Amanda's Viewpoint: I'd been on the online dating scene for over a year after moving out to Washington without much success. I'd been on a few dates here and there with nothing really clicking. My dad, always the helpful one, sent me a Ted-Talk about online dating called the Zero Date. It's basically a pre-date where you just spend an hour with someone, get a drink or a coffee, and have a planned exit, so if you don't click right away, you don't waste time, and if you do, you can plan a true first date. I thought I'd give it a try and found myself replying to Aaron's message by setting up a Zero Date on a day I had to pick up a friend from the airport. He drove almost an hour to meet me at one of my favorite local spots. We chatted and had a beer, and then another... Turns out I really liked him! We had so much in common I wish i'd had more time to talk with him, but my friend's flight was on it's way, and I was leaving for a 2 week vacation in just 5 days! Mentally kicking myself, we exchanged numbers and I promised to keep in touch throughout the coming weeks until I returned. I just hoped he was as interested in me as I was in him. The weeks flew by as I sent him several pictures from my vacation to Alaska, and he sent me pictures of a music festival he went to in the meantime. We talked so much via text that I was more looking forward to our next date than I was paying attention to the vacation. I'm certainly glad he hung in there with me, as we had a fantastic first date when I returned to Washington, and continued to see each other on a weekly basis, even though we lived about an hour drive apart. I got tired of the drive though, and when I bought a house in January, I asked Aaron to move in with me. Life has been a dream every since.

I had known I was going to propose to Amanda for months and that goal had solidified when I was on a business trip in February. I had found a painting from her favorite children's book: The Little Prince. I found the perfect ring: a fire-sapphire on a gold stem. The plan was to set up the painting in the guest room so the painting would be the first thing you saw. I had written a small note and tucked it in an envelope that I put in the corner of the painting. On the front of the note was a quote about love from the book (I'm so good). And on the back I wrote "Will you marry me?". This was perfect, but wait, how is she going to know to turn the card over? Oh man, good thinking Aaron, you better add a little note on the front, under the quote that says "turn me over". I shoot Amanda a quick text and ask her if she wants to go out to Liberty Bistro for dinner. It's the nicest restaurant in Sedro and as an added bonus, we'll have a great place to go and celebrate once she says yes. Amanda heartily agrees and the plan is set. I've accounted for everything. Except one detail: Amanda's hunger. As a busy Veterinarian, her lunch had been small and unimpressive, the appointments many, and after doing her amazing doctor-y thing Amanda was heading home with a mission: FOOD. After what seemed like 1,000 years, Amanda came in the door and the game was on! "Oh good, you're all ready to go" Amanda commented upon seeing me as she came in. She turned back towards the door, ready to go. "Oh, before we head out, There's a package for you in the other room." I chime in. "I wasn't expecting a package. I'll look at it when we get back, I'm hungry." Curses! "It's really big, I think you should check it out now." "Can it wait?" "No" With a sigh, she sets down her purse and starts walking towards the front of the house, with me behind her. One hand in my pocket holding the ring, the other hand basically shoving Amanda forward (just like the Alanis Morriset song)

She finally gets to the door and opens it with an "oh wow". She steps in to look at the painting. I've got my hand around the ring box, knees already bent in preparation as she looks over the painting. Without even a glimpse at the envelope she turns back towards the door "That's really beautiful. Let's go eat!" I just blink at her, literally standing in the doorway, barring her path. "you, uh, you missed the envelope in the corner" "what? Oh! look at that" Ok, it's back on. She has the envelope in her hand. She's partially pulled out the paper. Just high enough to read the quote. I'm bending down, half way to the floor and the ring box out of the pocket and about to open...! And she pushes the paper back in and sets it down. CURSES!! I miraculously stumble back to my feet just as she turns around to kiss me for the "Sweet Quote". She didn't turn it over, she still hasn't seen the proposal. I blink again as Amanda moves a second time to leave the room. Dinner called! "There's...There's more to the note" "What?" "There was more to the note, you missed it." She turns back around and pulls the note fully out of the envelope this time. The game is on! I'm down on full knee, she reads through the quote again and then sees the little note to turn the card over. I open the box. She flips the card around and reads the back "'Will you Marry Me?' She turns around, a look between stunned shock and that look a person gets when you speak to them in a foreign language they've never heard before. The ring was waiting. In a stunned silence she picks up the ring and sits down, hard, onto the edge of the bed. She manages to nod out a silent 'yes' so that I can finally start breathing again. Events blur together after that, but we did finally make it into Liberty Bistro where I remember her staring longer at the ring than her meal.