February 26 - The Engagement...chapter 12

We're on the home stretch now folks. I might add more about our engagement later, but I think this will be good for now :)

Since we had to finish moving Andy and Laura in the morning, Bryan asked them if I could stay the night on their couch. They readily agreed, and he headed home. I think their hastiness may have been due in part to the fact that they wanted to get me alone and grill me about my intentions with their brother. But I was tired, so I didn't overthink it too much :)

The next morning, we got right to work. My suspicions were confirmed when Andy suggested I go with Laura alone in the truck. Her methods were subtle, but her questions led me to believe that 1) Bryan had a very supportive family that loved him very much and 2) they wanted to make sure I wasn't some crazy girl about to hurt their brother. We had a great talk while me moved and shuttled boxes back and forth.

At around 2:30, we pretty much finished up. I was pretty gross...not only was I wearing the same clothes as the day before, but I'd been moving all day. Almost as an afterthought, I told Bryan, "Today is the day I usually go to the temple to do a session. Do you want to come along?" To my pleasant surprise, he said yes. So first we went to his house where he took about ten minutes to shower, iron a shirt, and get dressed. Then he brought me to my apartment...sadly, I think he waited for a good hour and a half. Girls take longer, what can I say!

I had planned on going to the Bountiful Temple, so that's where we went.

As we walked in the doors of the temple, something happened that had never happened to me before, and has never happened since. The man at the recommend desk told us they needed a couple to do sealings (proxy marriages for the dead) and asked if we would be willing. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was feeling the fear...lots and lots of fear! I think I muttered sure or something non-convincing like that. Bryan smiled and gave him an enthusiastic "sure!" What had I gotten myself into??? I was paralyzed with fear, because subconsciously, I think I knew what was coming. I looked at the floor the whole way to the dressing room...my hands were shaking...I was a wreck.

When I got to the sealing room, Bryan was there waiting, smiling at me. I could hardly look at him...I was seriously terrified! It didn't help that the sealer kept referring to me as Sister Skelton. The Spirit was extremely strong...one of the strongest experiences with it I have ever had in my life. After the sealings were over, Bryan held my hand and asked if I wanted to go sit in the Celestial room. Again, I must have muttered a yes, because we were on our way.

We found a couch in front of the chandelier and the beautiful windows, and just sat there together, silent, for about 30 minutes. What happened next, even I couldn't have anticipated.

"So what do you think we should do?" I asked.

Bryan was quiet for a minute, and then he said, "Well, it would either have to be May or August so we could do it around school."

ERK! Back up! Huh???

"Do what?"

"Get married. Isn't that what you were talking about?"

"Um yeah, but I didn't think you were thinking that already too."

The conversation went on from there. We discussed the future... our future. We talked for over 3 hours just sitting on that couch. We decided we needed some kind of code word, like a verbal pinch, so we could know if this whole experience was real. We decided on "What color is the carpet?" Random, we know, but it worked :) (side note: from time to time, he makes me laugh by asking me that question when all 4 kids are yelling at each other). Finally, when the room was nearly empty, he stood up.

"Is it okay if I give you a kiss?"

Now, it's probably not okay to say "duh!" in the Celestial room, so I think I came up with something a lot more lady-like like "uh-huh!"

So my first kiss from Bryan was as his fiance in the temple. And so ended the most eventful 16 days of my life, and so began the greatest adventure I ever could have imagined.