Yes, we finally are engaged!

We were away for a romantic vacation on Catalina Island, just off the coast from LA. We would go for an early morning walk along the beach every day, and then go to breakfast at our favorite cafe.

Every day, we would pass the arcade and outside there were gumball machines. Every day, Eric would jokingly say, "Do you have a quarter? I'm going to get you that ring."

We had discussed marriage a lot, and even looked at rings a couple of times, but had never made any final decisions.

On our last day there, Eric joked again and then said, "Oh look, I have a quarter." He put the coin into one of the machines, turned the crank, and caught the plastic ball as it dropped out. He must have cleverly switched the ball out with one he had in his pocket, but I didn't see. When he handed me the plastic ball, it had inside the most beautiful engagement ring I have ever seen -- MY engagement ring.

I must have been so shocked. All I could say was, "How did this get in the machine?" He pulled the second plastic ball out of his pocket with a cute smirk on his face.

Like a true gentleman, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and I immediately said yes! We still went to our same cafe for breakfast. Eric had taken a bottle of champagne there earlier, which the waiter brought to us to celebrate. They made quite a fuss over our new engagement. It was the happiest moment of my life!