WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

It was year 2007. I was 12. Wesley was 10. That's about all I can confirm with confidence. One day while I was staying at Tori's (Wesley's sister) house we decided to take a walk through the small German village she lived in. "Sure!" says Mrs. Garnes, "Take your brother." A moment of intense, silent contention. In the end, like the battle of 'Are Spaghetti Straps Acceptable School Attire' and so many classics, Mrs. Garnes won. I believe the compromise was that he had to walk several steps behind us at all times. Flash forward to 2018. When Tori invited me to her wedding I decided to go down early. We could catch up and I could help with last minute details. Her little brother also came down a little early. To my surprise, Tori's tag along little brother had grown into a fully developed human who was smart, funny, kind. After the wedding we kept in touch. Wes spent the next several weeks trying to convince me to let him come visit. Eventually, I let him. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Quarantine Day 36 I'd been having a hard week. So when Wes bailed on plans to hang out (while maintaining six feet of distance because we were living in a new era) with my family on a Saturday I was bummed. Not only did he bail on hanging out, but he shoved me out the door. Desperate to get rid of me. I told him I'd be home after dinner. To the surprise of probably not one single person in my life, I was running late. But, when I got home, Wes' car wasn't at the house. I walk through the door and my roommate (hi Lindsey!) tells me to get dressed and head out to the backyard. Just the week before I had been dreaming of going out to a fancy dinner if quarantine ever ended. I went so far as to pick out an outfit. And there was my fancy dinner outfit laying on my bed. I head outside and the backyard is transformed. There are fairy lights everywhere. A table with champagne. Wes is dressed all fancy, standing in the yard by a little table. I remember thinking how amazing it was that he had gone to such lengths to create a fancy dinner for me to cheer me up. He tells me to open a basket sitting on the table. Inside there's a note about how much he loves me. "January Wedding" by the Avett Brother starts to play and I turn around. Wes is down on one knee. I think he maybe says something to me? But, honestly I can't hear because the blood is pumping in my ears and I might throw up from excitement. Is this an elaborate prank? Apparently I ask him out loud because he assures me it is not. He asks me to marry him. And I say yes. How could I ever say anything else?