Wanna know why he was as shaken as he was by it all? Well, I’d found out later on that Levi had set it up, thinking he’d be able to propose and that I wouldn’t jump. He knew how afraid of heights I was, but wanted me to have the opportunity to attempt it, regardless. He just hadn’t counted on me actually going over the edge. Darnell and Craig had been in on it, too, but the proposal was the real reason why the whole family were there that day.
Levi’s plan was to get me ready, and then for him to do what he’d done and me to fall into his arms. Nowhere in there did I end up over the edge, so it was just as well they had strapped me into the harness.
As I’d tripped over the edge, there was a clear video of all them trying to catch me and missing by an inch. There was also a nice close up of Levi’s horrified expression as I continued falling. It felt like it had all been over in a matter of seconds, but the fall had lasted long enough for him to get all the way to his family, see that I was ok, and almost throw up in the bushes.
At least we had the best videos and photos to show our kids and grandkids – if we ever had them – of the day he proposed. That reasoning would come in handy once the shock wore off, but I was totally getting myself concrete boots.Ironically, three months later, he asked me to marry him again. This time we were on vacation at Guadalupe Island in Mexico, cage diving with sharks, and this adventure had been my surprise for him.
We’d flown into San Diego and met our ship which had then brought us here, and now we were in a cage looking out into the dark blue depths of the water around us. I’d expected it to be crystal clear, but it was like being in a weird clear, yet murky, blue soup, and we couldn’t see what was in the distance ahead or below the cage.
It was eerie, and I wasn’t sure that us watching 47 Meters Down and The Meg last week had been a good idea. Levi had wanted to have a shark day, though, and I hadn’t wanted to give away what the surprise was, so I hadn’t had a choice.
Let me just say that if you could smell fear in water – mine would be enough to knock you out right now.
Wait, sharks could, though, couldn’t they?
A tap on my shoulder almost made me shit my pants, and when I turned to look at Levi he was holding up a board with:
No heights this time.
Will you marry me?Followed by the words yes and no with boxes beside them.
Just as I reached out to tick yes, the expression on his face turned to one of horror as he stared behind me, and then something hit the cage.
Turning around as fast as I could, I saw the open mouth of a Great White only feet away from my face and screamed. Well, I would have screamed if I hadn’t had the vital scuba breathing regulator mouthpiece in my mouth. Still, I gave it my best shot, and bubbles exploded around it as the shark ran his teeth down the bar of the cage.
Ironically, there were also GoPros in the cage with us, recording the moment for us to relieve again, and again. They also recorded the explosion of bubbles from the front and behind. Yes, behind. The video showed Levi reacting much the same way that I did, except from the opposite end of his body.
At least we survived another memorable proposal, and the video footage to show for it.EpilogueLevi was still trying to give me the proposal of my dreams up until last night, one where nothing went wrong. He’d tried so many ways to make it work, but nothing had gone right.
Now, we had a long list of proposals to fall back on when we told the story of how he proposed, but I wasn’t going to stop at just telling one of the stories.
We’d gone back to see one of the football teams who’d been playing during that fateful game, but one of the guys on the cameras had recognized us, and as his proposal flashed up on the screen, it had cut to me looking like I was jacking him off as I dried his crotch.
Then, a couple of weeks after the football game, he’d organized a ride on Night Rider and his Dad’s horse, but something had spooked it and Levi had fallen and broken his tailbone. Jer’s horse’s name was Senegal Heat, but they called him SH and swore it stood for Shit Head. Now I could see why.