One of the things brides are constantly asked to tell is the story of their proposal. Being the emotional girl that I am, I love hearing about all of the emotional and creative ways men (and women!) have popped the question. I have heard stories of scavenger hunt proposals, first date recreations, proposals that involve family members and pets, and even a video game proposal!
Our proposal was a very different kind. It didn't involve flowers, candles, or champagne. There was no getting down on one knee and there wasn't even a ring. To many women, what I have described seems like a nightmare, but in fact, I believe the night Mr. Thrift asked me to marry him was one of the most romantic, incredible moments of my life. It still gives me chills just thinking about that night.
The evening began at my parent's house. Mr. Thrift and I live an hour away, and we had driven over to their house for dinner. My mother loves to entertain, and we were sitting around the kitchen table nibbling on appetizers and chatting away. We were laughing and having a fantastic time. Weeks earlier, Mr. Thrift and I had been talking about when we would get engaged. We had been together for years and we already lived together. We knew that we wanted to get married in the future, but we wanted to finish our bachelor's degrees first. We had a few more semesters of school until marriage would seriously cross our minds. Still, talking about spending our lives together and eventually starting a family together had put a spark in both of our eyes.
Just as we were about to sit down to dinner, Mr. Thrift got a call. It was our roommate back at the university. His message was short, but certainly not sweet. Come home quickly, the apartment is on fire.
We said goodbye to my parents on empty stomachs and raced back to the apartment. When we got there, our jaws hit the pavement.
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The building that had been our very first home together was completely destroyed. By the time we arrived, firefighters had put out most of the large flames, but the damage was evident. The roof of our building was entirely gone. The three story building had water pouring down the stairwells and off the balconies like they were waterfalls. Mr. Thrift and I gathered around to watch the firefighters with our neighbors. None of us could even comprehend what had happened. We were in shock.
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The sun began to set and we stood in the parking lot, watching the smoke and water leave the apartment. I will never forget that smoky, damp smell, or the sound of all of the smoke detectors in the building slowly dying into the night. Mr. Thrift and I held each other. We had no idea how many of our things had been destroyed, but from the look of it, we had lost everything we owned. We cried, and cried, and just wouldn't let go of each other. I don't know how much time had passed, but in that moment, as time stood still and the rest of the world whirred around us, my best friend asked me to marry him. He didn't get down on one knee. He didn't give me a speech. He laughed and cried as he asked me, and added that he couldn't hold it in any longer. He told me that he had already bought an engagement ring. That he wanted to propose to me over the summer in some romantic fashion, perhaps on the beach or at a candlelit dinner. This was not what he had in mind. I cried, and held him tighter, and cried some more. I don't even remember saying yes, I just remember asking him "does this mean that we're engaged?" and I remember him laughing and nodding as he wiped the tears from both of our faces.
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We stood there in front of the ghostly, empty structure until it became dark, and tried to take in the moment. In one day we lost everything we ever had, and at the same time found everything we ever needed.
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