How Nico Proposed

   It was our three-year anniversary on September 28, 2006. We had planned on a little night out of dinner and a walk around before the weather got too cold. I was actually looking forward to a meal at one of our fave restaurants in Paris. I had just gotten back from the US two days before and was too jet lagged to do much more anyway.

Little did I know that Nico had called my mom three weeks before to ask for my hand in marriage (I'm old-fashioned like that and we had talked about this little formality a long long time ago) and then had been planning the proposal the whole time I've been in the US.

I still didn't think anything of it when he just said "Dress really nice and be ready by 6." I even teased him about actually planning something. And man, did he plan something!

We had cocktails (aperitifs) at the Plaza Athenee (think the hotel that the last episode of Sex and the City was shot at and you have the right place) and then went to dinner. At the Plaza, Nico told me we were going to three places since it was our three year anniversary. So after Rose Royals (raspberry puree and champagne) at the Plaza, we had a romantic dinner cruise on the Seine.

After a bottle of champagne, we were giggling and watching the Eiffel Tower, the Palais Royal, Notre Dame and other Paris icons lit up at night, we got back to the dock and just when I thought the night was over, we hopped back in a cab, where Nico handed the driver a piece of paper and said 'On y va' (We're going here)

We got out in front of a really tall building by Gare Montparnasse. Even after being in the area several times as one of the bars we frequent with Nico's friend Alex is in the area, I had never been to this particular building. We went straight to the top to the Ciel de Paris lounge. (Incidentally, the elevator to the lounge is the fastest in Europe...yes, am a geek) The lounge has a 360 degree view and we initially got seated in the middle of the room.

Nico got up to use the bathroom (which I later found out to be a ruse and he had gone to ask for a better table) and minutes after he got back, our server said that a better table was available for us. We sat down and had a direct view of the Eiffel Tower all lit up. We just sat and talked about everything that we've gone though in 3 years.

I babbled on and on about trips we had taken, countries we had visted, people we met and funny memories we both shared.

Then Nico said "We've been through a lot and I can't imagine my life without you. So..." And then he stood up, pulled me to my feet, and then knelt down and said "Will you marry me?"

I think my knees buckled and I just hugged and kissed him while telling him yes over and over again. At this time, I hadn't even looked at the ring!

So there you have it. Almost the whole story (minus Nico's stress about getting the ring on time, etc) On the cab ride home, I asked Nico if he had been nervous about proposing and he said "Rosa Parks' husband was once asked that same question and he said 'No, proposing to her was like breathing, it was the most natural thing in the world to do.'"

Then Nico looked into my eyes and said "I was born to love you." **sigh**