Written by Colleen

Although I thought this might be it, Dave kept me guessing for 2 whole days. On a regular Friday morning I got into my car and there was a card from Dave. It was sweet and mushy, talked of love and future. I was overwhelmed and just took it for a very sweet gesture.

Then ˝ way through the day he sent me an email asking me to dinner at a Bones. OK… this was a tip off. I was so excited...I ran to the mall to find a new outfit...I left work early to get ready. This was it and I was READY!

The evening went something like this...

We go to Bones. We talk and eat. We have some cocktails...and suddenly dinner is over. I couldn't believe it. This was just dinner! Oh well.

But wait! After dinner he invited me to have another cocktail over at the Ritz - ha, this must be it. Great!

So we go to the Ritz. We sit and laugh. We have some cocktails...and then, it's over. We go home...

I have to admit I was a little disappointed, but my wonderful boyfriend had taken me out for a fun night on the town! I went to bed happy.

Around 5:30 the next morning, I felt something plop onto my leg. I looked up and David was standing at the end of the bed. He had put my beach bag on my leg to wake me up. Not being a morning person (and Dave has told me this because I can barely remember), I looked at him with one groggy eye and said, "Where we goin'?" David smiled and said "Come on sweetheart, you've got to get up if we are going to be on the beach by 11."

So I jumped out of bed...so excited. This was one of our beach rituals - driving to Hilton Head at the spur of the moment. Dave had already packed a bag for me, so I just threw in some additional essentials, and off we went. I thought, "this is definitely it!"

We spent the entire day on the beach - the WHOLE day. As the day began to wind down, David suggested we go to Steamers for dinner. Steamers is a great but messy seafood place. You know the type - with tables on the patio that have a bucket in the center of the table for all of your shells. Anyway, instantly I knew Dave was NOT going to ask me to marry him at Steamers! So ok, there is always Sunday. This was just another awesome day.

Well, while I was getting ready to go out, Dave decided to go down to the beachside bar for a drink. I told him I would come down and meet him when I was ready. About 10 minutes later, I joined him. We talked and had a beer. I was NOT even thinking anything and he said to me "So why don't we take a walk on the beach before we go?" Then I knew, this HAD to be it.

We walked on the beach holding onto each other so tightly. We talked about our relationship...where we have been where we are going. It was that perfect time of day on the beach, when the sun was starting to set and both the water and sky were the most beautiful shade of blue.

When we got down to where the dunes separate into 2 rolling hills with soft white sand, Dave stopped walking. He turned to me and got down on his knees. He asked me to come down there with him...so I did. We knelt there as close to each other as we could, taking a moment to take a breath. (I don't know if there was a sudden breeze or if I was a little nervous but I began to shiver a bit.)

After a moment of silence, he said "I have loved you for 7 years. There is not a day that has gone by that I have not loved you. Since the day we met, I knew that I would marry you...Will you marry me?"

Sobbing at this point, I threw my arms around his neck and said, "yes yes a thousand times yes." We were both crying and laughing and he said to me, "well do you want to see it?" (He hadn't even given me the ring yet but I didn't notice because I was so happy.) I nodded "yes" as I pushed back the tears.

He pulled this huge box out of his pocket (which I can't believe was in there and I didn't notice) and handed it to me. I opened it and I think I shrieked. It is so perfect and beautiful...a white gold band with six prongs and one beautiful sparkling round diamond...exactly the perfect ring for me.

So, although I knew it was coming someday soon, as many of us do, my wonderful Fiancé still surprised me and kept me guessing for 2 whole days. It was perfect and I will remember that moment forever.

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