I drove down Friday afternoon. It was Aimee's 21st birthday celebration, and Ali's 30th, so Aimee, older sister Kara, friend Chris (responsible for wrangling Aimee), Ali, her husband Dmitri, Aaron, and I went downtown to let Aimee drink legally for once. Aimee immediately got drunk and entertained two different guys all night. Kara needed some harsh encouragement, but she also ended up with two different guys. Pimpin'. The rest of us sat in a booth and watched, because those two flirting, especially Aimee, is a spectator sport. Aaron particularly wanted to see me drunk, so I had some kind of vodka daiquiri that was a little too syrupy.

After Kara was finally situated, I walked up to Aimee and slapped her ass. She jumped, squealed, and threw her arms around me. Her boytoy lit up. Then Aimee said, "this is my brother's girlfriend," and he deflated immediately. It was awesome. I told her about Kara, she ran over to witness, and then went back to entertaining her Navy men.

At one point, Aimee introduced me to some guys as "my brother's sister." We then had to hurriedly insist that we weren't incestuous. Aimee told me later that she had nearly slipped and said 'sister-in-law.'

After the bar closed at 2am, we herded the drunkards out. There was a waterfront park (named Waterfront) a few blocks away near our parking garage, so we headed that way. I tried to chase a stray cat as we entered the park. Aimee and Kara hung on Chris for stability and giggled manically about boys, boys staring at their asses, drunk texts, and badly aimed selfies. We strung out a bit, with the drunks lagging far behind because they kept stopping.

There was a fountain there shaped like a giant pineapple that Aaron wanted to show me. When we got to the fountain, it was turned off and unlit. Very romantic. :) They were all pretty disappointed--the Pineapple is apparently a Thing. The drunks were deposited at the benches around the pineapple, trying to figure out their phone cameras again. I turned around to look at them, and ALL of them, ALL. OF. THEM, were standing in a line with phones aimed straight at me, waiting.

You know how in movies, when things go slow motion, there's a warping effect? That was my brain. Which triggered a panic reflex, and that is how I ended up spinning on my hooker heels and yelling "No no no no no no damn it Aaron fuck you not when I'm drunk no!"

I have yet to live this down.

He was completely unaffected. I probably had this look of pure terror on my face. He babbled stuff about loving me. He said something about "losing you would be like losing my arm" and I nervously yipped back "just an arm?" He said "shut up, you know what I mean," and continued babbling. It was a completely unplanned monologue. He sucked in some air, said my full name in a much clearer, more confident tone, and "Will you marry me." It wasn't quite a question. I said yes and had my hand out almost before he finished speaking. No thought there! Then I asked several times if tipsy consent was legal.

Really, considering how we had been accepting of this for months, it was very awkward and nerve-wracking all the same.

When I looked back over, everyone was still filming expectantly. I demanded to know what they wanted. They wanted a squealing jump. So I braced myself on my tipsy heels and complied. They also wanted a kissing picture, but it took them forever to figure out the flash, so it's really more us with our faces pushed together.

Aaron told me to call my parents. I was going to do it in the morning, since it was 2am, but they were, apparently, expecting me. True enough, they were in bed waiting, and put me on speaker. They were delighted and couldn't stop laughing. They told me that they had warned him about my largely negative responses to surprises and getting what I really wanted (I walk away). I did not walk away.

After the phone call, I rejoined the group. They tried to take ring pictures but blinded me instead. Aimee and Kara threw their arms around me and squealed, "We're going to be SISTERS!" And then Aaron joined in, and it was this awesomely surreal family moment. I sent the obligatory text message out and Heather called me, screaming and seriously disconcerting her boyfriend. We went to IHOP at 3am where I saw my ring for the first time. We went to sleep at 4am.

Saturday we had planned on going wall climbing, but it was threateningly overcast, and we didn't want to drive out to the island, pay $30, and get rigged up just in time for the equipment to get wet. So we went to lunch, ran an errand, and went back to the jewelry store so I could get care instructions and we could borrow their lighting for a good ring picture to put on Facebook. My mom and brother texted me all day, Mom providing overjoyed emotional support and Joey listing terms of conditions for his agreement. It's the first time I can ever remember every single member of my family being delighted about the same thing. My dad didn't stop giggling, according to my mom. That evening, he went to D&D with his buddies and I hung out with Ali and Yidan, the other 'widows.' I was pretty tired, and still texting/phoning my head off (my phone died twice that weekend), so I wasn't all that engaged. I broke Yidan's cat with a laser pointer somehow. When we got back to the house, I made eye contact with Aaron and we left shortly after, pretty tired.

Church in the morning. He paraded me around. After church we went to the mall for cookies, walked a bit, then to Walmart to meet his best friend and officially extend the invite for best man-ship. We ate lunch at home and curled up to intensely cuddle and watch Pitch Perfect. There was a nap, I think, a walk in the weak sunshine, a big dinner out, and then I declared that the clouds were ominous and I wasn't going back yet, so we curled up in bed to rest off the full stomachs and generally be clingy and touchy-feely. I finally drove back at 10pm, getting me back at Athens at 2:30am. I talked to Heather for an hour during the drive, as she was also returning from a road trip with her boyfriend. We discussed wedding things. She's hunting and researching dress styles for me.

Work in the morning wasn't that eventful. People were congratulatory. The sun was out as I walked to class, and I kept getting distracted by the fire in my ring. I learned about Vikings and Mongols in Russian. I chugged Dew and had pecan pie for breakfast and was still sleepy. At home, I drank more Dew and was on the phone or Skype literally all night. I talked to my Dad for two hours. I got a hold of my grandmother, who was delighted and wonderful to talk to. Tuesday has also been very tired. I wanted a nap, or exercise, and ended up running errands all evening, and now I have to do homework. Damn it, life, stop. Tomorrow I have to get an oil change after work. Whyyyy. Whhhyyyyyy. I just want to sleep, damn it.

Getting engaged is EXHAUSTING.

But we are super happy. We are full of weird feelings, apprehension and excitement and giddiness and relief and disbelief and the occasional shot of terror (me). It all passes. Like my dad said during our phone call, if I would still do all the same things again, then it was the right choice. Dad and I also had a talk about religion and such--my parents aren't sure what to make of the fact that Aaron's technically a lowgrade Mormon. They need to trust me. It's hard for them, I think. My mom messaged me about it tonight but didn't quite respond to my answer, which has left this hanging tension. I've been praying about this for two years. I've been praying about all of this for two years. I've got nothing but faith and patience and not the slightest bit of hesitation, and I wish I could share that, but it's something they'll have to come to grips with themselves.

(Oh hey, Mom responds! We get to talk religion now!

Anyone also curious: Articles of Faith. Spoiler: there is nothing radical or that you haven't seen.)

It's 10:15 and I need to get to the homework (which I'll likely be lazy about and speed through), so I want to transcribe some of the texts from my mom and Joey for posterity and then go do some Russian.

Saturday afternoon
Joey: He didn't get my approval yet
Me: Can he have your approval?
Joey: Seriously? You don't ask for his approval
Me: What does he have to do to get it? Should I give him your number?
Joey: Either that or you can give him my terms of agreement
Me: What are those?
Joey: Kk #1 he had to get Nahvi a giant ass bone. Like 100 lb bone. Something too big for her to pick up

2, making it easy on him, he doesn't have to trade you for any big animals like cattle or donkeys. I just want a pygmy pig that stays cute all its life. if it gets ugly, then he has to return it for a cute one.

Me: I'll tell him to go hunt a moose for Nahvi. And find you a piggy.
Joey: #3 the wedding has to be Star Wars themed. You must have the hair style of Princess Leia and he has to have a light saber on his belt that he kills his best man with after the ceremony
...
If Grandma makes it to the funeral she has to wear a Darth Vader helmet while walking to her seat and when she is walking then Darth Vader's theme is played Me: Funeral?!
Joey: If you do that then the Game of Thrones closing is fine
Joey: Sorry I meant wedding
I got words mixed up. I was thinking death cause idk when the wedding is and we don't know how much longer she'll make it
Anyways

4 is being saved for future reference

Me: I will not tell her the part about mixing up funeral/wedding.
Joey: #5 is to emphasize the sincerity of #6 and to say if he ever slips on #6 then he'll regret it

6 is that from this point on, he must always refer to me as "my lord" or "king joey." Since you wanted the game of thrones music I'm assuming y'all know how to address kings so he needs to do it appropriately. If I have a girlfriend she will always be referred to as Queen or my lady. There is no exception or deviation of this rule. If he accepts these terms then I approve. I expect a text from him acknowledging them.

Me: Okay, I'm starting to freak out a little bit, in a disbelieving good way.
Mom: I gave you another day before you started freaking. You're early!
Me: I have no idea what I'm feeling. I am a stirred up feelings casserole.
Mom: Just as you should be right now.
Me: Oh good, I'm doing something right!
Mom: Of course. You said yes to Aaron. Me: Yes. Yes I did.
Mom: And if I got it right, you are going to have a Star Wars beach wedding with Grandma wearing a Darth Vader mask.
...
Mom: No need to call Grandma. She just called me - Jeanie's already told her. However she wants to know all the details, so feel free to call her when you have an hour or two.