After a childhood filled with the aspiration to find a love like her grandparents. College junior Annie believes she'll end up with a ring by spring. But there's one problem unlike her soon to be engaged friends, Annie's favor in the love department...
"Yes," I began, thinking back on how it happened less than 24 hours ago, "I took the pictures remember?"
Kate laughed, but it sounded more like a snivel. Another reminder that Kate couldn't even stop crying to accept Jason's proposal. He had thought she was going to decline him when she dropped to her knees and started sobbing hysterically at his feet.
Jason had chosen to propose at one of Kate's favorite spots, a nursing home, where you could always find her volunteering. Kate's parents, Jason's parents, and a few others including myself made an appearance to see Kate make a life-changing decision. We all knew going into it that it would be entertaining, knowing Kate.
Jason panicked when he saw her crying, so he fell on both of his knees, rubbed her back until she lifted her head, and lovingly kissed him. When she broke away from the kiss, she nodded incessantly. I had laughed through the whole ordeal, snapping pictures on my camera as I did so.
Photography had been a hobby of mine when I was an awkward middle schooler. In high school, photography became a way to capture just a glimpse of a live moment into a still shot. Then in college, I became serious about it as I would start capturing moments for the sports teams in the middle of my freshman year, most specifically the basketball team - the Blue Devils.
After the proposal we all enjoyed a yummy chocolate pudding cup - it was all the nursing home staff would allow the elderly to eat that was sweet. Even though it was sugar-free; I still enjoyed it. One of the old ladies glared at the newly-engaged college couple acrimoniously while she churned the chocolate into her mouth. I attempted to smile at her, but she turned her glare on me instead.
"Annie," Kate gasped, she continued to click through the photos I had taken yesterday of the proposal.
"These pictures are gorgeous. Well, minus the one of me with snot flying out of my nose."
"I'm glad you like them, Kate. However, I haven't finished editing them yet." I grabbed my laptop from her, sticking my tongue out while I did so.
Once my laptop is back in my possession I can't focus.
The reality that I'm the only one single among my friends is one thought that terrifies me. Most of my friends were practically married, and there's me. Single.
Wasn't I the girl who read romance novels over the assigned book for class work?
To answer that question was yes.
Kate wasn't all that interested in romantic movies, picnics in the park or candlelit dinners. Kate believed in what she called practical love. Meaning what her parents expected of her.
Kate's major was social work, and Jason's was the opposite. It made sense to her parents, at least. They would have a more than stable income after Jason completed his mandatory education and joined his family's dentistry office. Then they could soon start popping out some dark haired, almond-eyed babies.
To me, love wasn't practical. It was irrational; it wasn't hard. I wanted a love that those almond-eyed babies would only hear their mama Kate read about in a storybook. And that's what I would try my hardest to get it. Even if my deadline was steadily approaching, Spring was only a few months away.
And the end of Spring - where my ring would hopefully be- was when I would say yes to the man of my dreams.
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Kate and I had been friends since we were in our awkward middle school stage.
It was the first day of sixth grade when we had met. The teacher placed Kate in the seat beside of me because her last name followed after mine in the alphabet.
Whether one is in preschool, elementary school or high school every grade level has a short kid who isn't even close to the average height of the rest of their peers.
And Kate Choi was the incongruity of our sixth-grade class and later for the rest of her middle school career leading up to her high school one as well. The short Asian girl with dozens of pigtails adorning her head was my best friend, and I guess I, the mixed chick with an array of curly dark blonde hair, was her best friend.
Kate was one of the first people who saw talent in my photography skills. She believed in me right from the get go. Unlike my parents who booked me photoshoots only to advance their political positions.
My mom was a news anchor and my dad was a political analyst who would do almost anything for a good tidbit of information.
CNN is their baby.
They'd sacrifice their whole reputation just to keep that company running and I'd sacrifice anything to get them to love me.
Since CNN was located in Georgia and my parents barely could find time to raise me they handed me over to my grandparents. My grandparents are two of the sweetest people I've ever had the chance of meeting. Granny had met Papa at Harding University her junior year. Papa always says she had his heart the minute she glanced in his direction. After a few months of dating, he had proposed to her towards the end of spring and they soon married in the fall.
I applied to several colleges and universities with the prospect of marriage on my mind, but my education and my best friend Kate took center stage in my decision.
Kate ended up getting into Duke, and I ended up, fortunately, getting in. Currently, there is not an update on the man of my dreams. It's December and still no sign of him. I won't start panicking until January.
