My best friend Stacey and I have made many traditions this summer. Sundays are always drives to the Beach to watch the sunset in the front yard of an empty mansion for sale we can only hope to own one day on the beach of Del Mar, followed by a drive to the Temple. Crazy and random pictures fill up a camera card with a few acceptable pictures thrown in there, and a new cd mix is usually made every week before the drive. Games at the church take up the rest of the night, where we get owned at signs and do you love your neighbor. Monday is fhe with the gang, grabbing dinner and watching our sporty friends play their hearts out at volleyball while we sit and facebook on her iphone and talk about boys. Disclaimer: Stacey is amazing at sports. She just has a certain distaste for volleyball in a church gym :) Lately our new tradition is grabbing slurpees anywhere we can get ahold of them, running errands together to make them go faster and seem less boring and crusading the mall. Last week the mission was stickers for our cars. The mission was complete and we were enjoying the bounty of our soft pretzels and strolling the stores of the mall when there it was in all of it's glory: my future wedding ring. It was beautiful. It just sat there and looked gorgeous, fulfilling it's only duties in the world. Stacey looked at me like I was an idiot and I think loved me more for it. I stared some more, vowed I would be back and left with a little twinkle in my eye. Today's mission: New white vans for Stace. We had quickly accomplished our mission and went right to the ring store to gaze some more. It was still there. No lucky girl had gone home with it, appreciating it less than I would have, looking at it on her bony, unpolished, pale finger. There was still hope :) I had to try it on. We waited for forever until the surly sales woman, judging every gasp I made, came to help us. She was so matter of fact. Maybe she new I was a crazy, just trying on the ring for the fun of it and daydreaming about my future. But still. Can't a girl daydream in peace please? So there it was, the gold bands making my skin look even more tan, bonus! And the diamonds were practically dancing and high fiving me. And then the conversation commenced.
Sales Lady: "It looks perfect on your finger. You have beautiful hands. So lets start the financing and get you this ring."
Gulp. Oh no.
Me: "Well actually, I'm waiting for him to buy it for me." (The words came out like a punch in the gut, knowing I had no "him" yet who would buy it for me.)
Sales Lady: "Who is going to buy this for you?"
Me: "Oh you know, my fiance. In the future...you know, when he proposes..."
Enter the sweating and self examination here.
Sales Lady: "No no no, you need to buy this for yourself."
(Is she kidding me? I wouldn't even buy a cat for myself, let alone a freaking engagement ring.)
Me: "No, it's okay, I'll wait for him to buy it."
Sales Lady: "Ugh, I hate it when girls aren't independent. Fine, let a guy buy it."
I placed the ring softly on the glass, bid my new sparkly love ado, grabbed the ring information card sharply out of "Surly's" hand and walked. I can't wait until I can go back to that store one day with an adorable and amazing man by my side, buy the ring without financing, put it on my beautiful hand and give that lady a confident "told you so" look.
That will be an amazing day.
