After we left the park, I drove back to my house.  We had about two hours to take showers, change clothes, and get ready.  I had made dinner reservations downtown for 6pm.

As a final element, I had also arranged for everyone that had been a part of the day to regroup at the end of the day after dinner along with our parents at another place at 8pm.  I realized in the car ride back to my house, that apparently no one had spilled the scoop on this aspect, and that the regrouping at 8pm would actually be a surprise to Whitney.  I guess I had never really intended for that to be a surprise, but the fact it actually would be one was an added bonus.

When we walked in the door, my roommates and Vesal were there.  What if one of them said something about 8pm?  Even a simple, “See you around eight!” comment would have spoiled it.

We said hey to everyone, exchanged hugs, congratulations, and showed off the ring.  Whitney’s clothes for dinner were in her car, and so we had to go back outside to get them.  As we walked to her car, I sent a quick text to Patrick, “Whitney doesn’t know about 8pm.  Don’t mention it.”

I hoped they read it.

We left for dinner around 5:30.  Fortunately, and to my relief, we made it out of the house without anyone mentioning the 8pm regrouping.

We went to dinner at Solas, downtown.  It was one of the first places she and I went together, before we were actually dating.  We had gone there to celebrate her birthday, and it was where I had planned to talk to her originally about dating her.  That plan fell through that night because of other reasons, and it probably worked out better that way. Of course it did.  We were engaged now.

Dinner was nice, and we got to sit at a table for two, surrounded by white draping, fabric.  It was elegant, quiet, and everything else faded into the background.  We continued to talk about the day, reliving all the moments. I revealed that I had bought the ring months ago, that I had tortured her with stories about having no money to be engaged, and tricked her into thinking I was incredibly nervous about talking to her parents, when in truth, I had bought the ring, and I had talked to her parents without her ever knowing.  (Those are all fun stories to us now, and I will take great pleasure in scribing some of them later.)

Everything had gone so well.  I couldn’t let go of her hand all during our time together at dinner.  We still had some time to waste, so we sat there for a while.  It was so good to be together after a day of being apart.  Now, we were engaged, promised, to each other.

After we finished eating, we went for a walk.  Our feet hurt in our shoes.  Hiking trails earlier that day in flip-flops hadn’t helped either.  I rarely wear shoes, so now when I do, the backs of my heels sometimes scrape and bleed.  Isn’t that romantic?  They weren’t bleeding.  But they did hurt.  I wanted to put my flip-flops back on.  But, the film director inside me said no.

Her feet weren’t doing well either.  She was wearing new shoes and they weren’t quite worn in yet.

We walked back to the car, and I opened the door, letting her in.  (By the way gents, open the door for your lady, dating, engaged, or married.  It is courteous and chivalrous.  I make a point to always do this, and in our ten months together have only forgotten three times, and felt horrible about it.  Whitney knows this, and will stand by the door expectedly now, not even bothering to reach for the handle.  Now, I will climb down from my soapbox…)

We drove across town to our final stop.  It was a restaurant we frequented often, and this was where we would meet everyone to celebrate the day.  Nearly everyone would be there.  A few couldn’t make it because of prior commitments or obligations.  Our parents would be there too.

We pulled up and parked out in front.  We walked inside and she saw our parents.  A good surprise!

“I didn’t know they would be here!”

“They’re here, and others are coming!”

We hugged them, and talked for a while.  We waited for everyone to arrive.  Whitney, wisely, had saved every scrap of every clue from the day.  It was still in my car from earlier.

My mom had put together several pictures of us in a white frame for Whitney.  It was a frame Whitney had wanted, but didn’t want to buy for herself, because it was money she wouldn’t spend.  My mom had asked earlier in the week if there was something she could buy Whitney, and I told her about it.  It was perfect.

On the corners of the frame, my mom had jokingly placed a princess crown and a frog.  Whitney was the princess for obvious reasons.  Apparently I was the frog.  I didn’t mind the insult too much as it was also a nod to the upcoming Disney movie, “The Princess and the Frog” that Whitney and I are very excited about.

We opened Renee’s letter from earlier.  It was a card.  Inside were several quotes, and one, attributed to Dante, read: “Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always.”

Everyone arrived, and once we were settled I announced that we would now tell the story with all the pieces put together.  I would lead, and say my part, read the clues that we had brought.  Whitney would tell her perspective, and then each person would tell his/her perspective.  It took about an hour for us to get to the end of the day.

It was fun to hear everyone’s perspective.  They would say things like, “the look on her face,” or “she was so surprised.”  With each story, Whitney’s face glowed.  Each friend gave his/her perspective and I could tell that Whitney had been enjoying every moment of the day. It was memorable and some of those closest to us were invited to be a part of it.

Our friends and family help shape us into who we are, so isn’t only fitting to have them be a part of the biggest and best days of our lives?  I thought so.

After the story, I thanked everyone for making the day special.  I thanked our parents for being examples to me and Whitney.  Without our friends, without our family, this whole day would have been just a game, a middle-school scavenger hunt with a ring as the prize.  Instead, this twisted labyrinth through Raleigh became a celebration of friendship and love at each stop.

The night ended.  It had been a long day, but a great one, a full one.

It had been a long day, but a great one, a full one.

We drove back to my house, where her car was.  She would have to drive herself home, a twelve mile trek.  It was hard to say goodbye that night, for obvious reasons.  But we would see each other in the morning.  We would start tomorrow differently.  We would wake up knowing that somehow we had found each other, and that being found, being loved by another person, being promised to that person, is the greatest thing in the world.

Our story was an adventure, and epic one, and worth telling whether anyone wanted to read it or hear it.

The quote from Renee’s card seemed to suit us well.

“…the beginning of always.”

This day, this night, was certainly that. But the rest of our lives…that’s the real story.

We look forward to writing it, to living it, together.

Always.