yes just to see what he had in mind. He pulled the ring box out of his nightstand and put in on the bed next to me. Ever the romantic, I opened to box and asked if I had to put it on myself. He obliged and put the ring on my finger. And in a dialogue destined for the ages, I then wondered aloud if that he was going to actually ask me. Subtlety is an art form far beyond my comprehension. Mac again humored me and asked to marry him when he got back. Of course I said yes.
We relished in our fleeting moment of happiness for a few hours. Then, we realized we should probably tell our families about the proposal. First up was Mac’s brother. Since we live with him, this was easy. We went downstairs and told him. That man has been more excited about what I have made for dinner that our engagement. In his words, it wasn’t a surprise. We phoned our parents and my sister next. Again, they weren’t too surprised, just extremely happy. We even managed to talk to Mac’s dad on his way to Russia at the airport.
Twelve hours or so later, we were on Fort Bragg saying good-bye in a gym. I watched my now fiance board to a bus to fly to the other side of the world. It was heart-wrenching and devastating, and we prepared to spend the next year apart.
Read the rest of our story
How we met. Commissioning and the long distance relationship. Dealing with a deployment. Engagement ring shopping.
