A Valentine's story

Eight years ago today (Valentine’s Day 2002) Jamie proposed to me. Here is our story:

We lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. We had been living together for 7 months (Mae – in separate bedrooms I SWEAR:). The day fell on a Thursday so we both were working … or I thought he was working. Later I found out he had taken the day off. Late in the afternoon he called and asked me to leave work on time and go home and put on something nice. He would not answer any of my 500 questions (those of you that know me will understand that statement).

When I arrived back to our apartment I assumed I would walk in to something romantic but the apartment was empty. There was a Valentine’s Day card on the counter that instructed me to get dressed and to pick up my next clue in our apartment mailbox at the main office. In my mind I was thinking, “What is this damn Yankee up too?”

The card in the mailbox was sweet and listed an address for me to go (I can’t remember where this one lead me). Long story short, this little scavenger hunt lead me to The Embassy Suites in Memphis, which I didn’t realize until I was pulling into the parking lot. There is a great restaurant in this hotel that is impossible to get reservations on Valentine's Day so I was super impressed. I went to the front desk, as instructed, and the clerk handed me my next envelope. All the while I was glancing around the atrium looking for my Valentine. I started walking towards the bar (assuming that is where I would find him) while I was opening up the envelope.

Much to my surprise, there was a room key in the envelope. I will admit my first thought was, “I can’t believe he spent all that money on a room, on a work night.” I had no idea how my life was going to change forever once I went into that room on the second floor.

The Embassy Suites rooms have a living area in the front with the bedroom in the back. I tried peeking in the front window but it was dark so I went ahead and opened the door. For the first time in my life, I was shocked beyond belief. The beauty of the room took my breath away. The room was covered in several arrangements of roses all over the room. There were tons of balloons and at least 3 dozen small tea lit candles. Standing in the middle of the room was Jamie, dressed in a tux and sweating bullets. He was shaking and crying. As I walked into the room he led me over to the table (which was lined with Peanut Butter Twix – my fav candy at the time), after giving me a great big bear hug. I sat down and he kneeled down on one knee. He said the sweetest, most sincere words I had ever heard. Then he asked me to marry him. We were both crying so hard I’m not sure what was said next. He pulled out a big, ole fat diamond ring and slid it on my finger. We did not take I single picture that night but it is forever etched in my memory.

He chose The Embassy Suites because that is where I was staying with my girlfriends in St. Louis the night we met. We were in town for the Cubs v. Cardinals series. We had a “no boys allowed in the room” policy. So at the end of the night, when Jamie and I were not ready to part ways, we “broke” into the roof of The Embassy Suites and spent the rest of the night talking, watching the city, snuggling (remember this blog is for my daughters to read when they get older:) and watching the sun rise. It was a night I will never forget – even though I could not remember his name the next day! So me and my friends nicknamed him Rooftop (I found out much later that Jamie's friends nicknamed me Rooftop as well). Anyway, this is why The Embassy Suites is the place Jamie picked to propose marriage to me.

So after all the excitement of the engagement, he had reservations at the restaurant I mentioned. The food was fabulous – a man after my heart. We got our cheesecake dessert to go and took it back up to the room.

As I’m typing this, I keep looking at the beautiful engagement ring on my finger that he designed himself and all those amazing memories come flooding back to me. Someday one of my daughters or granddaughters will wear this ring. And I hope every time they put it on they feel the same magical, unconditional love that I do!