Chris said, “Put on your pretty dress for dinner”.. and I figured that was a good idea since 1) it was our last night there and 2) we were going to a nice restaurant where we could sit el fresco style outside. After a few minutes of me moaning that we shouldn’t spend too much on dinner, I finally put on my dress and brushed out my hair. Was wandering around putting on my shoes when Chris asked, “Hey babe, can you wash this knife so we can return it downstairs?” because we borrowed a knife to cut the cheese during our indoor-picnic. “Yep, no worries”, so I took it to the bathroom to wash it.

When I walked back out of the bathroom, Chris was standing out on the balcony, taking in the view. It was almost at the end of sunset, so it was pretty dark except for the sparkling lights by the pool downstairs and along the pathways. I walked out and stood at the glass balcony doors and he turned around, saw me dressed up, and smiled at me.

I stepped out onto the balcony and he enveloped me in a big hug. We both turned to look out over the ocean, quiet for a second as we listened at the waves crashing against the sand.. just taking in the view.

“Isn’t this just perfect?”, he asked.

“Mmmm…..”, I murmured, a bit distracted and entranced instead by the sights and the sounds.

Then…. then… a series of events unfolded, but I can’t really remember it very well because I was in COMPLETE AND UTTER SHOCK the entire time.

But basically, next thing I knew.. Chris was looking down, his left hand cupped around something. It was pretty dark (especially since he was practically cuddling the thing!) so I didn’t really know what was going on.

“We’ve been together for a really long time now…”, he said. Then went onto a little speech that I absolutely can’t remember!!!! 🙁 It had something to do with him wanting us to have many more years together, growing old together, etc, etc.

At this point, I was half un-fazed, because we’ve talked/gushed about stuff like that before. But also half had my heart jumping up into my throat, because I was starting to piece things together and realise what was happening (yes, it took my brain this long to figure out). I hadn’t uttered a word or sound this entire time.

Then he opened the box and nestled instead was ONE SPARKLY RING.

I stared.

He got down on one knee.

“Will you marry me?”

“Hmm..?”

Yes ladies and gentlemen, that was my eloquent response to my boyfriend trying to propose to me. Was just too stunned to really think straight! So my very next sentence?

“Erm.. are you serious??”

“YES!!”, he said

At this point I had pretty much half-collapsed out of shock, and was about to fall right off the balcony. I was leaning on him (he was still down on one knee and looking up expectantly at me) and just gaping in complete surprise.

“Oh hon…. YES! YES!!”, came my response, finally 🙂

And so he put the ring on my finger… and thus we begin the next stage of Us.

The full realisation of what just happened didn’t really hit me until much later, since we made a pact not to tell anyone whilst we were away. We wanted a little bit of “us time” with this beautiful ring our little secret. It was probably the part I treasured most – that we had this secret, something special that could never be taken away from us.. and no one knew it yet 🙂

And The Ring?

I find it almost too incredible to believe… but designed it himself and got it made at Percy Marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’d never dared step foot into Percy Marks before – with their double-door entrance and security and the way the boutique looks, I’d always felt it too inappropriate and daunting to go in. I’m completely floored that he would not only have stepped inside, but worked with their designer Meriel on The Ring. Apparently “Meriel is a recent winner of a 2007 Harpers Bazaar, Diamond Guild Award. Their painstaking attention to detail is unmistakably Percy Marks”, so my Ring was in good hands teehee! 😀

Many months ago, I lost my gold Tiffany & Co ring, that I wear on my ring finger on my right hand. We searched high and low for it, but never found it. Turns out, Chris had stolen it to get the right size 😛 Still, despite that, it was still too big for my unnaturally thin fingers, so we had to get it resized down to a size 3 (AU “F”). Despite that, still very impressed he went through that effort and had the foresight.. and super pleased I didn’t lose my T&C ring after all 😛

I had no idea, but he’d been planning the proposal for ages.. he purchased The Ring allll the way back in Feb this year, and kept the secret the entire time! I later found out he’d wanted to propose when we were in Switzerland/Singapore but that trip got cancelled (remember that?).. no wonder he was do devasted when that happened.

What I was most touched by was when I found out he’d already talked to Mum and Dad about it last month when they were visiting. They went out for lunch together one day and talked about it. I’m a traditionalist so asking my parents first is really important to me, and I just think it’s wonderful that he did that 🙂 I think it means a lot to Mum and Dad too.. and a very smart move to get their blessing first!

So the date we got engaged is 8 June 2008.
Brilliantly, Mum and Dad got engaged 8 June 1974.

And that, is just SPLENDID 🙂