A Rose By Any Other Name

Act II, Scene 2

My last name...oh no, he didn't! There wasn't time to spare to get mad as my parents were coming towards us through the restaurant. I only had a moment to either tell him my last name or to go to hell! I figured I could get angry with him later for not remembering my name. I was pretty sure he had asked and more than certain I had told him...at least I thought I had! I mean, who asks a girl to marry him without knowing her last name? After introductions and dinner with a cocktail for courage, he asked Daddy for my hand in marriage. My sweet daddy was impressed at how earnest he was, but being a father he had to give a lecture on the serious side of marriage. My cowboy told me years later that before our ceremony, Daddy had set him down and informed him that if he ever mistreated me to watch his back! Daddy also told him to never get so full of himself that he hurt me in the process and the last thing Daddy told him was that I would always have a place to come home to if he didn't make me happy! Mother and Daddy really thought I was too young, but they knew I was stubborn and since I was old enough to marry without their permission, they gave us their blessing.

With my family's sorta-kinda blessing, we began to make plans. We decided on a fall wedding in late October. I had never been one of those girls who dreamed of a big wedding with 50 bridesmaids in ugly dresses. A simple ceremony was all I wanted, so a small home wedding was the easiest decision I had to make. We'd have our close friends and relatives as guests and a big reception after we came back from the honeymoon. Since this was late June, I thought I would have plenty of time for such a small affair, but I didn't count on this boy's impetuosity. First he talked me into an earlier October date...then he talked me into late September. Next thing I knew, he was talking about early September. He/we finally agreed on August 10th. I think if I had said~let's just go to the J.P. and straight to look at that toolbox~he'd a jumped on it and me before a cat could lick his tail!

My poor Mother...we were out of the chute like a couple of tornadoes trying to get everything arranged and find the perfect dress for me, while he was on the quest for my wedding rings. Though I had never cared anything about a big folderol wedding, there was one thing I had always dreamed of. Years ago I had seen in a Seventeen magazine an engagement ring setting that looked like an antique rose. I had dreamed of that ring for years and when he asked what kind of ring I wanted...that's the one I told him about. He was still rodeoing during this time and one weekend he drew a really rank horse and was bucked off. He injured his leg and had to use crutches to get around, but that didn't stop him from trying to find that ring. He limped and hobbled around to every jewelry store in Dallas, trying to find that rose for me, but by the time August rolled around...no ring. He never asked me to settle for anything else, just kept looking for what he knew would guarantee him a great wedding night!

Later, when we met with the minister to discuss the wedding details, the preacher man asked us if it was going to be a one ring or two ring ceremony. My cowboy just looked at him and said, "How 'bout a no ring one?"!