The Engagement
It was any Sunday; it was every Sunday. Except it wasn't. Over the last six weeks either Michael or Simone had to work the entire weekend. Michael and Simone finally had a Sunday to themselves, just the two of them. With reports of late afternoon rain, Michael knew that he was working within a time frame. He knew where he wanted to propose; Simone, on the other hand, had told a friend Friday night that there was no way Michael had a ring yet. (Ed. Note: Despite seven years of dating, Michael still can pull off a surprise.)
So on Sunday morning, Simone asked Michael what he wanted to do, "go to open houses in Brooklyn? Go to the park?" Michael calmly explained that they should just walk around. Simone changed into shoes that she claimed would be more comfortable. (More on this later.)
They headed out to a surprise street fair on Third Avenue. As it ended on 34th St. Michael directed the two of them west on 34th St to Simone's dismay. "I hate 34th Street," she said. "It is soooo touristy, why are we walking here." "Fine," Michael replied, "let's jump on the Subway." They took the 1 uptown and got off at 79th St. on the UWS. Simone spotted a flea market that the couple then perused after they had stopped at a arts and furniture shop, triggering Simone to call her Mom about some of the amazing items this store was selling. Neither Simone nor Anna new what was to come.
As they continued to walk cross town, Simone began to complain about her aching feet. Then she had to use the restroom. Then she complained some more. Apparently, the "comfortable" shoes were not all that comfortable. "What are we doing," she asked Michael. "We are seeing an open house by the park..." "Really?" she replied. Not really, Michael was just busting her chops. They had reached the park's 79th street entrance when Simone asked if they could just sit down. Michael, thinking he entered at the wrong part of the park, turned around . "No, never mind, we're here already," Simone said. Michael had to find his way to the location when Simone chimed in, "You didn't bring a blanket and you knew we were going to the park? That was stupid." (Ed. Note: Michael can't do anything right.)
The couple approached the Marionette Theater, triggering Simone to ask, sarcastically, if the couple had children she did not know of. No, said Michael, as he spotted a garden in the distance. The couple approached the Shakespeare Garden, and Simone, curious walked up to see what was there. "Oh, these are beautiful flowers" she exclaimed. "These used to grow outside our house." The flowers in the garden are flowers that are described in different Shakespeare plays and sonnets. Each of the flowers sits next to an engraving of the verse from the corresponding play or sonnet. As the couple walked through the garden Simone's memory was triggered and she began to recite the plays and sonnets from memory. One verse in particular, one that she had studied in London, bothered her. She could not remember the beginning of the sonnet.
The couple found their way to a bench to look up the sonnet. And in doing so, they read different sonnets together. Simone thought the environment was "super romantic" and would be perfect for an engagement. But, she knew Michael didn't have a ring and told herself to stop being crazy. Finally, she said, "Are we ready to go now?"
"No," said Michael, "one more thing." And he got down on one knee and asked Simone to marry him.
"You're crazy," she exclaimed as she put the ring on. "You're crazy," the tears rolling down her eyes. "Oh my g-d, you're nuts."
She called her mom, who replied, who asked what was up. "Nothing big," Simone said, "Michael just asked me to marry him and I thought you would want to know."
Twenty minutes later it began to rain.
The tear jerker back-story: Several years ago, Michael sat with his Grandma and told her how he planned to propose to Simone. The logic was two fold: (1) he needed someone to reassure him that it was a good idea and it was original; and (2) she was fighting a battle with leukemia. She approved, but sadly took the secret plan to the grave. Nobody else knew how it would go down, and we know she watched it proudly.
So on Sunday morning, Simone asked Michael what he wanted to do, "go to open houses in Brooklyn? Go to the park?" Michael calmly explained that they should just walk around. Simone changed into shoes that she claimed would be more comfortable. (More on this later.)
They headed out to a surprise street fair on Third Avenue. As it ended on 34th St. Michael directed the two of them west on 34th St to Simone's dismay. "I hate 34th Street," she said. "It is soooo touristy, why are we walking here." "Fine," Michael replied, "let's jump on the Subway." They took the 1 uptown and got off at 79th St. on the UWS. Simone spotted a flea market that the couple then perused after they had stopped at a arts and furniture shop, triggering Simone to call her Mom about some of the amazing items this store was selling. Neither Simone nor Anna new what was to come.
As they continued to walk cross town, Simone began to complain about her aching feet. Then she had to use the restroom. Then she complained some more. Apparently, the "comfortable" shoes were not all that comfortable. "What are we doing," she asked Michael. "We are seeing an open house by the park..." "Really?" she replied. Not really, Michael was just busting her chops. They had reached the park's 79th street entrance when Simone asked if they could just sit down. Michael, thinking he entered at the wrong part of the park, turned around . "No, never mind, we're here already," Simone said. Michael had to find his way to the location when Simone chimed in, "You didn't bring a blanket and you knew we were going to the park? That was stupid." (Ed. Note: Michael can't do anything right.)
The couple approached the Marionette Theater, triggering Simone to ask, sarcastically, if the couple had children she did not know of. No, said Michael, as he spotted a garden in the distance. The couple approached the Shakespeare Garden, and Simone, curious walked up to see what was there. "Oh, these are beautiful flowers" she exclaimed. "These used to grow outside our house." The flowers in the garden are flowers that are described in different Shakespeare plays and sonnets. Each of the flowers sits next to an engraving of the verse from the corresponding play or sonnet. As the couple walked through the garden Simone's memory was triggered and she began to recite the plays and sonnets from memory. One verse in particular, one that she had studied in London, bothered her. She could not remember the beginning of the sonnet.
The couple found their way to a bench to look up the sonnet. And in doing so, they read different sonnets together. Simone thought the environment was "super romantic" and would be perfect for an engagement. But, she knew Michael didn't have a ring and told herself to stop being crazy. Finally, she said, "Are we ready to go now?"
"No," said Michael, "one more thing." And he got down on one knee and asked Simone to marry him.
"You're crazy," she exclaimed as she put the ring on. "You're crazy," the tears rolling down her eyes. "Oh my g-d, you're nuts."
She called her mom, who replied, who asked what was up. "Nothing big," Simone said, "Michael just asked me to marry him and I thought you would want to know."
Twenty minutes later it began to rain.
The tear jerker back-story: Several years ago, Michael sat with his Grandma and told her how he planned to propose to Simone. The logic was two fold: (1) he needed someone to reassure him that it was a good idea and it was original; and (2) she was fighting a battle with leukemia. She approved, but sadly took the secret plan to the grave. Nobody else knew how it would go down, and we know she watched it proudly.
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