Fast forward to October 26, 2013. At the time, I was taking courses at Georgetown University, and while in a very boring class I write a letter about my (nonexistent) husband. I wrote the letter as if I was married, sharing everything about his heart and how he loves me. A few minutes later Norman responds to a tweet I wrote earlier in the day about dating.
He tells me he has some one for me (he's an engineer) and I say I'm open to it. Next thing I know he has sent me a direct message via twitter letting me know he will be in DC for a job interview and he wanted to take me on a date – at the time he lived in Atlanta and I was in DC). I did not play it cool, I responded shortly thereafter, we exchanged numbers and I promise we have not gone a day without speaking since then.
On the day of the date I had a doctor's appointment and had to cancel the date. The bad part about it was that Norman called me to confirm the date and that's when I told him (it was also literally while I was leaving the doctor's office). I had a bandage on my face and could not let that be the first time he saw me!
Norman went back to Atlanta but was undeterred. On October 31, 2013, just five days after he messaged me asking me on a date, we were texting back and forth. He told me he was very serious about me and about us and then via text message, he asked me to be his girlfriend. Taken aback, I asked my friends if I was crazy to say yes, but they all told me to go for it. So, I said, “yes”!
How He Asked: Fast forward to July 3, 2015 – the second time I said “yes”
On July 3, 2015, my day started with my make-up artist, Renny Vasquez. A few days prior, he posted a picture and I commented under it. He responded telling me he would be in ATL and we should play in some make up! So he said he would be available on Friday – only problem is Norman already had plans for us. We were celebrating my birthday a bit earlier, and on the same date (July 3) as last year. Shoots can last hours and hours and I didn't want it to push into dinner.
Luckily, Norman said it wouldn't interrupt our dinner plans, he just wanted to make sure that I got ready there and that it would be awesome that I got to spend time with Renny and get dolled up before my birthday dinner. When I got there, Renny had a videographer there shooting some B-Roll – I did not think much of it and she was really nice. A little before 6:00 p.m. we finished the shoot, I got ready for dinner and I met Norman in the lobby of Renny's hotel.
On our way to dinner our driver pulled up to a McDonald's and said he had to run an errand very quickly. Now, I knew something was up because Norman was too calm about that – and let's face it, who willingly is like “that's cool, man” when your paid driver does errand on your time (later I found out that was because we were too early and needed to waste time).
I played it cool because I know Norman likes surprises and that's when we got to the location of the helicopter. He said, “We are going to dinner. No one said we couldn't go to dinner in style.” I know this is the point that would have tipped many off, but between my birthday last year and other events I know that Norman loves surprises. It was raining and storming ALL morning, but the weather and clearness of the sky was perfect for our helicopter ride.
Our flight came to an end at Chateau Elan (even more beautiful from a bird's eye view). We landed and Norman blindfolded me as I got into a van even though I told him I knew where we were. A few minutes later he guides me out of the van and I see roses leading up to the Statue of the Lady Stomping Grapes and that's when I know. I look up and I see my parents, his parents, his best friend and his wife, my best friend and her boyfriend, his sister with his nephew and brother in law and our daughter in love.
I even see the videographer that was at Renny's hotel room! They each read a part of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and said “love never fails part” in unison. Then Norman started his proposal, reminds me of our first time meeting in person, how much he loves me and requests a promise from me…
He began to open the box and made the motions to down on one knee when I get so nervous I shut the box! Unfazed, he continues on his knee with everyone cheering us on and asks me to marry him. This is when everyone starts cheering and my dad shouts, “SAY YES!” I nodded, and finally found my voice to say, “yes”!
Norman is the exact man I wrote about in that letter on October 26, 2013 – there is really not one facet in which he doesn't align with the words on that paper.
I am still amazed how God worked in our lives!
No comments :
Post a Comment