A Love Letter

[preface: this is a long overdue letter. I've told many people this story already. Maybe you've heard it... but today, I'm going to write it to the one person who should really know what went on in my head. warning: the following may be sappy... I'll try to keep that to a minimum.]


To my betrothed,

I can't stop looking at my left ring finger. Its new adornment is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. Thank you.

I know you've sat with me and told the story to lots of people too, but I would like to have something in writing, and I want to tell you exactly what was going on in my head during all of the excitement.

So, I'll start with the days leading up to Christmas. You and your cryptic little hints. You drive me crazy. And I'll admit, the idea of a proposal had popped into my head against my better judgement. Every time it crept in, I shut it out though. I was ready to wait for you to get done with Loyola before anything happened. And besides that, I was absolutely certain you would never, ever present me with a ring at Christmas because you said that "every girl expects a ring at Christmas; it's so predictable."

As Christmas drew nearer, I tried to hold you to your earlier offer of making it over for our Christmas night at The Farm. However, you started backpedaling and saying you couldn't do it. Naturally, I was frustrated. =) To the point, that even on Christmas day, I was trying to coax you into coming to our house.

On our way home from church that day, I received this text: And don't let her touch the box til everyone's ready. Cuz it will be precariously placed over me... When I asked you what you were talking about, you told me that the message was meant for Jake and that your pa had gotten your mom a ring for Christmas. Good cover... I totally bought it. I pictured all of the Flinkmans circled up in the living room, with a tiny box hidden somewhere near you, and thought how excited your mom would be.

So we pulled into the drive, and Katie starts talking about how badly she needs to use it. She's running to the side door asking Dad to let her in so she can run to the bathroom. I don't think anything of it because that's pretty normal... But it's cold out, and I run to the door right behind her. Dad really saved the day. Any and every tiny bit of bewilderment I may have possessed, evaporated when Dad squeezed by me to get to the door and whispered that he had another surprise gift for Mom inside. Dad loves Christmas, just like you do, and he likes to keep a special present for later so that it's a big surprise.

We all go inside and make our way to the living room, I feel wrong being the first one in the living room because I don't even know what Mom's surprise gift is, and I don't know how Dad wants this to play out. I turn back to let them go first, and I see Dad grabbing the video camera out of the cedar chest, and I think to myself, Whoa. He got a dog! Why else would he possibly need the camera?

So we go back into the living room, and setting in front of the tree is a big gift. Just big enough for a dog. The box is covered in the blue wrapping paper with white snowflakes, and there is a big, shiny red bow and ribbon curls on the top. As Dad pulls the camera up to his face he says, "Oh wait. This one's actually for Aim."

More bewilderment.

I walk to the gift and start to unwrap it from the top. Someone tells me I can probably just lift the box up off the ground. As I do, it moves upward without me. Excitement floods through me as I realize you are popping out of this mysterious box. And then you're standing in front of me, laughing and hugging me like it's been a year since you've seen me.And I think to myself that being able to have you there for two days, including Christmas day, instead of just one day after Christmas is the best present I possibly could have received. But then you say you have something else for me, and you get down on one knee.
Unbelief. Shock. Pure joy. I'm shaking my head and hiding my face in my hands because tears are building and sliding down my cheeks. I look at your face and see the same joy and the same tears. And through all the thoughts shoving around in my head, I hear, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

I see no ring, no camera, no people. Just your face. And then I'm jumping up and down and saying yes, over and over, in case you don't hear it the first time.

The rest of the day is punctuated with telling and retelling parts of the story. We discover that Katie cut it close on a visit to the mall with me. She had tried to point me out to the salesgirl at Kay's, and I noticed her movement. When I asked her who she was waving to, she said she thought she knew her but didn't, and rushed me off to another store. And as fun as all that is, the most wonderful part is having you there, at my side the whole time.

You should know that the excitement hasn't worn off at all. Last week, Katie and I went shopping for bouquet flowers. At first, the overwhelming variety of flowers threatened to overpower me. and then, I realized, I'm choosing my wedding flowers! This is for real!

But it's not just the flowers. We're talking apartments, and honeymoon destinations, and bridesmaids, and groomsmen, and suits, and a dress!

And all of this is just a big, beautiful entrance into our life together. And I'm so excited. So, I guess after all this talking, what I want to do is thank you. Thank you, Jered, for making me the happiest girl in the world. I can't wait for our future.

Love,
Aimee