The sun was setting on a chilly evening the night before Easter as we strolled hand in hand across the Boston Commons I’ve grown to miss so much over the past five years.
You see, Matt and I met in college in Massachusetts, but moved to his hometown of Los Angeles right after graduation. And while I return frequently to visit my family, it always seems that the trips are over before they start.
Our puppy Shelly was up in my favorite hotel, the Fairmont Copley. A place I’ve always dreamed of staying in, but not for the price tag. But Matt had exclaimed before we took off that it was listed on Hotels Tonight for an unbeatable price, so we took it, fireplace and all.
The wind chilled our spines as we picked up our pace through the Commons to meet his client and client’s wife at a restaurant on the other side of the park. Halfway through, Matt paused by a little duck filled pond to check a missed voicemail from his client. As he passed the phone to me, a violinist nearby lightly serenaded the nearly empty park as the lamps clicked on against the dark purple sky. The message that played was a recording of Matt asking my father for my hand in marriage.
My father is my everything. My very best friend, my confidant, my biggest fan… and when I heard his voice, I knew. Still in complete shock, I turned to Matt and asked if he was proposing.. and he did.
I don’t remember much from the next few hours besides that I felt like I was floating. We went to a fancy romantic dinner then got cheesecake at one of our old favorite restaurants.
The next day, we saw all of my family at Easter and as the shock wore off I cried; overwhelmed with happiness that I could share this special moment with my most cherished loved ones. That evening, we invited a few college and home friends to come have a drink with us at our hotel and over 30 people showed up! Of course I cried again, my soul was touched by the sheer joy I felt. The joy that I had become we at home in Boston, surrounded by so much love and support.
Lovely…..