Just look at the Snow Ma'am

Every little girl looks forward to that day in which the one man who makes her heart go pitter-patter will drop the big question.  The question that promises a life together.  The question of Marriage, and a life devoted to each other. The big question has to be done perfectly, has to meet the expectations of the girl, and often her friends and family.  With today's technology and social media advances, there are even bigger pressures on the gentlemen in the world to make the proposal one of even more finesse, frill, and flare.  For most girls, big productions are pretty high on the list of qualifications for the event.

I only had one requirement.   

Ask my daddy first.

I confess, I am Daddy's Little Girl, and have a bond with my father that I realize is unique and special.  He has helped me to grow into the adult that I am, and having his respect to my future husband is a requirement.  Having my future mister ask my dad's permission was kind of a big deal.

Enter Derek.  The aforementioned future mister.  With many hindrances, mostly geographic, he accomplished my one proposal requirement.  Mister lives in Texas, I abide in Kentucky, and the parental unites reside in Florida.  A sneaky proposal was not in the equation, or so it would seem.  Good thing I'm completely gullible and was plagued with one of those colds that typically goes around during the winter, or I would have seen the big question coming from miles away (literally).  

Derek informed me he was going to visit my parents for the weekend.  

In Florida.  

From Texas.  

Without me.  

I will say that I was smart enough to pick up on why he was making this trip.  You don't just buy a plane ticket to visit your girlfriends dad.  Unless there's a reason.   What I didn't pick up on were the vague details he gave me about his return trip home.  While talking about his itinerary, he kept talking about heading back home to spend the rest of the Holiday with his family.  How was I supposed to know I was being mislead?

"I can't wait to see my sister when I go home!"

His sister and her husband were visiting for the Holidays from out of town, and Derek doesn't get to see them often.  Made sense.

"I'm an uncle again!  Can't wait to see my second nephew after I leave!"

His other sister had just had Baby #2 while he was in Florida, and Derek enjoys being an Uncle, so of course he would want to rush back to see the new little guy.  Once again, it made sense!

What I didn't pick up on:  He was overly vague about when he would be seeing these people.  I interpreted his plans as being immediate.  As in, get on a plane, fly back to Texas, visit his family.  He, on the other hand was being quite the deceiver!  The last I heard from him as he left the Tampa Airport, was that my daddy hadn't murdered him after he made his request, and he was "heading home".

Enter me.  Gullible.  Sick.  Tired after working all week.  Please realize I was nasty sick.  Curl up in your comfy (read: not cute) PJ's Sick. Don't move unless it's to add another blanket Sick.  Hair in a messy (read: still not cute) bun Sick.  Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup heating up in the Crockpot. Laying on my couch watching Pride and Prejudice... with the Director Commentary on.  Don't judge.  It wasn't the Collin Firth version either.  Okay, you can judge me on that.  I wasn't planning on leaving my warm couch for the rest of the evening.  It was cold outside, I was warm inside, Mr. Darcy was being stoic, and I needed to know why the Director filmed from specific vantage points.  My evening was set.

This is about the time that Derek called me.  Hoping he was just letting me know he landed safely and that he would talk to me later, I answered while watching Elizabeth reject Mr. Darcy in the rain.  

"Hey!  It's snowing here!"

"Yea?  It's snowing here in Kentucky too."

"Really?  Why don't you go outside and check out the snow?"

"Um, no."

"But I bet it's pretty!"

"I bet it's cold."
"It's probably worth it!"
"It's probably not."

"It will be romantic - like we are both together!"

"Or I can just see it from the window."

"Ashley!  Go.  Look.  At.  The.  Snow."

"Fine."

Above is the Snow I desperately needed to go outside to see.  It wasn't much (I really could see it from out the window).  But you could tell it had potential to be more by the end of the night.

To say that I was not cooperating with his sweet plans is probably the biggest understatement of his life.  And to say that I am dense for not picking up on what was going on, in hindsight is probably the biggest understatement of my life.  I feel as if I need to defend myself.  I'm not typically combative or purposely difficult.  I tend to try to go with the flow. I usually find Derek's random outbursts of fun and crazy ideas to be intriguing and hilarious.  But I didn't feel well.  It was freezing.  And, yanno, Mr. Darcy was on.

I grudgingly paused my movie.  Wrapped the blanket around me, and shuffled...slowly... to the kitchen window.  Pulling down the blind I laid my eyes on the best sight in weeks.  

My Mister had officially surprised me!

Don't worry, there's more to the story.  A full night of unexpected surprises still lay ahead.  I'll divulge the details soon!

Ash