Sarahritchie17 On January 1, 2022, my soul mate and best friend popped the question.
How We Met
Eddie and I met in 2013 at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Over our 4 years there, we would become close friends but never date. We both friend-zoned each other until Spring of 2017 when we neither of us had dates to our class dance and spent the whole evening dancing and laughing together. We both started to catch feelings then, but I kept him in the friend-zone a while longer. After graduation he was stationed on a ship out of Cape Canaveral, FL, and I was stationed on a ship out of St. Petersburg, FL. We kept in touch and visited each other a few times, still just as friends. In September, one of our mutual friends suggested to me that Eddie had liked me for a while, and I should give him a chance. I finally stopped being stubborn, and we’ve been together ever since.
How He Asked
“What’s one thing you’re looking forward to with us this year?” he asked me over croissants and coffee. It was New Years Day 2022. I told him I thought it might be the year we get engaged, and I was really excited for that next step in our relationship. We’d talked about it before, but I didn’t know when he would propose, and I had no idea what he had in store for that day.
We’d met up in New Orleans to celebrate New Years Eve together. Since we started dating in 2017, we have spent NYE together every year. In fact, with our underway schedules, it’s the only holiday we’ve been able to be together every year. For the fifth time, he was my NYE kiss at midnight.
The next morning we decided to go for a walk at Audubon Park. I looked at some options for brunch, but we weren’t sure what would be open with it being a holiday, and Eddie wanted to do something lighter since he’d gone to Starbucks in the hotel lobby before I’d woken up.
It was 70 degrees out, so I opted for a long-sleeve white t-shirt and light green shorts. I clipped my hair up with a claw clip I caught at a Mardi Gras parade a couple years ago.
After breakfast, we drove over to the park. Audubon Park is a special place for us because when we lived in New Orleans, we would run or walk around the trail there together on weekends or after work. Sometimes afterwards we’d sit by the lake and watch the turtles bobbing in the water.
This time, Eddie led me to the turtle pond right away so we could just sit and talk. “Did I ever tell you the last conversation I had with my grandfather?” He asked me.
“No,” I said as my eyes welled up. I know how much his grandpa meant to him.
He asked me to take my sunglasses off so he could look in my eyes. It was a romantic and intimate gesture. I already knew he knew I was crying. Then he said, “I feel like I’m sitting on a rock, can we walk?” (Little did I realize, he was quite literally sitting on a large diamond.)
Suddenly, we were on the stage in front of the lake; over my shoulder, I noticed a photographer with her lens pointed at us. I looked back at Eddie and he was already on one knee. “My last conversation with my grandfather was telling him you’re the one and getting his blessing. I never want to spend New Years without you. Sarah, will you marry me?”
At this point, tears were streaming uncontrollably from my eyes. I was in utter shock that it was happening right then. But he was down on one knee and had a beautiful ring in his hand, and it was real life. I don’t remember exactly how I responded… that part’s a blur… but I know I said yes and I know I put my hand out and he put the ring on my finger and it fit like it was made for me. It’s stunning. He explained that he’d bought the ring from my parents and that it’s a family heirloom from my great-grandma, Edna.
I was still in shock and still crying as we embraced. The photographer captured it all. Eddie got us a two hour session, so we had time to change into nicer clothes and get some more pictures. We changed into the clothes we wore the previous night for NYE. She captured our excitement and love, and she captured all the candid moments between posed shots.
After the photo session we decided to actually walk. We didn’t make it very far before I started crying again and had to sit down. They were good tears; I was just so overcome with emotion. I felt everything. We talked about our love story and the things we love about our relationship. Then we FaceTimed our parents and started sharing the news.
I’m so madly in love with Eddie and the way he loves me too. He is so caring and supportive, gentle and understanding. He makes me feel empowered and complements me well.
We are grateful to our family and friends who have supported us in our relationship so far and continue to support us as we grow together.
Engagement Photos by Scarlet Raven Photography. @scarletravenn on Instagram. Website: https://scarletravenphotography.com
