Rosealyn and David

Posted Monday, September 22, 2008 12:06 PM

Our Newport Getaway

It was the second day of our wonderful weekend in Newport, Rhode Island. The weather was sunny and in the mid-80s with a light breeze. I awoke to David telling me that he wanted to shower first. I should’ve known something was up because I’m ALWAYS the first to start getting ready. But I let it slide.

In the process of getting ready, I asked David what he wanted to do for the day. He suggested walking around town and taking a stroll along the Cliff Walk. We left the Inn and headed for town and started our walk, visiting the Tennis Hall of Fame and then onto the Cliff Walk.

More Than a Leisurely Walk in High Heels

David and I almost walked the entire 3.5 miles of the Cliff Walk. I had a sundress and wedge heels on (not the ideal outfit), so we stopped just after the first rocky terrain. We walked back to the car in town. By then my feet were screaming to get out of my shoes. But I made no reference to David that I was in such pain because I didn't want to disappoint him making him think I wasn’t having a great time.

We had a late lunch at a nice restaurant and walked around the shopping area. David mentioned that he wanted to go back to the Cliff Walk to see the sunset. I was in a shop looking at handbags and was unsure of which one I wanted; David quickly made the choice since the sunset was minutes away. This time we drove down a side street that directly led to the Cliff Walk.

The Sunset Proposal

We walked down to a section that had an inlet with a great view of the sunset. David was standing behind me giving me hugs while we were discussing our relationship and how happy we were being together. He then let go of me. A few seconds later, I turned around and David was in the process of kneeling down. I grabbed his arm thinking he was fainting from the heat (I’m such a fool!!). He laughed, got down on one knee with the ring in his hand, and asked me to marry him. I was so shocked that I paused, but then I said, "YES!" We had our first picture taken by the next couple that walked by. On the way back to the car, we called our parents and told them the news.

To celebrate our engagement (he knew I would say yes), David had reservations at The Castle Hill Inn for dinner. I couldn't stop staring at my ring. Dinner was excellent with delicious champagne and unbelievable entrees.

After dinner we returned to our suite for another surprise by David. During our meal the concierge came to our table to congratulate us. When he shook David's hand, I thought I heard a metal chime (our room key was a real key attached to a metal key tag). I ignored it without question. As I opened the room door, I noticed rose petals on the floor. I was horrified thinking that the delivery person whacked the flowers against the door and broke the petals off. As I walked farther into the room, I noticed that the petals flowed toward the bed where there was a message in petals saying: "I LOVE YOU WILL YOU MARRY ME." I got teary thinking of how lucky I felt that David loved me so much by planning this wonderful weekend.