A few years ago when I was feeling really sick, William read this version of Beauty and the Beast to me out loud, complete with a deep gravelly voice for the Beast. At the time, he joked that he was going to mimic the Beast's voice and proposals when he asked me to marry him. Or rather, I thought he was joking.

He knew I was vehemently opposed to public proposals where the one being asked doesn't know beforehand that it's happening in public because if they want to say no, they're not just letting down their significant other, they're letting down all the bystanders who happen to be watching and I think that puts undue pressure on the person being asked, so he asked me beforehand if it was okay to propose at the aquarium, so yes, those of you who were wondering if I knew he was going to ask because my nails were done, I did, and that is, in fact, why my nails were done. Didn't know when during the trip he was going to do it, though, so it's not like it stripped ALL MYSTERY FOREVER away.

We wandered around the aquarium and saw TONS of fish, and went through the interactive exhibits and touched moon jellies and starfish and I completely managed to miss the fact that there were otters in a certain tank because OH MY GOD WHAT A HUGE SCHOOL OF FISH I'M GONNA FOLLOW IT happened and then William pointed out that there were otters and I was incredibly confused because I hadn't seen them AT ALL before he directed my attention upwards.

I realized that there were people carrying around guidebooks going to the embossing stations (that I wasn't entirely sure what were until I read the sign while William was fiddling with one) so since I hadn't managed to get him out to pet the rays and sharks, and I really wanted to see him try and touch sea life, he agreed to go on a scavenger hunt first for the guide and then to all the embossing stations.

After all that was done, my wheelchair's battery started beeping for the second time that day, which meant we couldn't wander around looking for the perfect spot forever. He asked me where we should do it, and I told him that that particular bit was his call, he was the one proposing, after all. He chose one of the smaller wall sized tanks in an alcove on the first floor near the entrance of the aquarium. I gave him the magnets (one set of which he learned to polish so he could make the ring) from my purse and went over to a woman sitting down in the chairs in front of the tank. I told her that my boyfriend had been saying for months that he was going to propose using these magnets he always played with, but he wasn't messing with them in the way he usually did, and if he came over and led me in front of the tank, would she record it for me. She agreed, and William came over but rather than heading to the tank, he leaned over and said "you should probably use my phone, it has more battery."

We went over to the tank, he dropped down to one knee, said "Beauty, will you marry me?" in that silly deep gravelly voice as he snapped the ends of the band part of the ring together. I kind of stopped thinking for a moment and blurted "Yes, you idiot!" because for years I have sincerely thought he was joking about the voice and it took me by surprise and was so silly and wonderful and somehow he wasn't insulted by my response.

Unfortunately when we checked the video, all we have is me kissing him after I said yes, which is essentially devoid of context, and showing people that just feels weird.