Once Upon A Wonderful Time.

I have yet to post my proposal story because the OFFICIAL one hasn't happened. Yet. You may ask, "Why Sarah, why on earth would you say you are engaged and start planning a wedding, when your lover-friend hasn't even asked your hand in marriage?!" Well, its because I love him and its felt like me and my lover-friend Dave have been engaged for a long time.

But before I get to that, let me tell you something-Every little girl dreams of the perfect fairy tale romance, the perfect fairy tale prince sweeping her off her feet, and the most beautiful fairy tale happy ever after. Here is chapter one, in me and Dave's together forever story, this is my fairy tale....

Once upon a time, I met David Wilson. He was tall, handsome, blond, hilarious, and wonderful....

My most favorite man in the world, Dave Wilson, has been in the National Guard for almost 10 years. He’s been to Iraq before, for a year and half. After he came home from that first Iraq deployment, we met, quickly became best friends, then fell in love. What could be better than that?! I never thought I would fall in love, but here he was, my fairy tale prince.

There was one flaw to my fairy tale-Dave was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq again, September of this year. When I met him I knew the deployment date was more than a year away, I wouldn’t think about it. It was the villain in my fairy tale.

We dated and fell more in love. Time flew by quickly, and pretty soon, we were celebrating our first year anniversary. I knew the evil villain waiting to ruin my perfect fairy tale, the one I dreaded everyday since the day I met Dave, was right outside my castle gates. We both knew we wanted to be married to each other, and wanted to be married so bad, but because of his upcoming deployment, we decided to wait even longer til he returned from Iraq to be married, so that I wouldn’t have to be alone during our first year of marriage.

The September deployment quickly crept up on both of us. We tried to ignore the fact that he would be leaving soon. It was something we hated to think about, let alone talk about. So we tried to pretend he wasn’t leaving.

The worst day of my life was September 21, 2010. I was so proud to see the love of my life in his Army uniform, so proud that he was serving our country, and that he was willing to sacrifice so much for something he believed in. But heartbroken to see him get on the plane that would take him away from me for a whole year. I hated that plane. I never cried more in my life than I did on that day. I still hate planes and goodbyes.

I can still see his face as sat together, waiting for his plane to arrive. His eyes were so sad, yet he was smiling, trying to make it alright. The way he looked so handsome in his uniform. The way he kept kissing me. How the minutes moved so slowly, yet so quickly at the same time. The way I held on to him, thinking maybe if I held on tightly enough, the evil villain would see how much we loved each other, and that would be enough to let Dave to stay home. The way my eyes were burning from crying so hard and how my mouth hurt from pretending to smile. They way he looked so strong in his formation line, the way he quickly ran over to me to kiss me goodbye and tell me he loved me, before boarding that horrible plane. The way he told me he sobbed the whole time he boarded it, and the whole time he was on it. The way mothers tried with little success, to comfort sobbing children, after being pried from their dad's hand as they kissed them goodbye. I will never forget how Dave promised me that the upcoming year would fly by, the way I wanted to believe him that it would. The way I watched that plane fly away, wondering if one of the soldier's hands pressed against the window waving goodbye, was my Dave's. I remember feeling completely hopeless as his mother held me like I was her own daughter and sobbed with me, long after the plane had flown far away.

After Dave left, my life wasn’t quite the same. Here I was, alone, expected to continue on with life, just without my Dave. I didn’t know quite how to function. I went on with school and threw myself into my classes. But, things just didn’t feel the same without Dave there.

Do you know what it is like to be half a whole? I do. When they aren't there...There is nothing but,....Emptiness.

One night, about a month into his deployment, I got a call from a number I didn’t know, so not wanting to lie to a solicitor, I ignored it.

Then I got a text message from that same number, one that changed my fairy tale forever.

I remember it saying Dave had been in an accident, but not to worry he was fine. I won’t go in to all the terrible fears that attacked my mind, and how I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time. My stomach was in my throat as I called that number back.

Dave’s best friend, who is in the Guard with him, answered the phone. He told me that Dave had an accident and had broken his leg really bad, that he would need a metal rod in it permanently, and that he would have surgery in the next few days.

At first I was like a mother hen who lost all of her chicks-hysterical and squaking about, making high pitched sounds that didn’t make any sense. But then after a few minutes of shrieking around, his friend calmly told me that because of how serious of a break he had, Dave most likely wouldn’t get deployed, and would soon be able to come home.

I had never been so happy to hear that someone I loved so much, had broken their leg so bad. Although I supported him being in the Army and going to Iraq, and was so proud of my soldier, but because of his broken leg, I felt like every wish I had ever made was coming true. Dave wasn’t going to Iraq. All because of a bad broken leg.

Dave is home. He’s had surgery, his leg is recovering very well, he's home. To stay! He is home! Its wonderful. Like an amazing dream! I am so grateful that he is home with me. I am also so grateful for all of the brave, wonderful, men and women, serving our country, and am so grateful for the sacrifices they, along with their amazing families, make.

My fairy tale is falling into place. No more evil villain keeping him away from me. The fairy tale I have dreamed of since I was old enough to talk , is going to come true. I don’t have to wait a year to get married to my best friend.

Which brings me to my first proposal story. Dave has been asking me to marry him for about a year. No big proposal type asking, but in texts, in conversations, in the way he looks at me. I was planning our wedding since the fall he left. I've felt engaged, if not married, to him for a long, long time.

This last Christmas Eve, we were together sitting by the tree. The only light was coming from the glow of the Christmas tree lights. There was a small, box shaped present for me, from him, that he was worried about giving me in front of my family. He wanted me to open it now. As soon as I tore back the wrapping, I saw what looked like a jewelry box. My heart lept, and I thought this was the big moment I had been waiting for since I met Dave. He said, "I know the box is a bit big, but I know we've been talking about getting married for a while...."

I open the box with shaking hands, knowing I will see a gorgeous ring. Instead, I see a big red ring pop.

Ha ha ha. My Dave is a funny man. And we always get each other 'gag' gifts. We are very silly together. So, his ring, was a joke gift. I loved it!

But, I also told him that this would have been the perfect way to really propose. He replies with, "you know I didn't even think of that...." with a sheepish smile on his face.

It was hilarious, and even though it wasn't the real proposal, I told him I wanted that to be part of it. And that I wanted to be engaged. So here we are, engaged.

Guess what? We found a ring! It is beautiful and amazing. When Dave gets it and actually, gets down on one knee, and seriously proposes, I'll tell you that story too.

I always loved fairy tales growing up. I love the one that's happening right now, in my own life. I love my Dave.

P.S. I'm planning a wedding! AAAAHHHH!!! Only me and Dave would say we're engaged before he gave me the real ring ;) We love being in love.