The biggest surprise: Pt 2

Later that day I came home from church early. Slice was driving from Roosevelt to Provo, picking me up, and then we were going to his grandmother’s condo in downtown Salt Lake. He showed up and we were on our way.
As we drove, he told me that he needed to get the address of a Japanese sister on Temple Square. We had seen the sister on previous visits – she was from the place where he served his mission – and would be going home soon. I was doubtful about finding her on Temple Square on a Sunday afternoon, but agreed to try. We also agreed to stop for gas before heading back to Provo.

After a quick stop at Grandma’s we walked down the hill to the temple grounds, as we had so many times before. Once before the mission on an overnight trip to retrieve keys, once for a MoTab Easter concert, once for a first kiss, once for General Conference. We sauntered and sat, enjoying the flowers and the quiet (but not the wind) of that April afternoon. Slice eventually told me that he didn't really need the sister's address, it was just a ploy to get me to Temple Square, and I told him he was ridiculous. Finally, we came to the shell-shaped fountain between the North Visitors Center and the Temple.
Slice pulled some coins out of his pocket and we sat, tossing them over our shoulders. {I pretty much cannot flip a coin in any precise direction.} I gave up after a while and threw the last few in, waiting for Slice to finish.
“What did you wish for?” he asked.
“I’m not telling you,” I replied. Hello. You don’t ask someone what they just wished for.
“Come on, tell me,” he tried several times, but I refused or countered with the same question. I didn’t want to admit that I hadn’t actually wished for anything.
He kept pushing so finally I ventured, “What would you say if I told you....that I didn’t wish for anything?” I’m so sly, aren’t I?
“I want my wish back,” Slice said, and started unbuttoning his long sleeve.

“What?? No way. Why didn’t you take my last few pennies? I could care less! Why didn’t you take some of mine?” I couldn’t believe he was about to fish pennies out of the fountain.
“I’ll wait until they’re gone,” he indicated a group that was at the fountain. They left, and another walked by.
I started to get impatient. “Slice. I will get it for you. Look, I can just pull my sleeve up (he was still adjusting his suitcoat and sleeve), and there’s a dime RIGHT THERE.” I was three seconds away from grabbing the penny when Slice said “No, I got it,” and turned away from me. He plunged his hand in the water, knelt before me and extended a sparkling ring all in a split-second.
“Will you marry me?”

I stared at the ring as if it contained my entire future within its round, sparkling diamond.....I couldn’t even look at his face. I had never been so shocked in my life, and the eternal implications of this decision attacked me all at once. They should have attacked me long before.

I thought of my old roommates, my mom, Shawna, my plans to serve a mission and attend law school. I thought of my family and his, all those years I had patronized Slice, denying any chance he had to win me over.
And kept staring.
I thought of my recent relationships and the heart I had worn on my sleeve, only to be broken again and again. I realized how much Slice had helped to heal those wounds while asking nothing in return. Plus - he had asked me to marry him without even discussing the possibility with me beforehand. That took some guts.
I thought of my future family, the struggles and triumphs that would constitute its existence. Hard times would surely come. I thought of how much harder they would be if I didn’t know that my husband loved—adored—me as much as this man did.
“Yes.” I said.

We ran out of gas on I-15 between Highland and Lindon.