Our story last left off with high anxiety, illness and warm receptions in Florida. As is typical with the weather, things were a little chillier in Michigan. You see, my family is incredibly protective of each other, especially when one of the herd is wounded – and I was. Very shortly before I met Leo, I struggled and gutted my way through an emotionally devastating divorce.  I could write a book on that subject, so for simplicity’s sake I will tell you that I was wrong, he was wrong, and I was in a very, very bad place for a long time and I truthfully had no idea. God was with me every single minute, but I was beat up, shaken up and rocked to my core. I knew I had a long way to go, and I just couldn’t believe that God wanted me to do it any way but alone. I was wrong again.

When I began to tell the family that there was a man in my life, they very carefully tried to tell me I was crazy. They were skeptical, and rightfully so. I’m pretty sure the phrase “rebound guy” got kicked around more than once. I didn’t share their attitude with Leo, and for those of you who know him, we all know it wouldn’t have made a difference. Leo is Leo, it is one of his best qualities – he is fearless and honest whether in a foxhole or going to meet his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. He was ready but I was hesitant, and it was July before we made the trek across the state to my hometown.

Things had been going well for us as a couple. It was working. The more time we spent together the more we enjoyed each other, and the more we found we had in common. We were developing a routine and although we were a little wary, it was easy to be optimistic. I started speculating that if we were still together by Christmas, well, we might have something really serious on our hands. In the middle of a conversation about a future event I had said “provided we are still together” and Leo like to pick on me about that phrase. “Provided….” he would say with a little grin and a wink. He had no insecurities about our future, but I still wanted to be very cautious. You know, provided we stayed together.  

So we went and met my family, and had a wonderful time. The Fishers are a great bunch of folks and always hospitable to the core. My folks had recently moved to a condo down by the beach, but had yet to sell their large historic home in the city, so Leo and I stayed in the big house by ourselves. It was late by the time we left the rest of the family and headed over to the brick colonial. We talked and summed up our evening over a drink and played casually with the dog. Then Leo handed me a letter.

It was a lovely note from Jackie the dog, about how great things had been since Leo and I had been together, and how happy her dad was. I was charmed and completely oblivious to where this was going until he handed me a small velvet pouch containing a platinum band. I looked at him, stunned, while he said “will you marry me?”

I would love to leave off here, just because I am cruel and interesting that way, but I will give you my reply first:

“ARE YOU CRAZY?”

Yes, that is really what I said. Forgive my insanity, and enjoy the suspense until the next installment of How We Met, where a long engagement and a perfect wedding culminate in a Sprout named Joel James.