Brian and I met almost exactly nine years ago this week. I had just started a new job as the alumni coordinator at my old high school. With my new business management in technology degree from John Carroll University (BLUE STREAKS WOOT!) and a new suit from the LOFT I started my first day BEAMING! I was excited about my first real job, with my first office, and my first work computer and email address.
A very tall, dark and handsome man walked into my office to help me set up my email and my network account. As he was setting up my computer and talking me through where my printer was (I felt like I was listening to the teacher in the old Charlie Brown movies WAH WAH WAH) all I could think was, I know this guy from somewhere, he looks so dang familiar. So he said, “ok, well, you are all set-up.”
He started to walk away, and suddenly like a bolt of lightening it came to me. I chased him down the hall, and I said, “Oh my gosh, is Joe your little brother? I graduated from here with him. How is he doing? Are you the tech director? What year did you graduate? Do you remember me? I used to go to parties at your house and took pictures at your house before dances.” I was talking a mile a minute for two reasons: a.) I thought he was cute, and I remembered he was a senior when I was a freshmen in high school so I was a little nervous by the older, cooler, and did I mention cute guy and b.) I was so happy that there seemed to be someone around my age that could show me the ropes.
We became really fast friends. My job entailed attending a lot of school events to talk to alumni and Brian went to a lot of school events because often they needed technology set-up. One night while we were both working late, Brian plucked up some courage and asked me out for a beer. Our first date turned went from a beer, to dinner, to going to see some live music. It was a great first date. I guess you could say we were high school sweethearts, without actually being in high school.
After a few years, I ventured out into a new career. Once I left the high school we spent more social time together going to concerts in the city, movies, and out to dinner. We even started attending mass together in the city at our favorite church Old St. Pat’s. The more time we spent together, the more we started to talk about getting married. I figured he would pop the question when he was ready, but really did not want to know when or where or any of that. I figured there are so few surprises in life, I wanted to be surprised for sure.
So, along came the weekend of the Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party. This is aa two day concert event where all the proceeds go to all the programs of our church (Guster was playing that year!). Brian and I had finished a hard HOT day of volunteering and were sitting on the steps of the church looking up at the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower), and just talking. This moment is important because, Brian later told me that this was the moment he decided he was going to ask me to marry him. He had bought the ring and asked for my Mom for “my hand” months before, but he said this moment was so perfect, and he wanted to propose in the place we would be married. So, after a few minutes of talking Brian said, “let’s go, we have another long day of volunteering tomorrow.” So we left.
The next day, Brian picked me up and we drove into the city for our second day of volunteering. He had orchestrated how he was going to propose with our good friends, Jaclyn and Chris (my second born’s godparents and who got married the weekend after us). He asked them to somehow get me in the church.
After volunteering for what seemed like forever, Brian, Jaclyn, Chris, and my friend Nanci headed over to the church to get the historical tour that was given to people visiting the church. Jaclyn and Chris got Nanci to walk around and Brian grabbed my hand and said, “Have you ever seen the alter up close? It is really pretty and is original to the building built over 100 years ago.”
He took me up to the alter and it was just him and I. There was silence. Brian says that he was praying I would say yes. I remember praying for him to ask soon (I didn’t know it would be in 2 seconds). Then, I started to walk away, and he said, “Erin, wait.”
I turned around, and he was already down on one knee, holding a box, teary eyed and shaking a little (he was so adorably nervous in that moment). He said, “I love you so much, please will you marry me?”
I cried and said “YES!”
The rest is history.
