Our story picks up where we left off yesterday.  While the events of 9/11 were tragic and ongoing the people around me were just trying to find ways to keep life going.  I was no different.  Everything slowed down a little, but things also still needed to get done.  Planes were grounded, non-essential events and items were put aside for awhile and I was trying to balance feeling alone in a new city and almost everyone I loved being in Metro Detroit.

Thankfully there was a little bit of a distraction in the fact that Kevin’s birthday was a week after 9/11.  The attacks happened on Tuesday and I had a flight, after work, on Friday from Nashville to Detroit.  We were not sure if there would be a flight.  Out of the blue, my parents offered to drive to Nashville with a van full of furniture for the apartment and drive me back to Detroit.  We would then wait to see if airlines would be operational for my 6:00 am flight back to Nashville.  So I could be at work by 8:00 am.  I really liked to live on the edge back then.

Side note:  Air travel is amazing.  It can sometimes be a hassle, but it is not lost on me that you can wake up one day and by the end of the day be on the other side of the world.  Sure you may be uncomfortable and have the seat in front of you be four inches from your face the entire time, but when you get there it’s amazing.

Side side note:  I love driving people to and from the airport.  You get to hear about where they are going and when they come back to get to hear about all of their adventures.  I love just looping around until you finally see them waiting for you.  I used to LOVE meeting people at the gate but again, another effect of 9/11.

So my parents came while I was at work, moved in my furniture and then turned right around and headed back for Detroit.  It was just the three of us lost in Indiana.  There was a lot of construction and road closures on our normal route, but then we ended up lost and adding more time to our trip.  We got home around 3 am.  I crashed in my old room that now had a different bed in it and woke up early to spend the day with Kevin.

The day was full of errands and catching up with friends.  The evening was to end with a surprise party for Kevin.  This brings us to a problem Kevin and I have had since we were dating.  It is so hard to buy presents for him!  I had a couple of really good ideas that year and he ended up buying all of them for himself.  On one hand I liked that I was getting him things he would enjoy, but on the other hand, it was super annoying to buy a gift, find out he already bought it, take it back, find something else and beginning the cycle all over again.  I can’t hear P.O.D’s Satellite album without thinking of this time in my life.  He bought it for himself.  He also bought the Spongebob Squarepants CD for himself.  We loved watching Spongebob together, so I bought it as a little token present for his birthday and he bought it!  Great minds think alike, I guess.

With all of the present giving problems my friend, Jenni, offered to help me throw a surprise birthday party for him.  I was so thankful for her help and it was a great way to see everyone while I was in town.  Win win.  So the morning of the party my mom dropped me off at Kevin’s house.  First order of business was to clean out his car so I would have a place to sit (another problem we still have to this day).  We then met some friends and I did my best to keep him away from my parent’s house where the party was going to be staged.

The time finally came and we went down into the basement.  Surprise!  Happy birthday, Kevin!  So many people came to help celebrate.  My mom had made Kevin a cake with a Twinkie on it.  (Did you know it’s really hard eat a whole Twinkie in under 10 seconds?  My hunk of man can do it in 7.  At least he used to be able to.  It’s not a skill he has practiced in a long time.)  We ate, talked and laughed.  It was so fun to catch up with everyone.  It is exactly what my soul needed.  I didn’t know I had been figuratively holding my breath, but at home I could breathe easy.

Kevin had brought his guitar.  He said he needed to change the strings for church or something.  Truth is, he used to bring his guitar everywhere.  He is an amazing guitar player and has written some great songs.  He changed his strings and started playing.  I sat on the floor in front my my friend, Crystal, and tried not to fall asleep as he was playing.  He started playing one of my favorite songs that he had written, but it kept going on and on and on.  I started thinking, “What is he doing?”  I looked at him and he started singing a new verse.  When he was done singing he got on the floor on one knee and asked me to be his wife.  In front of my parents and my friends I got to say, “Yes!”

What was supposed to be a surprise party for Kevin turned into an engagement party for us.  He planned the whole thing!  Everyone was in on it, except me.  It’s why my parents offered to come bring me furniture so quickly.  They had to get me home.  So I can’t even throw a surprise party for Kevin!

The next day we went to church and had lunch with both of our families.  I did not want to leave, but Kevin was so excited about our life together in Nashville, that it was hard to be sad.  I was going to be the wife of my best friend.  We were never going to have to say goodnight and part ways.

Getting on a plane that Monday was trickier than we had anticipated.  My flight was on time, but airport security did not show up for work, so the security line was stopped and people were missing their flights.  My mom waited with me in the ticket terminal and we were both interviewed by our local news about flying after 9/11.  We both made it on to the broadcast and we sound like idiots.  There is no other word to describe it.  We were asked questions that we didn’t know how to answer, so we just said stuff that we thought made sense.  I cringe when I randomly come across it sometimes on family videos.

Anyway, I left Detroit ready to start a new beginning.  It was so wonderful to have something so joyous to look forward to when I felt so alone and that the world was falling apart.  Saying yes to Kevin was the best decision I have ever made.  We are better together than we are apart.  We are not perfect, but we are committed to each other.  Life is so hard and I’m glad I have him in my corner.  We have not figured out gift giving, but we give it our best shot.

Kevin, thank you for walking through life together with me.  I love you with all of my heart!