Also, I want to give a special shout out to Natale!!! Today is her birthday!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATALE!!!!
Enjoy this chapter!
***
“Do you like this one for Alex?” he asked as he showed us a diamond engagement ring.
“It is perfect.” I said to him.
“She’ll love it!” Sidney told him. Everyone else put their two cents in. But in the end it was unanimous; the ring would be perfect for Alex. Just then one caught my eye. It had a silver band with gorgeous diamond in the center. I walked over toward it. I knew it was perfect for Lys. But I didn’t want to get it right now. This was Geno’s turn to get the ring for Alex, I’d come back for mine. I turned around and saw Sidney looking at rings as well. I could tell we would be back. Geno paid for the ring as we all headed back to the hotel room.
I woke early the next morning and headed back to the jewelry store. When I walked in I saw Sidney.
“Hey!” he called to me.
“Hey, are you here picking out an engagement ring?”
“Not exactly.” He replied. I walked over to his side. “I’m getting her this necklace and earring set. None of these rings scream Natale to me and I need to find the perfect one.”
“Understandable. But I saw this one and immediately thought of Lys. It’s perfect for her.” I pulled him over to the jewelry case and searched for the ring I saw last night but it wasn’t there. “Or it was here. Excuse me sir,” I called the jeweler over.
“Yes?” he was about middle-age with signs of gray hair starting to show through his black locks but he had a bluest eyes.
“I was in here last night with my teammates and I saw this ring; it was silver with a princess cut diamond and right here.”
“Ah yes…it is right back here getting a cleaning.” I sighed in relief.
“Great, I would like to purchase it.”
“Splendid!” the gentlemen turned around and finished the cleaning before checking Sidney and I out.
“Do you know when you’ll propose?”
“No idea.” I chuckled. “Like I said I saw the ring and thought of her.”
“When do you think Geno is proposing?”
“I think he mentioned something about Friday.”
“Wow so soon.” We arrived at the hotel, grabbed some breakfast before heading back to our rooms.
“Hey where did you go?” Max asked me. I pulled out the box to show him. “Wow! When are you proposing?”
“I don’t know!” I laughed.
“Well congrats man.” I thanked him before I felt my phone vibrate. It was Lys making sure that I wasn’t going to be playing that night. She had senior activities. They were having a student versus faculty softball game, then a picnic and a party on the field. It should be fun and I told her to have fun. Also told her not to worry about missing the game, which didn’t turn out too well. We lost Game 4. I couldn’t wait till I saw her shining face tomorrow. Max and I were watching TV when Geno came in the room. Sidney followed him.
“Okay, what you guys think bout this?” he asked. “Tomorrow, after I ask her dad permission at the mass, I take Alex to dinner at Le Mont. Propose outside on Mt. Washington.”
“You should ride the incline up!” I added. I completely forgot about the baccalaureate mass.
“Okay. But I think I want to ride it down. Just have limo pick up down there.”
“That sounds good. I’m sure she’ll like it.” Sid told him and he smiled real wide.
“I heard you bought ring too, Jordan. Where you goin to propose?”
“I haven’t thought that far.” I chuckled. “Any ideas?”
“Nice dinner like Geno?”
“Nah, I don’t know. Lys is different than Alex. Like that’s the perfect setting for her but Lys, she probably would like something crazy.”
“Bull-riding.” Suggested Max.
“Okay not that crazy!”
“Does she have any favorite cities or sites?”Asked Sid.
“She loves New York City.”
“Plan a trip there?” I shrugged.
“It’s a possibility, thanks!” We all hung out for a bit before we went to bed to wake for a flight back home tomorrow morning.
Friday, I drove Lys’ mom and grandparents to the school for the mass and dinner. It was a nice ceremony and a nice dinner.
“I missed you.” I told her on our walk to get the car.
“I missed you as well!” she leaned up a tried to kiss me on the cheek. “Did I tell you my cousins are coming?”
“Only about a million times,” I joked with her. It was her favorite relatives coming to graduation. “Now you know I won’t be able to make the ceremony right?” I lied to her.
“Yes Jordan, I understand. But I will see you after the game.”
“Are you not coming to watch it?”
“I don’t know. I’d like to spend time with my family but my uncle would love to come to the game!”
“Why don’t you do dinner and I get a car to take to you to the arena after?
“What if dinner takes forever?”
“Max and Erma’s in Monroeville.”
“Well it better not and I’ll make sure it doesn’t!” By now we were in the car and driving to pick up the rest of her family. “I love you! Don’t fall tomorrow.” I joked with her. God it killed me not telling her!
“Love you too! You better not play tomorrow!” We kissed goodbye. She gave the rest of the family hugs and kisses and said she’d them tomorrow. We drove away. On the ride home her mom and I tried to come up with a plan for the events tomorrow. She told me her brother would love to go to the game and explained that her niece loved to Max’s “chicka-chee.”
“Well maybe I can make some arrangements and you can have dinner closer to town then come over and enjoy the game.”
“That would be nice, thank you Jordan.” I dropped off her grandparents before returning to her house. I noticed her dad was home. This was my opportunity.
“Do you mind if I came in and used the bathroom before I left?” I asked Cathy. She didn’t mind. What a stupid excuse to get in the house but I knew once in that I can just casually ask her dad.
“He Jay, can I ask you a question?” he was sitting in the recliner in the living room getting ready to watch his Friday night shows.
“Sure Jordan.”
“May I have your permission to marry your daughter?” he was stunned as was Cathy as she started to cry. I could tell he was trying to hold back tears.
“Yes you may.” He responded and shook my hand. Cathy came over and gave me a hug.
“Do you know when?”
“No, I just saw this ring in Ottawa and immediately thought of Lys.” I pulled out the ring to show her mom.
“That is beautiful; she’ll love it!” I beamed! I chatted with them a bit longer before hitting the road.
In the morning I woke to get ready to go see Lys graduate. Sidney, Geno and I all told our girls that we could not make it. But after the company figured out how serious these girls meant to us to let us borrow a helicopter. The plan was to see our girls before the show and then wait until they walked across the stage before we took our leave. We also made special arrangements with the school to sit near the front by the bleachers so when we left it would disturb anyone. I got suited up and met the guys at the arena.
“Morning!”
“They going to be so surprise.” Geno said when we got into the car that would take us to the helicopter.
“I know!” I beamed. “How did everything go yesterday?” I asked him.
“She say yes!” he smiled. Then he explained that her dad couldn’t be happier that they would be getting married. “The dinner was nice at the LeMont and view was spectacular. Alex didn’t know what I was going to do. She start to cry when I pulled out the ring.” He told us. I wonder if Lys would cry like her mother did when I showed her the ring.
When we arrived at the school, we decided to wait in the Carey Center. Cathy told me she’d text me when she arrived and where Lys was located. When she did I saw her dad walk in and then her. She looked gorgeous in her dress and gown. She handed her dad her purse and started to walk away. That was my cue. I went over and pulled her arm back.
“JORDAN!!!” she screamed and jumped in my arms. “What are you doing here?”
“Surprise!” I smiled and leaned down to kiss her.
“We need to get a picture but my dad took my camera.”
“I’ve got mine.” she went to go finish getting ready then pulled me over in line where she needed to be.
“Alex! Oh hey Geno!” she went and gave him a hug. “I’m so happy you proposed to her!” I saw Geno blush a bit. “Can you take a picture of Jordan and I?”
“You know I don’t take the best pictures.” She took it and it turned out great.
“One more Alex please!” I lifted Lys up and kissed her on the cheek as Alex took the picture.
“Aww, that was cute!” she said. “Can you take one of Geno and I?”
“Of course.” I said but Lys being the camera lover she is stole my camera. “Do you want one with Alex?” I asked when she was done. That was a stupid question.
“Yes!” I took a picture of them. “Wait! We need to get Natale!” So we followed Lys out of line to see Natale. She was up front in the business school line with Sidney. “Hey Natale can we do a gals picture real quick?” she nodded and the three girls took a nice picture together.
“We should get a group picture!” Alex said. “Why don’t you ask Laura to take it?”
“Hey Laura can you take a picture of us?” Laura was one of Lys’ friends. I handed her my camera. And we all posed by our girls.
“Let me take one more.” She said before handing the camera back to me. I thanked her and the girls ran back to get there spot in line. I followed.
“Hey Lys, I can’t stay for the whole ceremony but I’ll see you after the game tonight!” I kissed one last time on the lips.
“Alyssa I didn’t know you were dating Jordan Staal!”
***
Hope you enjoyed it! Comments are welcomed!
