IT WAS A SURPRISE

 

"Did you know he was going to propose?" That was the one question I was asked by all my friends. Honestly, I had absolutely no idea, so he definitely surprised me! Have we discussed the topic of getting married eventually? Definitely! We talked about it regularly and casually, I knew it was coming somewhere down the line, but I wasn't expecting it so soon!

 

 

 

 

THE ONE

 

I knew he was "THE ONE" very early into our relationship. When you know he's "THE ONE", it's a feeling so strong that emotion and logic intertwine and merge into reason. However, saying he's "THE ONE" is definitely romanticizing the idea that there's only one person out there for you. That's not true. He's "THE ONE" not because I believe in fate. He's "THE ONE" because he always puts my needs above his and is able to make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world. Ladies, when you find a guy who would do anything just to see a smile on your face, you will know he's the one.

 

 

 

 

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

 

Olivier told me one night: "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I want to marry you one day." That was when I asked myself, how is it possible for someone so pure and genuine to exist? To my eyes, he was flawless. Undoubtedly, I was blinded by love and by his awesomeness. He actually has a few flaws, just like anybody. For instance, he sometimes likes to bite his nails. He's a picky eater. He's unable to keep a secret. He can get pretty competitive during game nights, and definitely likes to rub it in my face when he wins! But that's the thing about these flaws: they're so meaningless and perfectly imperfect.

 

 

 

 

HE STARTED PLANNING

 

When I mentioned his inability to keeping secrets, I was being a bit too nice. He is actually terrible at keeping secrets! In July 2018, he told my cousin Jing Jing that he was planning on proposing to me and that he might eventually need her help to film the whole thing. His initial idea was to propose in Chinese and to do it sometime in 2019. He also thought about going on vacation and proposing at a scenic landscape like The Canadian Rockies with its iconic ice-capped peaks and alpine lakes. How romantic! But no, unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan.

 

 

 

 

THE UNPLANNED PROPOSAL

 

It was already past midnight, on August 24th 2018. We came home after watching Crazy, Rich Asians and we were discussing in bed about the movie's highlights. "Would you like a proposal like that?" Olivier asked me. Spoiler alert! In the movie, there's a proposal scene where you see the guy chasing the girl as they board a plane full of passengers. "Are you crazy?" I answered. "That's way too intense!"

 

Before I continue, there's something you need to know. Olivier actually purchased my diamond ring not even 7 hours before this very moment. He actually selected an engagement ring two months prior, so I applaud him for being able to keep that a secret! For some reason, getting the ring and physically having to hide it was too much pressure for him that day!

 

"So, how do you want to get proposed?" he asked me inquisitively. It was getting late, we were in the dark and I was sleepy. I totally missed all the signs: I didn't notice his nervousness, his heartbeat racing and the hint of excitement in his voice. "I don't know man, just surprise me! Whatever you do, I'll love it. Just make sure you ask someone to film it," I nonchalantly replied. "Okay but, what if I want it to just be between us?" he insisted. "Well, Mister Olivier Lam, just put your phone down and film from a distance, I don't know! It doesn't have to be perfect!" I retorted back. He took his phone out and started filming in complete darkness. "What are you doing?" I asked. He answered: "All right, tell me exactly what you want so I can remember. Otherwise, I'll forget." So I told him a bunch of basic things any videographer would say. I told him the ideal would be to film it horizontally, by someone else. Also, it would be great to have natural sunlight for a better result. Finally, I told him that it should be on the weekend, so we can spend more time together as a newly engaged couple.

 

By now you must be rolling your eyes and facepalming at how ridiculously obvious he's acting. Yeah, he was so bad at this, and yet I was still completely clueless!

 

He stopped filming and said: "Okay, great, now I'll know what to do! Hehe..." I thought he was just being cute, but now that I look back, knowing Olivier, a billion of gears were probably turning in his head and he was already imagining a bunch of scenarios. 

 

 

THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK

 

What I said next was the last straw for him. It was the straw that broke the camel's back! La goutte qui a fait déborder le verre! 

 

I said: "Oli, I know you'll mess up anyways. I know you so well, you're just so bad at keeping a secret! I will either find out through one of our friends or find the ring in the mailbox. You know what? I'm sure the day you actually go buy a ring for me, you'll end up giving it to me the same day!" I giggled and turned to him with my eyes closed and gave him a small kiss on the nose. Little did I know, his eyes were wide open and he was internally PANICKING. He jumped out of bed and screamed: "SCREW THIS! I'M GOING TO PROPOSE NOW!"

 

What? What did he just say? I thought he was joking. He has joked like this in the past, so to me, this was just another classic episode of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. He was outside the bedroom rummaging through his things and laughing nervously to himself before I even realized he was gone. I yelled: "Stop messing around and come back to bed!" At this point, I was wondering why he was making such an effort just to make his joke more believable. He was back in the bedroom in a flash and turned the lights on. He had, in one hand, his phone, filming me (vertically to my dismay). In the other hand was a box. It was a ring box! My jaw dropped but my eyes remained confused. 

 

He got down on one knee and I immediately realized this was the real deal. I started crying uncontrollably. "This better not be a joke..." I managed to croak out in between my sobs. He said to me in a soft voice: "I love you more than anything in life. I've never felt more like myself before meeting you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

 

I said yes.