I’ve always thought the marriage proposal day should be fun. Mine wasn’t considered “fun” because Gar woke me in the middle of the night, got me out of bed, and proposed while I was in my pajamas. Perhaps he was afraid if he waited till morning, he’d come to his senses. Our boys were more romantic, tossing rose petals along a university sidewalk, fraternity buddies carrying the girl, in her pajamas, to her beau. One scattered flower petals from her front door to her living room, surprising her when she arrived home from work. She wasn’t wearing pajamas but I’m sure she was going to.  

After college, our daughter, Lunny became a NICU (neonatal intensive care) nurse and transport nurse on helicopters and ambulances. She also began mountain climbing, hiking with and without sherpas in over 20 countries. Between working and traveling she was so busy, a friend remarked, “Lunny will have to come to a stop for a guy to grab her.” I considered an arranged marriage, but she frowned. I offered to ask handsome young men in supermarkets what they did for a living. She’d frown and scowl.  

A couple years ago, Lunny met Will, a firefighter/paramedic. She promptly developed Covid so instead of a “first date,” they talked on the phone for nine hours. Days later, they went to dinner and afterward, when Will dropped her off at her house, she hopped out of his truck, thanked him, and walked up the stairs to her place. He lived 45 minutes away and the whole time he drove, he wondered if she wasn’t impressed with him by her solemn, non-excitable, departing. He’d soon learn she was basically her dad minus chin whiskers; unpretentious, quiet, private, kind, helpful, and willing to give of herself in service. He’d also come to know she contained a tiny bit of her mother; stubborn, a kitchen hater and unwilling to take no for an answer. I’ve apologized to Will. 

We knew nothing about Will, and this was our girl with the “wanderful life” who regularly told us, “I always gotta do better than the last thing I did” so we scrutinized carefully, and when I say “we” I mean “me.” Gar felt Will was great from the start. I felt Gar was a weak link. After two weeks, Will went to Sweden to visit friends, calling Lunny one day as she got off work. She was contracted to two hospitals, three hours apart, so was weary with a long drive ahead. They hung up, and just as she finished packing, her doorbell rang. Will had Door Dashed a mug of coffee. My cold heart softened a little.  

Last summer, Will and Lunny camped with us, and going home, Lunny and I were in one vehicle, with Will and Gar in another, pulling the camper. Will asked Gar if he could marry Lunny? Gar said yes. What a pushover.  

They went back to Nevada and the next day drove to Sacramento to have lunch with a friend. While eating, Lunny’s phone dinged that the car was being molested. She ignored it because she’s a nut, I mean, because it alarms when wind blows leaves against it. They exited the restaurant to a busted window and items stolen. I’d just given her specialty coffee-gone. Gar had given her tools-gone. But the plastic sheeting Gar gave her was still there. She was most upset they’d stolen her Wyoming hoodie, but really, who wouldn’t want one? Will was stricken because he’d hid an engagement ring under the front seat for a later-in-the-day proposal. Thankfully, the ring was untouched and napping happily. 

After vacuuming the shards of glass, and buying duct tape, they used Gar’s plastic to cover the window. I’ll admit, covering an open hole with my coffee would have proven fruitless. Her dad is always the winner. Halfway home, with Will at the wheel, he drove up a mountain road, but it was too rough for her Hyundai, so he parked by a tree at sunset. Getting out, Will tapped her on the shoulder and got down on one knee, producing the ring. She said yes.  

Driving back down the road in the dark, with red hearts in their googlie eyes, a tire blew-out. Two jeeps came by, and did they stop to help, by shining their headlights when they saw Lunny using her phone as a flashlight, so Will could change the tire? Why no. They probably said to themselves, “I’ll bet he just proposed. We can’t stop, she’ll be in her pajamas.”