The good deal

Another aspect that has been intriguing to watch is the cultural differences on expectations of marriage between the States and Great Britain. Where I'm from in the South, many of my friends became engaged our final year at university (and the same happened to my sister when it was her final year) and were married that summer after graduation.  It was a bit of a mind-bender at first, fathoming to be married so young, but it was more exciting.

I hesitate to make generalities about Great Britain as there's still so much I don't understand, but it seems to me there's no pressure to get married straight after university, even if you dated all through it. It seems to come a bit later on. Perhaps you live together for a few years, and then get married after that. I'm not really sure.

Fran and I have dated for four years, and I can't tell you the amounts of times that I had people pull me aside and ask me when Fran was going to propose and when I was getting married. What on earth am I supposed to say.  Yes, didn't I tell you? I am psychic.  I can read every inch of his mind. It will happen on March 3, 2013 at Finchdale priory in Durham, England. Is this a trick question?

Fran on the other hand, didn't get any of this. If anything, he got the opposite. Surely you'll be moving in together now you're living in the same city. You're thinking of getting married? You're so young. Are you sure? 

Lately, Fran's been telling me what a good deal I've gotten, by him actually proposing and choosing out the ring all by himself. He said one of his co-workers recently became engaged, but she had to propose to him.  He's also told me stories of proposal by ultimatums and by hypothetical questions. Most of the time the couple go together to pick out the ring (which I would personally find horrible!) I think this is all a clever ruse to make me think him simply dazzling in comparison to anyone else. It has obviously worked. All that comes to my mind right now is a phrase of my mom's, when she turns to my dad on Christmas day after opening her stocking and says, "You did real good, honey. You did real good." So there. You did real good, Fran. You did real good.