Engagement and the weeks leading up to it -- Full Story w/pics! Part Two

Suspicions and Second-guessing

Read Part One Here

On Wednesday September 20, Anthony asked me if I could find a way to meet him at the jeweler's to pick up the ring. He and Eler Beth were running errands and doing "apartment" things all afternoon, so I wondered how HE was going to find a way to meet ME at the jeweler's.  But I said I would.

Eler Beth is extremely perceptive. She can pick up on a mood very quickly. She reads subtleties behind an expression, and, if she doesn't understand the implication right away, she at least knows that it is there and that it does imply something.  I had heavily impressed this fact upon Anthony when they first began dating and he decided to surprise her with her favorite flowers and candy. He knows it to be true.

He let me know what time he was going to try to meet me, so I told Thomas where I was going and why, and told him I'd also run an errand or two and stop by Kroger, so he could tell Eler Beth when she asked -- and I knew she'd ask -- where I was.  I got to the jewelers and waited. And waited. And waited. I got a couple of messages from Anthony. "Sorry. Still getting the utilities switched over to our names."  "Sorry. I'm having trouble getting rid of her. lol" 

I wasn't too worried about it and figured we'd just do it the next day, so I started on my way home.  About two minutes from my house while I was at a four-way stop I got a message from him that she had gone home and he was on his way.  So I made my right turn, turned around, and headed back to the jeweler's.

He showed me the ring he had chosen, and I approved. We looked at a couple others he liked just to make sure, but I really felt she would like his first choice best. He texted pics of them to his sister and his mom, and they agreed.  He made the purchase, and as he was signing the credit card authorization Eler Beth called him.  So the saleslady and I remained very quiet while he had a short conversation.  He told her he'd realized his car was almost on empty, so he was going out to get gas. (This was true. He'd told me that as soon as he got to the jewelers and he asked me where the nearest gas station was.)  

As the saleslady was putting the ring in its box, Eler Beth messaged him, "I don't know why, but I have this feeling my Mom is over there with you."  He said, "I'm not even at home, love. You're being paranoid."  We walked out to our cars, and I told him he'd better get to that gas station quick!  lol  Almost as soon as I got in my car and began driving I got a call from her.  "I know I'm being paranoid, but I just have this feeling that you're with Anthony."   I could honestly laugh and say, "No, I'm not with Anthony. I'm just running some errands. Is Dad home? Ask him if he needs anything from Kroger."  And, by the way, she had asked Thomas if he knew where I was, and because he couldn't remember where I'd said I was going, he could honestly say he didn't!  lol  He told her I was doing some grocery shopping or something, he couldn't remember.

So we made it through okay.

A couple of days later they were at the mall, just wandering around, getting a bite to eat, killing time, and they stopped in at a jewelers. They began looking at engagement rings and wedding bands, and she commented on a ring that she particularly liked.  He messaged me in a panic, with a pic of that ring, saying that he could always take the other one back and get this one instead!  I told him to tell Eler Beth to send me a pic of the ring.  He did.  She did.  I asked her what she particularly liked about that ring.  She told me she liked that it was dainty and feminine, that the band was narrow, etc.  I relayed that to him and told him not to worry, that the one he bought was perfect for her. It was dainty and feminine, with a narrow band. It was white gold, like she preferred.  She messaged me and said that Anthony was acting weird, and she was afraid maybe she shouldn't have said anything about that ring.

"Well," I messaged, "For all you know, he may have already picked out your ring."

"Oh God!" she messaged, "I didn't think of that!"  So she started doing some back-pedaling, letting him know why she liked that one, and pointing out others that she liked.  In the meantime he texted pics of that other ring to his sister, who also reassured him that he'd made the right choice the first time.

Between us we got him calmed down, but Eler Beth told me when she got home that she could tell he was agitated, and she was worried that she'd made him second-guess himself if he'd already picked out a ring.  Because she was worried about him, she became agitated, and he messaged me that he was worried he'd irritated her!  But eventually everyone calmed down, Eler Beth remained ignorant as to his plans for Sunday, and Anthony was happy with the ring he'd picked out for her.

The next day he told us that his mom and dad were going to come down on Sunday to see his apartment, and he wanted to know if we'd all like to go out to lunch together afterward.  I already knew this, but I feigned ignorance, and we agreed to do lunch with his family. I asked if he knew where we'd go (we already knew it was going to be where they'd had their first dinner date), and I suggested that we let his parents decide, since they'd be the guests. 

And, on a note to close out this part, I will share something Eler Beth told me one day at around this period in time. She said that sometimes she would look up at him and just find herself thinking how cute he is, how sweet he is, and how much she loves him, and how amazing she still finds it, and, "Wow! He wants to marry ME!"

I hope they always find that amazing about one another!