as a surprise (i thought i'd been really good that year as it was on my bday and it was so unexpected!!) adam found and rented out the tower of a castle in england. it was a tower commonly frequented by none other than henry VIII when he and anne boleyn used to hang out. fabulous. the room is accessed by climbing a stone circular staircase, and using a huge iron key to open up the heavy timber door -- and he was so nervous! he kept asking if his shirt looked ok, or his tie was straight, and erica sat thinking "ok i know it's quite a posh place and all but he doesn't have to be so worried!!" . . . but little did she know she was about to be quite on edge herself!
he sat her down on an ancient velvet chair and pulled out a bottle of vintage champagne (yes vintage. that's when she started getting an inkling as to what might be going on here!!) and began, "i didn't plan anything romantic to say... "
[and in erica's mind this is what she heard. . ]
ohmygodthisis it!
he's proposing!!!
adam is proposing!
here i am, here he is, and it's my wedding proposal!!!
this man, with whom i am so in love with, is standing -- no, kneeling -- right now, expressing his undying love and commitment! oh my gosh! i'd better pay attention so i'll always remember this word for word!
this is something i have always known was going to happen some day but i can't believe it's today! here! now! and it's us . . . . how wonderful!
what a guy! my future husband!
fit for a king
oh my gosh, i'm going to be a 'mrs' . and have a different last name. surname. last name. whatever you want to call it.
jeffery. erica jeffery. erica margaret jeffery. e m j. ok that works! i'll (still) always have to spell my surname though . . . cos it sounds like jeffrey . . .
am i ready for that? of course this is the man i'm going to want it with! i am only 23 . . . well 24 as of this morning . . . which i sort of thought was young . . . but then again, he's not asking me to marry him tomorrow! he's asking me to marry him! how fantastic! he wants me to marry him! i want him to marry me!
how are we going to work this? what continent will we live in?
oh my gosh erica he's asking if you WILL not HOW you will! tell him your answer already!!!
[these are her actual thoughts. and yes they took about that long to go thru her head. he, meanwhile, was getting more and more nervous because she didn't answer right away, she burst out in tears instead while she was considering all of the above. really helped him with his nervousness. anyway.]
she said
"YES!!"
then they had dinner and played scrabble.