Jennifer Plesko

I still remember it like it was yesterday. After two and a half months apart, I was finally on my way to pick up my long-distance boyfriend from the airport in Houston. Even though I had to go to class that evening, I was wearing a denim skirt and heels to show off my fresh Mystic tan. When I saw him, it was surreal. It was so strange to hear his voice and see his face simultaneously.

The whole drive back, I kept telling him I was perfectly willing to skip my four-hour Magazine Editing class and hang out with him that night. But for some reason, he kept insisting that I go. We used to skip class together all the time. Why did he suddenly want me to be so diligent? And why does he keep answering the phone? Who keeps calling him? Is he happy to see me at all?

When we finally got to campus an hour later, he decided that, rather than drop me off, he would walk me to class. That’s more like it, I thought. But he parked in the parking garage on the opposite end of campus from my class. He said that he missed walking on campus with me, so he thought we’d take the long way. I was in four-inch heels carrying a twenty-pound backpack, but who can say no to that?

As we passed in front of the Academic Building, we noticed someone had put flowers in front of the statue of Sul Ross, which we thought was weird. Then he said, “Oh look, there’s flowers over there too”, and he pulled me to the Century Tree where a dozen red roses were lying on the bench under the tree.

When we got closer, I saw that my name was on the card in his handwriting. I wondered how in the world he managed to get those there when he’d been with me the whole time. I read the card: “Jenny, You mean more to me than anyone in this world. You have been there for me when I needed it, kept your distance when I needed that; loved me when I was unlovable, been my friend when I wasn’t friendly. You have been more than I could ever hope for. Thank you for doing all these things for me. Love, Ryan” I turned around, all smiles, and thanked him for the card and he said, “Well, there was one thing that wasn’t on the card.” That’s when he got down on his knee and proposed.

I giggled and cried and eventually managed to say yes. Then I looked over to see Ryan’s former roommate, Derek, taking pictures of us paparazzi-style from a few feet away. He’d caught the whole thing. Ryan had Fed-Exed the card to Derek, and Derek picked up the flowers for him and set everything up (hence all the phone calls). He’d had it planned a month in advance. Everyone knew but me.

As you can imagine, I really didn’t want to go to class then. But when I showed up to class with a dozen roses, a ring, and a new fiance and explained to Dr. Gastel that I’d just gotten engaged 10 minutes earlier, she said, “Oh that’s an excused absence! You can go!”

Ten months later, on July 12, 2003 (3 years and 364 days since the day we met), we were married. It was about as perfect as a wedding could be. And believe it or not, I love him even more now. Happy 5th Anniversary, Husband.