INFORMING THE FAMILIES - The Relief of Mother

We decided to inform our families in person. First, we had to decide between telling Matt and Danza, my brother and his girlfriend, who picked us up at the airport, or waiting until everyone was together at brunch the following morning. I thought a family announcement would be better. This delay was one of the most annoying periods of time for Christa.

She decided to conceal, but not remove, The Ring while we were with Matt and Danza, from about six that night until ten the following morning, and she was very nervous about it. As a veteran of hiding things, I was much more willing to test the limits. This started with a family hug, when we saw my brother at the airport, and my asking him if he liked the movie The Wedding Planner, during the car ride home.

Christa’s preferred method of secrecy was to hold her shirtsleeve over her left hand.

“You look a little gimpy,” I said.

“Shut it,” she hissed through her teeth.

She is left-handed and had to eat dinner right-handed.

“Have you used a fork before?” I asked.

“Shut it.”

Later I was told, in private, that I wasn’t making this easy. She never took The Ring off, in spite of my actions, which I considered a good sign.

So, by the time we arrived at my parents’ house, I was as ready to tell them as she was to stop the secrecy. After opening hugs and everybody assembling in the living room, I exclaimed, “All right, announcement time—we’re engaged!”

Cheers from the crowd.

“Oh, let me see,” my mom said, reaching for the ring hand.

The ring’s power and allure were overwhelming to the female consciousness. My mom was apparently “so hoping” that this moment was coming. After thirty years, she was tired of boys. My dad gave me a hug, not saying much, as he internally weighed his excitement against my momentary lack of fiscal policy.
- Drew Lloyd
From "Will You?" to "I Do.": A Groom's Tale of Survival