Chapter 74: Proposals, and Also Proposals

Wednesday, January 1, 1986

Breakfast was waiting when we arose, and the four of us were partially dressed at best while we ate it. Connecting doors sometimes come in handy!

We finished dressing after we ate, then set out for the bleachers. Admittedly, Jas and Paige had no idea where we were going, just that we had a destination in mind.

Ring boxes were carefully tucked into my pants, and I hoped they weren’t obvious. I was pretty sure they weren’t. My jacket helped to conceal them, at least.

We hadn’t brought the heirloom rings, only pictures of them. Jas and I could start plotting the redesign tomorrow, and so could Angie and Paige. The rings they had for us? We would figure that out when we got to it.

They asked a few times if we couldn’t just see the parade from here, so Angie finally admitted that we had tickets to the bleachers at the start. That wound up getting both of us kisses from our girlfriends. And from each other’s girlfriends, too.

If the entire plan had been the parade, we would already have overachieved. The entire thing? Well ... best to stop thinking that way. Do not jinx it!

We made it all the way to the base of the bleachers before the second surprise kicked in. Paige looked up, then said, “Didn’t you say we were in the fifth row?”

“That’s right,” I said.

“There are people in our ... no, that’s the s-” she said, then stopped dead.

A second later, her voice full of emotion, she said, “That’s not people! That’s Mom and Dad!”

Jas looked up, then nearly screamed, tears flowing, “Mama! Papa! Sam! Helen! Tony! Jean!”

She charged up the bleachers, with Paige keeping pace with her.

Angie and I just smirked at each other. Phase two? Complete, total success.

We arrived in time to be met with hugs, then very enthusiastic kisses from our girlfriends.

“I ... I can’t ... I can’t believe this!” Jas said, still sniffling. “This is so ... it’s just ... totally, unbelievably cool.”

“I’m beside myself!” Paige said.

“This is nearly as good of a rabbit-out-the-hat trick as ‘Brigadoon’,” Jas said, then kissed me again.

Once things had settled down, Dad said, “It seems like it’s a hit!”

“Very much so!” Angie said, nodding.

“I’m so happy to see you!” Mom said.

“We all are!” Camille said. “This is magical!”

We were getting some looks from the people around us, but they seemed to have picked up on what was going on, and everyone looked very happy for us.

Conversations broke out everywhere, about Hawaii, Disney, the parents’ trip so far, and anything else anyone could think of. That lasted until the announcement came that the parade was starting. We quickly quieted down and settled in to watch.

Being a guy, I was probably the least likely to be really into the Rose Parade, and that was true. It had always meant more to my ex-wife than to me, and more to my daughter than my son.

That said: I still loved it. This was different, though: for the first time in my life, I could smell it. That many flowers put out enough fragrance to reach the bleachers, at least part of the time.

As the floats went by, one by one, I tried to keep from exploding with nerves. Things didn’t get easier when Mom tapped me on the shoulder during a quiet moment, then tapped her finger by her wedding ring.

I just gave her a thumbs-up, which seemed to settle whatever worries she had. It seemed unlikely that she had actually thought there was a problem — Jas and Paige were clearly more than happy with us — but it wasn’t what she thought the plan had been, and I understood her concern.

As the last float moved into position, my nerves were near their breaking point. It took nearly everything I had to just wait patiently for it to go by.

People started leaving as the float rolled off down the street. The moment was here. I gave Angie a quick look, then slipped her a ring box. She drew a breath, and the two of us dropped to our knees.

Mom and Camille both were the first to gasp and point. Both of them had tears in their eyes already.

Jas turned, look at me, and gasped as well, while Paige stayed silent but teared up.

I opened the box, found my voice, and said, “Jasmine Nguyen ... we have had four absolutely wonderful years together. Years I could not have even imagined when we met. We’ve had amazing highs and painful lows, but far more of the former. You are...”

I had to stop for a second and clear my throat, because I was getting choked up. When I could continue, I said, “You are such a wonderful woman. Smart, passionate, warm, loving, nurturing, beautiful, and so, so much more. I cannot imagine someone else I would prefer spending my life with. Will...”

Again, I had to stop. I started again after a second, saying, “Jasmine, will you go on this journey through life with me? Share the highs, the lows, and everything in between? Build a love, a life, and a family, and walk with me hand in hand until we cannot walk any further? Or, perhaps, just keep right on holding hands with me forever?”

She was crying by this point, and it took her a few seconds to find her voice. When she did, it was to say. “Yes! And yes, and yes! Oh, my God, yes!”

She reached down, pulled me to my feet, then kissed me just about as thoroughly as possible without upsetting the parents. Even while kissing, I heard the meaning of what she had said. That was her surprise: not just saying yes to me, but to Angie and Paige as well. Only we would hear it, but we would all hear it.

I didn’t slip the ring onto her finger yet, though, because Angie said, “Paige Seiler. You ... you stole my heart, a bit at a time, and moved right in, making your own place in my soul that is yours and yours alone. You are...”

She, too, was fighting to hold it together, and paused before saying, “You are everything I could want in a partner, and more than I ever imagined having. If there is a ‘one’ for me in this world, or in any world, you are the one. Smart, playful, intense, driven, funny, loving, and so, so, so lovely. Will...”

She paused again, then did what I had, switching to, “Paige, will you be my partner, now and forever? The good, the bad, the happy, the sad. Walking together, holding hands, laughing, loving, nurturing our family, growing old and gray, and then stepping into the next great adventure together?”

Paige had tears rolling down her cheek, but she got out, “Yes, and yes and yes! All of that! Oh, yes, please, all of that!”

She, too, tugged Angie up to her feet, and they kissed. It might have been more restrained than ours was. Maybe.

All of the parents were crying. I was fairly certain quite a few of the others still in the grandstand were as well.

Rings finally went onto fingers, and I slipped Paige the box with Angie’s ring so she could do the honors. We also briefly showed off the photos of the heirloom rings. It seemed very likely we would significantly redesign them all — likely just using them as parts — but that was what Grandmother had encouraged us to do from the start, anyway.

The parents knew the current rings were just placeholders, but seeing the heirlooms definitely made their eyes light up with the possibilities.

It was also the first time either Angie or I had seen the ring Paige had for her. It, too, looked like it had plenty of potential.

Other people from around us started coming up and offering best wishes. We were all trying our best to thank them and talk to them a bit when a middle-aged man and a much younger woman in Rose Parade jackets approached me. Hers had a CBS logo, while his did not.

“Excuse me?” the woman said. “I don’t want to interrupt, but...”

“It’s fine,” I said, half-turning. “How can I help you?”

She chuckled and said, “I think that’s our line. I’m Penny Dryer, from CBS’s Rose Parade coverage team.”

“And I’m Gordon Sayer, from the Rose Parade Committee,” he said.

Penny said, “We couldn’t help but overhear much of that. That was so romantic! Did you come here from far away?”

“We’re from Texas,” I said.

“And you brought your families?”

“Angie — that’s my sister, I’m Steve...”

I shook hands while talking.

“We decided they would want to see this. Meaning both the parade and the proposals.”

“It’s your sister who proposed to her girlfriend, then?”

“It is,” I said.

Gordon said, “We would like to offer all of you seats for today’s Rose Bowl game. We would also like to offer VIP tickets to a future year’s pre-parade viewing of the floats, along with reserved seats in the grandstand and VIP tickets to the Rose Bowl.”

“I...” I said, stopped, then picked up, saying, “That is very generous. I’m sure we’ll accept, but I would like everyone to hear, just in case someone has a conflict.”

“Of course!” he said. “There’s more, but it will wait.”

I quickly got everyone’s attention, and we very quickly had ten ‘yes’ votes for the whole thing. Mom, Camille, and Jean were beside themselves at the idea of VIP tickets to the pre-parade viewing, where you could get up close with the floats and really see (and smell) things. Dad, Francis, and Tony were all for anything that had their wives this fired up.

Dad was also emotional about the Rose Bowl. Michigan wasn’t playing today, but he’d always dreamed of going. Now he would, and likely twice.

I wasn’t sure we would go next year. It might well make more sense to put it off a year or two. We would have to see how the rest of our schedules worked out.

Penny and Gordon had heard everyone approve, so there was no suspense there.

Gordon smiled and said, “You probably guessed that we would like to ask you for a favor. It’s not required or anything, it’s just...”

Penny took it, saying, “We would like to do a little segment during the broadcast next year. Thirty seconds, or a minute, maybe. ‘Romance Amongst the Roses’. Interview you, Angie, and ... Jasmine and Paige? Is that right?”

“It is,” I said.

“And your parents. Obviously, just a few words, maybe from just one of them.”

“That sounds...” I started.

She spoke at the same time, saying, “However, if you’re uncomfortable being on television. Or, if your sister is, considering...”

She left that hanging there, and just said, “We would completely understand.”

I shrugged and said, “No, that sounds great. I’ve been on TV a few times. So has Angie, though not as much. And ... it’s not like she or Paige can get much more ‘out’ than they are, really. I’ll ask them, but I can’t imagine they would say no.”

She blinked and said, “Um ... that’s ... I have to ask.”

“Them, or me?”

“Them, I guess, first.”

I said, “Their prom was local news. Maybe even a bit of national news. And...”

She cut me off, saying, “Wait! Texas! Prom? Are they...?”

“Paige and Angie were, as far as we know, the second lesbian couple to attend their prom with everything just being ‘business as usual.’”

“Oh, my gosh!” she said. “Oh! Oh! I know that story!”

She looked at Gordon and said, “Oh, my!”

Gordon said, “I remember that, too. And you ... it’s ringing a bell...”

“I helped at the first prom. Our friends Lizzie and Janet...”

“You were in the papers!” Penny said. “Oh, my! This is ... this is bigger than a thirty-second thing. Well... I think it is! Oh, my goodness! I need to go talk to a few people. Will you be able to stay here for a few minutes?”

“I think we have an unexpected football game to attend,” I said, chuckling. “But we’re fine waiting.”

She scooted off.

Gordon said, “While we have a moment, I have to ask. How did this all...?”

“Angie and I had planned to take Jasmine and Paige to Hawaii and propose there. We did just get back from there yesterday, but along the way, we realized that we could be in the Los Angeles area on New Year’s Day. There was this parade...”

He grinned at that.

“And, also, it would mean a great deal for our parents to be here. And ... I mean, I think of the other four as in-laws, even if only two of them will officially be, and that only as of today. I’ve been thinking of them that way for a while now, though.”

“That’s such a heartwarming story,” he said. “For both of you, but I know...”

He looked at Angie.

I said, “I have good friends who have either strained or nonexistent relationships with their parents for that reason. On the other hand, Lizzie and Janet’s parents have always been wonderful, and so are some of the others.”

“So sad for those other poor people,” he said. “But it’s good to know some people are coming around.”

“It is,” I said.

He stepped back, and I quickly checked with the others. As expected, they were ready to tape it today if we needed to. This was not a group with stage fright!

The parents, meanwhile, were simply amazed. Their kids, being featured on TV? How incredible!

Penny came bustling back up the stairs after a few minutes.

“If you’re willing — and I think you are — we would love to get your contact information,” she said. “There’s ... I was just thinking about how you are, almost literally, the face of a new generation. You, your friends, that group that just got started...”

“PROMISE,” I said. “That’s our friends Anne and Natalie. Angie and Paige are fairly involved with them.”

She clapped her hands and said, “See what I mean? A new generation who sees all of these things in a new way. A more open way. I guarantee you, no woman would have proposed to another woman here a decade ago.”

“Might’ve been arrested for causing a disturbance,” Gordon said, with Penny nodding.

“Now, you have people crying and cheering and giving you best wishes,” she said. “There’s a story here. A real one. And, you being comfortable with the idea of press coverage...”

I shrugged again and smiled. “The first time, it was a shock. Really, a total shock. I think I did the thing you’re supposed to do if you want press coverage, though.”

“Oh?” she said, smiling.

“I found a guy with a microphone and got in front of it.”

She laughed.

“Oh, that’s so true! How did that come about?”

“Marvin Zindler — the guy with the microphone — is a well-known reporter in Houston. Legendary, really. His strength is his ability to convey moral outrage. Scams, restaurant health reports, all of that. My hope — and, thankfully, it worked! — was to convince him that the story was the opposite. The principal, the kids — everyone — all on the side of the gay couple. No one bent out of shape, no police, no courts, just two girls getting to do what everyone else gets to do with no one making a big deal out of it.”

“Obviously, it worked,” she said.

“Thankfully! Then, Angie and Paige felt like ... well, it had been done once, so the second time would be easy. And it pretty much was. Then Anne and Natalie picked it up and really ran with it, pushing it past our one little school. Which, ironically, was formerly known for being stick-in-the-mud conservative.”

She chuckled at that, then said, “What are you doing now?”

“We’re sophomores at Texas A&M. Also a school mostly known for being stick-in-the-mud conservative, but we’ve been active in Gay Student Services — you might have heard about the lawsuit there...”

She nodded.

“Jas and I are just members and supporters. Angie and Paige are more, plus they have their picture in last year’s yearbook, kissing.”

“Kissing?” she said.

“There was a big charity kiss-a-thon thing. Most people kissing at one time in the world. The President of GSS, Marco Roberts, kissed his counterpart from Trinity, and Angie and Paige were right next to them, so the photographer got them, too. I think they felt like it was a better page if there was both a male and a female couple shown.”

“This is all fascinating!” she said. “Will you be in the area for very long?”

“We’ll be at Disneyland tomorrow and Friday, then off to ski in the area. We can rearrange a bit, if necessary.”

“I was just going to propose a lunch or something. Maybe on Saturday in Anaheim? Informal. The big stuff will be later. We’ll probably actually tape it at an affiliate where you are, or maybe Houston. No sense flying you out here to tape something, and we’ll need to get it in the can months before the parade.”

“That makes sense to me,” I said.

“This really is amazing!” she said. “Thank you so much!”

“Thank you!” I said. “You’re the ones giving out tickets and all.”

She grinned. “Everyone wins. That’s the hope!”

“It sure is!” I said.

She headed off again, and Gordon chuckled.

“You just made her day,” he said, smiling.

“I can see that!”

“Thank you,” he said.

I gave him a curious look.

“She’s my daughter,” he said. “And she’s a junior producer at CBS. It’s nice that we get to work together on the parade. She grew up around it, since I’ve been at this a while. CBS picked up on that and put her on the team here. One of the ways to make a name for yourself as a junior producer is to find things to put on the air, and she just might have hit a home run here, if the senior guys really are interested.”