How We Met
Her Side: It all started because I didn’t have a date to my sorority’s formal. I didn’t know anyone to ask and really didn’t want to go, but a friend convinced me to ask her long time best friend Marcus. We met for lunch in a big group once before formal, but I think I said a total of six words. I left for a mission trip to Haiti a couple weeks before formal and when I got back, I got the flu (or if you asked the nurse in the health center, Ebola). I was TOTALLY dreading going to formal with a guy I didn’t know, at all, after I had just gotten over the flu, but my roommate forced me not to call and cancel.
So formal rolls around and we all went to the eat dinner before getting on the shuttle. Marcus was playing pool with a friend when I walked in and we didn’t talk until about 30 minutes into dinner. (Honestly, I thought this was going to be my worst date party story). Thankfully things got better and I got less awkward after we left dinner and got on the bus. We had a great time dancing and talked the entire hour-long shuttle ride back. Once we got back to campus, we went our separate ways and I didn’t think anything more of it.
The next day, Marcus texted me thanking me for taking him to formal and asked me to go to the Mississippi State football game with him and his friend that evening because they had an extra club level ticket. MSU beat Vanderbilt by 51 points so we had a lot of time to talk. After the game, he didn’t walk me home, so again, I didn’t think anything of it. Thankfully he did think something of all of it. We started spending more and more time together while really getting to know each other with frequent visits to our favorite local restaurant, City Bagel.
How They Asked
I had planned to go to Dallas for a conference the weekend of the proposal, but after finding out two of my best friends were going to be in town (for two “random reasons”), I decided to stay in Austin. I made plans to get breakfast in Georgetown at the best dinner with Hillary and Dillon and then meet my other friend, Shawna downtown for an event after.
Hillary and Dillon came to my house and I drove us to breakfast. It was so nice to spend time with them on their “random weekend” at home and catch up on life. After breakfast, we got in the car and I started driving home. On our way home, Hillary got a call from her mom asking her if she wouldn’t mind stopping by their old next door neighbor’s house (out in Georgetown) to pick up a wedding gift — Hillary and Dillon got married in April –. Anyway, Hillary asked me if I would mind stopping. I didn’t mind at all because their old neighborhood is one of the most special places to me and I hadn’t been back to visit in 3 years. We use to have Sunday Family Dinners out there every week. Papa Rich (Hillary’s dad) would cook while we fished or watched whatever football game was on. It’s my favorite place and the first place Marcus stayed when he visited Austin for the first time. All that to say, I was pumped to go back. After turning around and almost getting in a wreck, we made it to their old neighborhood and we realized Dillon had never seen their old house and all the things Papa Rich had built (i.e. a picnic table, swings, etc.)
So we got to their old neighbor’s house and talked for a little while, while Hillary opened her wedding gift. Then, Hillary asked them if it would be okay if we went out to their backyard to show Dillon the pond, picnic table, and swings. They said the new neighbors were so nice and that they wouldn’t mind at all, so we walked out to the pond. I was SO excited about the swings that I didn’t hear Marcus (who was supposed to be at work in Memphis and had flown in that morning) sneak up behind us until he said: “Hey guys, what’s up?.” Dillon said my face went from excitement about the swings to terror to confusion, and back to excitement in a matter of seconds. My response was “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at work.”… so dumb. I knew what he was doing.
At that point, Hillary and Dillon snuck off into the house and Marcus took me over to the picnic table Papa Rich built. He had his bible, a letter, and a ring pop. We sat and talked about our relationship, our families and my dad who had passed away before I met Marcus. While he never met my dad, he made sure and honor him by asking all the men who stepped in as a father figure and my mom for their blessing to propose. This was such a special and meaningful time.
After a few minutes of talking, he gave me the ring pop because I have always said that I didn’t care what ring he got me and that he could get me a ring pop for all I cared… so he did. Then he stood me up, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and gave me the most beautiful real ring — the band was purchased from Texas, where I am from, and the diamond was purchased from Mississippi, where Marcus is from. It was so special and so perfect.
Everything about it was simple and perfect and I was truly surprised, which was an accomplishment in itself because Marcus and my mom aren’t the best liars. After taking it all in, we went back to my house where my mom, Marcus’s family, and my close family friends were waiting with all my favorite things: Mexican food, Round Rock Donuts, and Topo Chico. It was the best day!
