I asked. He answered. He asked, I answered. We’ve been together ever since.
Here’s how it happened. It began on the ferry ride back from Martha’s Vineyard. We’d spent a magical week. It was obvious that Something Was Happening.
From there, we moved on to living together. Sort of. We each had our own place, but were almost always together in one or the other. With a lot of driving in between. As both of us were working full-time, we didn’t get a lot of time to relax together. Things were bound to change, but there was in no rush. I had no plans for moving on.
I’d gone to California on business for a couple of weeks. I came back early because I got sick. Which was just as well, because an earthquake — the one that stopped the World Series on October 17, 1989 — occurred the following day. If I’d stayed, I’d have been crushed under a collapsed highway.
A few weeks later, Garry had a few questions for me. He suggested we go out to dinner. Nice place on the dock in Boston. Garry was uncharacteristically nervous. I could tell because he drove around Leverett Circle half a dozen times on the way to the wharf . He kept missing the turn. As he drove, he explained he’d had a conversation with a pal about real estate. Prices were down. Maybe we should buy something. Live together. Like maybe … forever? Was forever okay with me?
Having listened awhile, I said: “Let me see if I’ve got this right. You want to buy a house? Move in and live together? Forever? As in married?”
“All of that,” he said, and drove around the loop one more time.
This time, I said “Yes.”
The following morning, I asked Garry if I could tell my friends. He said “Tell them what?”
“That we’re getting married,” I said.
“We are?”
“You said we should buy a house and live together forever.”
“Is that a proposal?”
“It is where I come from,” I assured him. I had to remind him about buying a ring, but eventually he realized all he had to do was give me a ring, set a date, tell me what he wanted in the way of a wedding (everything, really everything). After which he could show up in a tux and be married.
We got married 6 months later having known each other only 26 years.
I asked, he said “yes.” He asked, I said “yes.” Not so tough after all.
DISCOVER CHALLENGE | TOUGH QUESTIONS
Categories: Humor, Love, Relationships, Romance
It only took 26 years to pop the question? Geez, I hope this works out! 26 years. Nothing like jumping right into it, I see.
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❤ And I am glad it happened and that I "know" both of you!
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Love has you both more than you both have love. You are an inspiration!
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Thank you. We were also lucky in recognizing what we had. A lot of people have it and miss it because they aren’t paying attention.
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Well, I hope more and more people start paying attention. 🙂
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A lot of people get it into their head that “the right person” has to be a certain way, meet a set of qualifications. So they miss the person right next to them. By the time we finally connected for real (remembering we’d known each other for closing on 30 years by then), we’d had enough wrong relationships to recognize something special.
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That is extra ordinary.
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I like those forever arrangements.
Leslie
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Yes. You can finally relax and know that you are both in it for the long haul. It’s comforting.
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You can build a history together.
Leslie
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Thank you for sharing your lovely story.
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Thank you. Some of the best stories are true 🙂
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What a couple of romantics! Well done.
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Thank you. I often think that a lot of having a good relationship is noticing it. When we are young, we often don’t pay attention because we are too busy looking for “the perfect” one. The imperfect, unlikely one may BE the perfect one.
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Goosebumps, Marilyn. Goosebumps. I shall smile all the way into work. I love this.
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Thank you. I do not know how i would have survived without Garry.
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I love good stories with a happy ever after ending. Plus, that sure is a nice photo. 🙂
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I came here through the Daily Post challenge, and boy am I glad! Lovely read Marilyn 🙂
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Thanks. It is a favorite story — and true, too. So I enjoy when I have a chance to tell it. Thanks for visiting and commenting 🙂
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26 years ! love this post Marilyn- perfect together
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Thanks. I don’t know what I expected, but whatever it was, this is MUCH better 🙂
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i love this )
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Thank you 🙂
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Awww…..
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Thanks. It’s nice when it works. It makes life SO much better.
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What?????
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Absolutely delightful! Love hearing how you got together and how it has worked out so well ever since. Beautiful. I’m truly happy for both of you!
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That was how we finally got together. We knew each other for more than 25 years BEFORE we got married. A little slow on the uptake maybe, but it worked out somehow 🙂
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I dunno.., 26 years? Don’t cha think that’s rushing things a bit…? 🙂
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I had old batteries in my hearing aids. Just kidding. Just kidding.
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LOL
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What a lovely story! Sounds like Garry was a bit in shock during the next morning 🙂
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Garry was, I think, in shock for the next ten years. I think he may still BE in some level of shock. In a good way.
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Ya think, Dral?
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Just like a Hollywood film, brightened up my day today with my early morning read.
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It just took us a terribly long time to get around to it. I think when we announced we were getting married, our friends said a collective “FINALLY!”
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Definitely a case of “better late than never.”.
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Or, as I think of it … better late than TOO late!
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Forever looks good on you both 🙂
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Thanks, Sue. I often wish we’d gotten together sooner, but Garry always says he wasn’t ready. He was so career-driven, he didn’t have anything to give to a relationship. So maybe that is when it had to be. However, whatever, I’m happy we are together. Who else would understand what I mean without my remembering the rest of the sentence?
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😀 I think these loves that are really real can only happen when you are both ready. I’drather be a last love than a first any day…but time would be nice.
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Yes, Dear.
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