Katherine Chloé Cahoon

One of my favorite stories of a marriage proposal gone awry happened to my friend at this time of year. Her boyfriend surprised her with a trip to Manhattan. They were students, finances were tight, and she realized that he wouldn’t be doing this if it were not a supremely special occasion. She suspected that he planned to propose in a world-class city sparkling with holiday lights and exuding romance. This was going to be one of the most important days of her of life, and she intended to do her part to make it the most memorable. It was, but for some of the wrong reasons!

She found the best dress and shoes for the occasion. When they arrived, an unexpected cold snap hit the city. While they were on a romantic stroll to the place where her boyfriend planned to propose, my friend was freezing and her goose bumps weren’t doing her gorgeous gown justice. On top of that, her shoes, which had been comfortable during the test run in the store, became feet eaters. Blisters formed on her heel and every toe. As her boyfriend got down on one knee, she felt like crying out in pain instead of crying for joy, but she forced a smile and gave an Oscar-worthy performance as a few tears trickled down her cheek.

An intimate dinner was next on his agenda, but she couldn’t handle the agony any longer. She ducked into a store and asked the manager for their most comfortable shoes. The price was beyond her budget, so she settled for a pair of socks, and used them to cushion her blisters. Fetching, I know;) Then she ignored the many people looking her up and down with odd stares. She’s stunning no matter what is on her feet, and her fiancé didn’t even notice. He loved her dearly, he was going to spend his life with her, and this was all that mattered. They’ve been married for ten years now, have two beautiful kids, and still love each other as much as they did the day he proposed.