Three Years

On July 31, 2004, Richard and I were running errands in Oakdale and decided to stop for Chinese food at our favorite dirty, disgusting, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.

Richard had been acting pretty weird all day and even mentioned over lunch that we might stop at the humane society and look at the cats. This was something I wanted to do for ages, but Rich said we should at least be engaged before we got a cat together.

I thought this was all out of the ordinary, but didn't pay much attention--I was dreaming about my future kitty!

When we sat down for lunch, Richard was very strange. He bounced through the entire meal, perched on the edge of the booth. He ate about three bites of his favorite Sesame Chicken. I said, "Why aren't you eating? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothin', I'm just not very hungry."

"Alright, well, I'm gonna dig in, then..."

I ate to my hearts content and chatted through lunch, ignoring what I assumed was an ADD fit on the part of my nutso boyfriend.

When we (I) finished eating, the owner brought out our fortune cookies, unwrapped on a plate.

"It's cookie time!" she shrieked as she hurried back to the kitchen. She and the cook peeked out at us.

Richard grabbed one of the cookies and stuffed half of it in his mouth.

I left mine on the plate.

"Aren't you gonna eat your cookie?"

"No...I don't really like fortune cookies. Plus, it's unwrapped. That's sorta gross."

"Don't you at least want to see what your fortune says??"

"I guess so."

I opened the remaining cookie and read, "I love you, Erin Duffert. Will you marry me?"

I was flabberghasted. What was my name doing in a fortune cookie??

Richard came around to my side of the booth and got down on one knee.

"Will you marry me?"

I'm pretty sure I said yes. Honestly, I can't remember. My brain was still trying to catch up with everything that was going on!

Rich said, "Do you want your ring?"

"Yes!"

"It's in the cookie!"

Sure enough, there was my DREAM engagement ring hidden in a cookie.

We married 6 months later on January 8, 2005, three years ago today. The best decision of my entire life.

Recently, I stopped at the China House to pick up some Sesame Chicken to bring home for dinner, and the owner said, "Hello, Erin!! When is the baby coming?!" She didn't even know I was pregnant. She just knew it was about time for the baby to come. : )