We met through Match.com at the beginning of August 2008. After weeks of emails, chatting through instant messanger, and getting to know one another, we decided to meet in person. On August 20, 2008, we met at the Blakeney shopping center on Ardrey Kell and Rea Rd at Chilis for dinner. We followed dinner with a trip to the Stonecrest shopping center movie theater on Rea Rd and Ballantyne to see Hancock, and then a two hour conversation beside the fountains at Stonecrest. A six hour date started our relationship, and was followed by many more enjoyable days together.
On Dec 15, 2008, our first date was recreated and we got engaged.
Nicole's Point of View
So I suppose it started Sunday night when he sent me a text message telling me when we saw each other Monday, we were going to have an actual date. When I asked where we were going, he told me it was a surprise and that I should just dress casual. He told me he wanted to celebrate our four months since its coming up on Saturday Dec 20, and we weren't sure if we'd get to see each other any other time.
On Monday, he picked me up at around 6:45 to go out to eat. He rang the doorbell, came inside, said hello to mom, dad, and my grandmother, as well as the puppies, and then we left. He even opened the truck door for me. He still wouldn't tell me where we were going, but apparently he'd already told one of my friends the whole plan and told my mother most of it. By the time we started pulling into the shopping center, I figured out we were going to Chilis, as it's the only restuarant we ever really go to Blakeney. So, we went inside, and I'm not sure if this was planned, but we ended up sitting in the same booth we had on our first date. All through dinner he kept mentioning things from that night: where we first met, what we talked about, even that I got up and called home in the bathroom towards the end. And here I am, still clueless as to what this is all leading up to.
Anyway, dinner ended, and we got back in the truck. Stephen was all upset that it was drizzling, but I think he was more amused that I still had no idea what "phase 2" was. I asked if I could have a kiss, he said not right then, as he was trying to recreate our first date. I laughed and said, "I guess we won't be kissing tonight then." And he said "we'll see".
He drove us to Stonecrest and asked if I knew where we were going. I took a guess and said the fountains. Turns out I was right. He said he didn't want to go in order, so we'd go to the movie after, even though we'd gone to the movie first on our 1st date. So, it had actually stopped raining, and we walked over to the fountain, Stephen leading all the way to the very spot where we'd sat on August 20th. He told me to sit. Cue blank stare. I did not want to sit on the soaked stone bench in new jeans. He had to basically demand that I sit before I finally took off my jacket and sat on it. I asked if I should put my purse between us like I did on our first date. He said "sure" and did it himself, causing me to laugh again.
Then the fun part. He starts rambling, telling me all this sweet stuff about the half marathon he did Saturday and how he knew when he heard my voice that I was the one for him. And I'm still clueless because he swore up and down that he hadn't asked my parents yet, and he hadn't been able to keep anything secret from me before, so I didn't doubt him. He had to stop and think a few times about what he wanted to say, and even asked what I was thinking. "I have no idea" was all I could tell him. Finally he told me to close my eyes. Then to cover them, and finally he made me turn around and face the wall.
The entire time, he kept talking to me. His tone never changed, volume never changed. I didn't even know he was moving. Finally he said "I have a question for you, turn around". I did and uncovered my eyes. He was down on his knee, with the most beautiful ring in the world open in it's box. My eyes instantly started tearing and I barely registered it when he asked "Will you marry me?". I never actually voiced the word "yes". I just started shaking and nodding, still crying the whole time. I know I let him put the ring on me before I hugged him and kissed him, but beyond that I don't remember much. I know I didn't speak for a while, just stared and cried and shook some more. I think the best word for it would have been "shock" or maybe "bliss", but probably both.
The first words I said were "Oh my god," once I could talk. It really was amazing. It still is amazing. I am so incredibly, totally, and irrevocably in love with Stephen. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with the man that I know supports everything I am and want to do.
Stephen's Point of View
Basically, the weekend before I ATTEMPTED to run the Charlotte Marathon. At the break point (where the marathon crew goes one away and the half marathon goes the other) I chose to break off to only complete the 1/2 marathon. This is important because it solidified what I already knew. When I finally managed to cross the finish line at 3:04:23 (I think that was the seconds) I heard "Stephen!" and I looked over and saw Nicole. This ingrained my feelings and started the process in my mind of planning on how do the proposal.
Originally I planned on doing it Christmas eve but I decided to make it some random day which ironically turned out to be the date (the 15th) that I asked Nicole out on our first date. So as I was sitting in my truck at my security job at a construction site on Sunday the 14th unable to really move my body (This was the day after the run) I started thinking and looking at the ring. Yes, I kept the ring in my glove box since October. Risky, but it worked...ha-ha. So I decided I wanted to do it the Monday coming up. I called Nicole and told her "We are going on a date tomorrow night" She agreed sounding slightly confused but none the less excited.
So I picked her up around 6:45pm or so at her house. This is a slight variation of our first date because we met at Chilis instead. So we proceeded into Chilis. I noticed the booth we originally sat in was free but did not expect to get seated there so by total accident we ended up in the same booth but just opposite sides. So we ate, I pointed out small details and such. As dinner ended we walked to the truck (very slowly still because it hurt to walk..ha) Nicole still managed to have no clue. I kept checking the weather because my plan was to propose at the fountains were we spent the better part of our first date just talking and hanging out. So another slight deviation from our first date we skipped the movie and went to the fountains where we just talked and told Nicole to sit on the steps where she first sat on our date. She fought at first because it was wet but eventually she caved in and finally sat down. She than made a comment about "so do I need to put my purse between us like on the first date" So I said "Sure" and grabbed her purse and moved it.
At this point I started rambling on about how she is important to me and how she means the world to me and how even though we've fought in the past for about 2 weeks straight she was everything to me and that when I crossed the finish line at the race I knew for a fact that she was the one. I already knew before that but I think I was just scared as many of my friends know I have commitment issues anyways. After rambling on for about 5 mins I told her "Okay so I got part of your Christmas present close your eyes, cover your eyes, and turn your head" she did. As she did I was still just rambling on trying to remain calm despite the nerves going 100mph. Finally I managed to bring myself down to my knee and after I was down on the knee I told her "Okay, turn around open your eyes I have a question" and as she did I already have the ring box out and open and as she turned her jaw dropped, eyes swelled and I asked her to marry me"
After about 10 seconds she managed to nod yes and started crying (yay happy tears) and I slid the ring on her finger.
The rest is a blur because she was so out of it with joy that just seeing her happy is what I was after.
