He Put A Ring on it...In New York !

So. There we were...in NEW YORK baby !! I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a slight inkling that the boyfriend might pull out a sparkler (of the diamond rather than firework variety) at the top of the Empire State building. After all we'd been together 3 years, finally just moved in together after a patience testing long-distance relationship and I'd already tried on a couple of rings back home...although none had 'floated my boat' I have to say. I thought it might have just been me being fussy but I wanted the wow factor when I tried on the piece of jewellery that I'd be looking at every day for the rest of my life. Anyway. New York. It had to be ! But then I started to doubt it was going to happen. Now ladies, I think I know my man pretty well. We all do, right ? I'd packed our suitcase (it's quicker and neater that way you know what I'm saying), we had no hand luggage and he had no pockets...so unless he was a magician on the quiet where was he to hide the ring ?! So by day two, when we had been to the top of the Empire State and down again, I was really starting to believe that my fairytale proposal dream had been shattered. And then it happened. No not 'it' but something almost as exciting ! Walking along 5th Avenue hand in hand not talking about anything in particular we just stopped. "Do you wanna take a look ?" the boyfriend asked indicating the jewellery store we had simultaneously halted at. Now I don't know if you believe in that fate stuff but I could have sworn there was a giant magnetic force pulling us through the doors ! We instinctively entered and after a cursory glance through the glass display cabinets my initial thought was that it wasn't my style. But then the boyfriend beckoned me over and there it was. The most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. When the oh-so-friendly New York saleswoman came over and we had a bizarre conversation about her recent visit to her sister in the UK who, it turned out, lived about 20 minutes from my house in Kent I knew it was meant to be. Oh that and the fact that I had tears in my eyes when I tried the ring on. So THAT'S the feeling ! It had to be re-sized but that was perfect. The boyfriend would collect it from the store the next day and the proposal was going to happen ! We'd been lucky enough to go to New York together before, 3 months into our relationship. What was my favourite experience from that trip ? A horse and carriage ride around Central Park. Truly magical. And I found myself there again. As we stepped out the yellow cab at the side of the park, there must have been at least 20 carriages eagerly awaiting the next enthusiastic tourist to step inside. Dizzy with anticipation I was slightly overwhelmed by choice. The boyfriend however was clearly a lot more focused on the mission ahead. Either that or he's got a weird sixth sense. "There's the guy who took us round before". What ?! That was nearly 3 years ago I thought and how can he possibly remember. But sure enough as we approached his carriage he turned to face us and I remembered. A very tall, rather imposing man with a big hat. His strong Irish accent beckoning us aboard confirmed it. It was him ! This was surely meant to be. As the horse clip-clopped into Central Park, I grabbed the boyfriend's rather clammy hand and I felt like royalty. Rather amusingly I think we'd both forgotten how much our newly reacquainted guide liked to talk (he's Irish after all !) and the poor nervous boyfriend couldn't get a word in edgeways let alone utter those four immortal ones I was itching to hear ! I gave his hand a re-assuring squeeze and the ride was over before we knew it. The boyfriend disembarked from the carriage and just as I was about to follow suit, slightly disappointed that it still hadn't happened, he turned and produced that beautiful ring all sparkly in the sunlight. I'm sure he said some lovely words but I can't really remember because I burst into tears ! I know he said 'Will you marry me ?' though and I definitely said yes because the sparkler was on my finger. 'The boyfriend' had finally become 'the fiance'. And that was my fireworks. Right there.
(As told by Michelle)