15 Weeks

Well....Dave is a little sneak! Last night he called me up "from work" to tell me that he might be home late because they had gotten slammed. I didn't think anything of it. Turns out he'd gotten off an hour early so that he would have time to go to Powell's before coming home. When he did eventually come home, I also thought nothing of the bag of books he had in his possession because it's not uncommon for him to go to Powell's or record stores before work.

He plopped the bag in my lap and told me he'd picked up a few of my favorite authors while he was there. I pulled out "Emma" by Jane Austin, "Wuthering Heights" By Emily Bronte, "Robinson Crusoe" By Daniel Defoe, "High Five" by Janet Evanovich, and "Slaughterhouse-five" by Kurt Vonnegut. At the bottom of the bag, I stopped and stared at an unusual book of love sonnets by Pablo Neruda. Love sonnets?? I looked up at him quizingly. He told me to turn to page 39. I could feel something lumpy inside and I knew he was up to something. On page 39, taped up to a big of twine, dangled a gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring. I managed to skim the first line of the poem, "I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz..." when he got down on his knee and pulling the ring from the book, he proposed. He had completely taken me by surprise so I was shaking but eventually managed to nod yes. I think. It's all a little blurry right now.

Anyway, the poem reads:

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that you hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Truthfully though, I always fall asleep before he does so I'm not sure on the last line ;). The ring is absolutely perfect. It suits me. The engagement is even better. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive man in my life.
















We went out briefly afterwards to celebrate and play 80's trivia. He snapped a photo of my "belly bump" before we left. I think I'm actually starting to look pregnant!