I was off of work one day in October and had spent the night at my girlfriend’s house. She had gotten up to go to work in her home office leaving me laying there, teeth not brushed, clothes not put on, and wig not on. I looked super classy.

It was a beautiful day with the sun streaming through the leaves of the trees in the backyard and I was laying in bed enjoying the view. I felt like a princess, cozy on the bed and surrounded by beauty. Tiffani came into the bedroom on a break and the moment was perfect. I don’t know why but it was.

“Fuck it,” I said as I reached into the filing cabinet I use as a bedside table. I pulled out a small cardboard box and sat up as I talked to Tiffani. I’d bought the necklace a few months before and I was just waiting for the right moment. “I know you don’t want rings because they knock on everything while you work. So, I got you an engagement necklace.”

Tiffani’s eyes got a little bigger. I kept going in my ad lib. I hadn’t prepared anything because I hadn’t planned this. It just … happened.

“I also know that you don’t want to get married again. And I’m okay with that. I don’t need the paper. Baby, this is a promise that I’m not going anywhere. I love you and want to be with you forever.”

Tiffani was taken back. There wasn’t the usual smartass retort. All she said was that she didn’t have a ring for me and I told her I didn’t need one.

Later in the day we were sitting on the sofa listening to music or watching tv or something. I was still laying there, teeth not brushed, clothes not put on, and wig not on head, still looking super classy. Tiffani casually told me that she would be open to an engagement so I crawled over to her, kissed her, and asked her if she’d marry me. She smiled and said yes… and asked me to keep it a secret.

When my sons arrived at Tiffani’s house for Thanksgiving, we unloaded the car and I went straight into meal prep mode. Before I got my hands dirty, Tiffani asked me to come talk to her in the bedroom. I was wondering why I was in trouble when she pulled out an old, tiny jewelry box.

“This box was my grandmother’s,” Tiffani told me as she walked towards me. It was ornate and silver and super pretty. “I want you to have it,” she said as she opened the lid. Inside was a thin black ring with a tiny black diamond. I felt a shit eating grin cover my face as she slid the ring onto my finger. I hugged her as she said, “Will you marry me?”

Of course I said yes. This woman is amazing. She’s so strong and so soft. So tender and so tough. So honest and so hot. So smart and so sassy. I’m so outclassed by this woman and kinda just waiting for her to figure that out and dump me.

I stopped worrying about that on Thanksgiving day.