The Reason for the Backstory

Yesterday was just an odd day.  All around.

Bryan’s parents came in to see The Boy’s canceled baseball game (it was rained out thirty minutes after they hit Rainbow City), so we had to be up early.  And do that emergency cleaning run which inevitably ends with, “Please excuse the mess..”  Which I don’t get. 

I headed out to rehearsal early because I had to learn ANOTHER song that was thrown at me on Wednesday.  After driving around 5 Pts, looking at houses to buy, I decided that I couldn’t sing this song.  So I went on to rehearsal.

Where we worked our ASSES off for THREE HOURS.  Parts of it were fun.  Terri mooned me.  It was hot(t), and totally made it worth going.

After rehearsal, I went out to Madison to drop off some pictures of her (step) grandson so my mother had something to take back to Orlando with her.  I gotta admit.. it’s a damn cute kid.  She was very happy with the pictures.  We chatted for awhile, and then I headed back into town.

When I called Bryan, he was napping, so I broke every legal speed limit to get back to him so I could join in.  We laid on the couch together.. and you know how much I love summer naps.  The cold breeze of the A/C, but the warmth of outside coming in through the windows.. oh, they’re spectacular.  But, since I’m on drugs, I’ve lost my ability to sleep. (Hence my being awake at 7 a.m. this morning.) So I got up and started piddling around the house.

It was nearing dinner time, and Bryan had made a point of wanting to take me to dinner.  We haven’t had a date night in I don’t know how long, so I was all about it.  I jumped in the shower, shaved my legs (it WAS a date night), and got ready.  I plopped down beside him on the couch, and we tried to figure out where to go.

First prerequisite?  It needed to be somewhere we hadn’t been in awhile. (Which means Beauregard’s is OUT.)

Second prerequisite?  It needed to be something we had a coupon for. (Bryan had purchased a City of Huntsville coupon books, which we’ve quite literally been living on.)

I jumped up and said, “Ooooh!  I’ve got a gift certificate to Red Lobster!!”  So off we went.

.. we had forgotten about prom.  The wait from Red Lobster’s parking lot looked to be AT LEAST an hour.

So, we drove.  Bryan and I decided that we would just drive until something caught our eye.  We would let fate take our hands.

A wrong turn led us to a brightly colored building.. Casa Blanca on University (the newest one), so we said, “Why not?”  We went in and were immediately seated.  LOVED the decor.  We ordered and had our food in ten minutes.  He was VERY quiet.  I attributed it to his hesitance to try new things.  But he said he was fine.

He asked if I wanted to go to the park afterwards, and I (of course) said yes.. but fate had a different idea.

As we ate, the bartender (James, we later learned) approached our table.  “Hey,” he said.  “Do you guys wanna go to a Viper’s game tonight?  I’ve got two tickets, but it looks like I’m going to be stuck here.  And there’s a parking pass and everything.”  We jumped at the chance.  Fate had given us a date!!

While waiting for the server to break us some change, Bryan was getting really antsy.  I knew that the mexican had upset his tummy.  He needed to go get bagels.  He wouldn’t admit it, but I could see the fear in his eyes.

The game was AWESOME.  I hate to say it, but we had more fun with just the two of us than when we brought The Boy.  We had amazing, ring-side seats.  There were some characters sitting all around us.. and the Vipers played a REALLY good game. (But we lost.) OOH, and I also got a t-shirt.  Not honestly, because when you fling something at Sarah, she doesn’t grab it.  She swats it away, screaming.  So I was pegged with a t-shirt, but in my cat-like defenses, swatted it to my neighbor.  Bryan was M-A-A-A-A-D.  But the guy kindly handed over the t-shirt.. because he pitied what a retard I am.

He was a funny guy, though.  He was WAAAY into the game.  We saw tons of people there, and the back of Bill Hubscher’s head, and had a great time.  As we always do, we watched the messages scroll across the scoreboard.. Bryan said, “Ooh!  I’m gonna get a message that asks you to marry me.”  I, in my infinite class, said, “No, I’d much rather have a coke.  And I’ve already said yes.”

After the game, we wandered out to ViperVille, where I got to meet my FAVORITE part of the evening.. the Zooperstars.  Oh, you may mock me.. but this was some funny shit.  Especially if you like puppets.. which I do.  And I think I’ve found my life’s ambition.

Anyway, once ViperVille thinned out, we finally got to take a walk in the park.  As was last year, our luscious park had been pillaged by squatters in anticipation of Panoply.  We wandered through the massive, eerie tents, trying to find ANY seat that still had a view of the water.  We found one.. a brand new bench right outside my grassy spot.  We sat down, watching all of the prom goers try and find a romantic hideaway, and watching the drunk Viper fans harass them.  Good times.

Bryan put his arm around me.  “I love you.  Very much.” he whispered.

I cuddled into him.  “I love you, too.  Very much.” I said.

And he got down on one knee.

“I want you to be a part of the rest of my life,” he said.  “I want you forever.”

And he pulled out a ring.  And shakily slid it on my finger.

I kissed him.  Repeatedly.  “I can’t wait,” I said.

One year later, as I knew it would, it all fell into place.  I got to choose him.