Part I: First Meetings
Part II: Let's Just be Friends
Part III: First Date
Part IV: Let's Just be friends (Again)
Part V: Since You Went Away
Part VI: The Second First Date
It is August, We have been dating for about 6 weeks. Bishop Mullenuaex calls me into his office to give me a new church calling.
" I'd like to call you as Relief Society President, but we all know you will be married by December. So let's just have you be the Activities coordinator ok?"
HEY! I know I don't really do the serious boyfriend thing, but it's only been 6 weeks! It's not time to call the caterer yet. ( This is the same bishop who told me to wait for Arjay to get home to do my mission papers. SPOILER ALERT! He's a genius.)
I am helping ArJay move into his college house when Jim Bob ( name changed to protect the innocent), who I went on a couple dates with last year, pulls up.
" Hey Maggie! Wow it's awesome to see you! How'd you find where I live so fast? Do you want to go get dinner or something?"
ArJay walks up behind me and puts his arms around me. Awkward pause.
" Um sure, if my boyfriend can come. Have you meet ArJay? I guess you guys are roommates."
" YOU have a boyfriend? Since when? You don't do that."
You Don't have to sound so incredulous! Geez. ( ArJay said all semester Jim Bob would talk about how amazing I was and he was soo lucky to date me. ArJay says he felt like he needed to sleep with one eye open because he was afraid Jim Bob would try to eliminate the competition one night).
It is Labor Day and my roommates have all been gone for the weekend. We are snuggling in the Love Sac ( a giant bean bag) in companionable silence. ArJay starts fidgeting.
" You ok?"
"I Love You. I know we haven't been dating very long and I don't want to pressure you and make you say something you don't feel so don't say anything. But I love you, I think I've loved you for years."
"....I Love you too?" I say as a question because I have shocked myself with how true it is.
He looks doubtful. " NO, I really do love you too. I'm sorry that came out as a question, I guess I surprised myself. " He beams at me and we snuggle back in blissful peace.
It is a week later and I just finished a class and came over to the institute to watch ArJay play volleyball.
So You love him, what are you going to do about it Magdelyn? We know what everything thinks you should do, even what he has hinted at, get married. But is that the right choice? You have never loved anyone before, is that jumping the gun? He just got back, are you still just excited to see him? Will the Romance fade and he will just be you goofy friend ArJay and you will have to break his heart?
These thoughts and a thousand like them are swirling around in my head when I see him make some mess-up on purpose and be a goofball to make a girl feel better who isn't doing well. Because that's who Arjay is. He is always making everyone laugh and feel comfortable. I hear a voice, as clear as day ( not my inner thoughts, they are quite loud and spazzy as you might have noticed)
"He's it."
That's all, just two words. But all my doubts fly out the window and I don't doubt again for a second that I should marry ArJay. I am not one who hears voices in answer to prayer, but I distinctly heard those two calming words. As soon as the game is over, I bound up to him and kiss him on his sweaty cheek.
" I think I could marry you."
" Really?'
"Yep I just got my answer right now."
"While I was playing volleyball?"
I nod and he looks incredulous and deliriously happy and spins me around in the middle of the court.
It is a couple weeks later and we are going to get married. I have gone dress shopping with my mom. I'm PRETTY sure ArJay has a ring. But he hasn't actually asked yet. He makes a big production of telling me we CAN'T hang out on Thursday because he has to see a podiatrist in Tucson. This is a plausible story as Arzjsy has bad feet, but he brings it up so much I'm sure it's a cover and he's going to propose that night. Thursday comes and he never comes over. ( I was right that it was a cover, but not about the engagement. HE drove 5 hours one way to Alamogordo and surprises my parents. He wanted to ask my dad in person for permission to ask me to marry him) I call him ( He is sitting in my parents living room and I don't know it for the following conversation)
" Hey, I guess you really did leave town. How'd it go?"
"Great! Everything is perfect!" ( Muffled laughter in the background)
" Is that your parents? Say hi for me."
"The parents say Hi and they love you." ( for the rest of the conversation he has this laugh in his voice I cant figure out).
It is two days later, Saturday September 23, 2006. ArJay asks if I want to go on a date.
" That's what we always do, it's called being a couple."
"NO dork, a real date. Go get dressed." I start feeling GIDDY because I'm sure this is it.
"Ok see you in an hour."
ArJay takes me on an adorable scavenger hunt of all the special places from our dating and friendship. We go play foosball, to the spot outside my class where we had a picnic a couple times, the football field, we even re-walk where we had the talk that lead to our first date. I am bouncing around like a toddler with a bagful of M & Ms. This is it. This is totally like him to walk down memory lane then at the last stop he is going to pull out the ring.
But then he says " You want to go get lunch or something? " as if he is discussing the weather.
" Wait are you sure there's nothing ELSE on the hunt?"
"Nope, let's go eat." I huff impatiently then think. OOHH that's it. He is going to have some romantic picnic somewhere and THEN he'll pull out the ring.
Wrong again, we just go back to my house and have sandwiches with my roommates. Now I am getting annoyed. Hello! DUDE! Are you planning to propose or just keeping stringing me along? You have had some perfect opportunities.
"You want to go for a drive?"
" Sure I'm not doing ANYTHING else today am I?" He just smirks at me
He starts driving up Mount Graham and the butterflies come back because I know where we are going.
"Are we going to Riggs lake?"
"Yeah, I told you I'd take you back to see it. It's such a nice day, I figured it'd be a good time to." He says this so nonchalantly, like he just thought of it right now
But I know ArJay and I can see his nervous twitches. I am beaming when we see a guy we know on the side of the road with his bike. ArJay pulls over.
"Hey Brad, are you going to the lake?"
"Yeah trying to."
" You want a ride?"
I Scoff at ArJay as Brad loads his bike in back squishes into the truck. I am silently fuming as they talk like they are best friends. APPARENTLY it's not happening at the lake or we wouldn't be giving what's-his-face here a ride. At Least I hope we aren't sharing this special moment with a guy we barely know.
We get to the lake and it is beautiful. We lose Brad at some point as we walk around.(I'm actually not sure how he got home, hopefully he biked home. whoops!)
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
"Then why don't you put your arms around me?"
"I...Can't."
"Sure you can silly, it's just like this." I go to grab his hands but he jerks them away.
I turn around to tell him off for yanking his hands away and he is kneeling with a ring box and there are tears in his eyes (ArJay NEVER cries.) I suck in a breath
"Magdelyn Weir, you are my best friend. When I have hard times, you are the Sun that brightens my days. Nothing would make me happier then if you would marry me."
I am in shock. All the time I was guessing, I honestly wasn't expecting it right now.
He is looking at me expectantly. " OH! YES! Yes of course!" I jump on him. He grunts.
"Oww!'
"Oww? What oww?"
" I accidentally kneeled down on the point of this rock and you just dug it farther into me knee."
I laugh as I realize what the earlier tears were for and think:This is a perfect start for us.
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| The word you are looking for: Sophistication |
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