Our newest chapter, we're getting married!!!

Headed to hang out with a mutual friend, we ended up at a karaoke bar. We had just barely met when this automatic attraction occurred. The atmosphere was a bit smokey, but dim lit. There were awful sounds coming from the speakers, from people with liquid courage enhancing the sounds, as the singers thought they were bellowing out sweet music. I was able to tune most of this out with the most attractive person in the entire bar focused on me. We talked about nothing for what seemed hours. Laughing, smiling, and giggling like two kids from jr. high. We danced a bit and enjoyed laughing at the american idol rejects. As it came time to close the establishment, I knew this was not the last time I wanted to see this smart, wonderful, joyous woman, so we exchanged numbers. We have not stopped talking since. In what, for me, seemed to be a short period, I fell, and I fell hard, in love with this woman named Valerie R. Laws. -Jay

For some reason, I had an inkling that Jay would "pop the question" sometime soon... Jay had me go to the Jewelers and size my finger a week before our anniversary. I was just so sure that he was going to ask at our anniversary dinner! Though he says he's not going to... Isn't that what any man would say, if he doesn't want to ruin a surprise? And believe me, Jay doesn't have a reputation for keeping secrets, when he's excited about something. Skipping forward to our anniversary dinner, I take a moment to mention how beautiful a ring would look, under the lights of the steakhouse tables. Jay just agrees and continues cutting up and devouring his perfectly cooked steak, brushing off my comments. We finish dinner and start getting ready to leave, but no ring has arrived. That's when it finally sunk through my thick skull, he's not going to ask me. Will he ever ask? Was he just screwing with me this whole time to get a rise out of me? What a nasty joke!

We return back to our routine, as normal and my hopes slowly start to dwindle as the days sluffed by, one by one. I reached out to my good friend, Brittani, to talk through my feelings, like us women do. She told me, "Don't worry, girl! I'm sure he's waiting for when you least expect it!". And with that, came a glimmer of hope, so the watch for signs was back on! She decided to have a little "get together" with some friends at Don Quixote's, the next weekend. I thought about it briefly, told her that I wasn't a fan of the place, because they're a karaoke bar, but I would attend. I also proceeded to explain to her that if Jay proposes there, I will punch him in the face! She assured me that wasn't the case. If anyone knows Brittani, you know how convincing she can be. I left it at that and we all trucked it up to the bar. I was lost in the joy of being surrounded, by the people I love so much and that I haven't seen in so long, until Jay was called up to sing a song... he NEVER sings karaoke... what's going on? Has he gone mad? But then, I realized he's just singing Tequila and only has one word to sing, so surely he's just doing this to get a laugh. We watch him, dancing around the stage, until he says "tequila" a margin too soon. As the DJ hollers at him, scolding him, for messing up the easiest song in the world, I have a thought. It was at that moment, when it hit me. I froze and looked around at all friends and family. This isn't a coincidence, how could I be so blind? I hear Jay's voice over the microphone, calling me to the stage and I hesitate. My thought was, no. Not in front of all these people, no. The whole bar seemed to be chanting and calling my name, ushering me to the stage. So I decide to go. With great hesitation and shaking, like a leaf, I meet my love on stage. As I look into his eyes, he's talking to me and is sinking down to one knee. The whole room melted away and in that moment, it was just him and me. Tears swell up in our eyes, as he professed his love for me. He asks and I said "Yes", followed, by a hug and kiss. The entire bar booms with cheers! That's the night I said yes to my better half. He completes me and I will never stop saying "yes" to the love of my life! - Valerie P. S. I love you.