You Two Crazy Kids

So here’s a story I haven’t told y’all.

Right after Christmas, when D. and I met New Marti for the first time, we could tell right away that Todd was completely smitten with her. When you’ve been friends with someone for more than fifteen years, you pick up on these things.

Our day with Todd and New Marti seemed to fly; and by the time we ate lunch, visited with Martha and Sissie and hung out at Mama and Daddy’s a little bit more, it was time to say good-bye. Todd and New Marti were going back to his parents’ house outside of Jackson, and we were heading back to Alabama.

Once D. and I were in the car alone (well, with Alex, of course), we immediately looked at each other and said, “She’s the one.”

And we weren’t two blocks from Mama and Daddy’s when I looked at D. and said, “Hey, has Todd told Marti that he loves her yet?”

D. replied that he had no idea.

“Well, I’m going to ask him,” I said.

So I called Todd’s cell phone – with the plan of asking him very quietly so that Marti wouldn’t overhear the question and get embarrassed. After all, I’d only known her for about four hours, and she might feel a little awkward what with me asking terribly personal questions and all.

For some reason Todd’s voicemail picked up, and I said, in my typically subtle fashion, “Hey. Have you told Marti that you love her yet? Because we can tell that you love her. And you should tell her. I’m just sayin’.”

Then I hung up my phone.

Well, about five minutes later D.’s phone rang, and Todd was on the other end laughing so hard that he couldn’t speak.

Apparently Todd was going through a no-service area when I called him, and shortly after I hung up my phone, he saw that he had a message. And he decided that he would play it. On speakerphone. With Marti in the car.

Thankfully, Todd did not kill me. In fact, the message served a bit of an icebreaker for a conversation whose time had come, and WHADDYA KNOW, Todd and Marti professed their love for each other on the way back to Jackson.

I’m like Cupid. Only not.

Well, long story long, about six weeks ago Todd called D. with the news that he had asked Marti’s parents for her hand in marriage (he may live in California, but he’s a good Southern boy at heart), they’d given their blessing, and he was planning to ask Marti to marry him sometime in June.

I couldn’t help but ask Todd if he needed me to leave any voicemails on his cell phone to speed up the process.

He gently declined my offer.

Todd and D. had lots of talks over the next couple of weeks, and right before we left for the land of the mouse, Todd sent us a picture of the engagement ring he had picked out, which was really kind of him since it made me COMPLETELY PARANOID about letting the secret slip when we were in California.

But I was so good, y’all. Total Sidney Bristow-type cool (except without the cool disguises, of course). Even when the word “ring” would come up in casual conversation (as in, “Did your phone ring?”) and I would feel the color completely drain from my face.

The plan was that Todd was going to give Marti the ring this past Tuesday night at the end of a very romantic dinner. When Tuesday night finally rolled around, D. and I were VERY nervous for him and kept waiting for him to call with the big news. At one point Marti left their table for a minute, and Todd did call D. – but instead of having big news, he had two very important questions:

“BETWEEN THE PINKY FINGER AND THE MIDDLE FINGER?”

“Yes,” D. answered.

“LEFT HAND?”

“Yes.”

“Okaybye.”

And about an hour later, two very happy people called to share their exciting news.

So the next time D. and I head to California, it’s going to be for a wedding.

We can all say “AWWWWW” together.