Put a Ring on It

Six weeks ago, I got a text from Lucia’s boyfriend, Brayden.

Hey, can I give you a call? I have something really important to ask you.

“Hey, Lauren,” I hollered. “Brayden wants to call.”

Sure, I wrote back. Probably just going to tell you what Lauren’s dad told me in the same situation.

I saw the three dots blinking for a moment and then this appear: Is Lauren available too? I want to ask you both.

She is, I said.

My FaceTime lit up a moment later, and Lauren and I gathered on the couch. As I’m sure you’ve deduced, Brayden asked our permission to propose to Lucia.

Lauren immediately responded, “You really don’t have to ask us. She’s her own person and doesn’t belong to us.”

“I’m kinda old school that way, though,” said Brayden.

“We would love to have you be our son-in-law and part of our family,” said Lauren. “I guess I shouldn’t speak for Gordon. Anything you want to say, dear?”

I smiled at Brayden. “I’m just gonna tell you what Lauren’s dad told me.”

“What’s that?” Brayden said.

“I called up and was all nervous and I hadn’t thought much of what I should say or how I should ask. So I started stumbling along and before I got too far, Leon said, ‘Listen, Gordon, you don’t have to ask me anything. You’re the one who has to live with her.'”

Brayden broke up laughing.

Last night, Brayden finally put a ring on it as he, Lucia, and Brayden’s family partied at Sea World in Florida. Based on the Facebook Live his mother ran, Brayden hit his knee at midnight, January 1, 2024. Fireworks exploded overhead, and people around them cheered. It was lovely. My only objection to any of it was that it happened at midnight.

“But it’s New Year’s Eve,” you say.

Yeah, well, part of our strategy for mitigating New Year’s Eve fighting and migraines involves watching a pre-recorded ball drop at ten pm on Netflix and going to bed so that (1) there’s less time to argue and (2) everyone is better rested New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. But of course, we couldn’t miss joining the Facebook Live, so we stayed up, watched the Mario Brothers movie with Grant and Katy, and kept it civil until the magical moment. Then of course, we began to contemplate planning a wedding, which led to the traditional New Year’s migraine . . .

Kidding. Mostly.

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