the answer will always be yes

D has been proposing to me ever since I moved in with him. Usually, I would answer with a coy smile or a "let's play it by ear" type of reply. It was not until we celebrated our first year anniversary that I finally gave a definitive answer.

I didn't think he had anything planned that day. He just told me to meet up with him at Siam Paragon for dinner. But little did I know, this remarkably clever man had something up his sleeve. Once at the meeting point, he gave me his first surprise. A Fuji Instax 200 camera. The one I've been eyeing on for months. I was beaming. Then it was on to the next surprise. Sunset cocktails at Sirocco Sky Bar. We sipped our ice cold mojitos while enjoying a 360-view of Bangkok. Slightly buzzed and on a high over these lovely surprises, we then headed to the third and last surprise of the night. A romantic candlelit dinner for two at Arun Residence.

It was beautiful. We went home that night feeling extremely lucky to have found each other.

Back home, we settled in our bed with laptops in tow. Both of us were glued to our laptop screens. Then moments later, I felt his gaze fixed at me. I looked at him to see what was wrong. As I turned to him, he exclaimed, "Marry me!" It caught me by surprise but it didn't stop me from answering with a resounding "Yes!"

And that was that. D and I got engaged in our bed, without a ring, and with only the words Marry Me and Yes.

Months passed. There was still no ring. I didn't mind. Ring or no ring, I plan to spend the rest of my life with this man. Ring or no ring, the answer will always be YES.

Until a trip to Chinatown. I chanced upon cocktail rings sold in boxes by the side street. I spotted a beautiful turquoise one and I instantly knew I had to get it. D saw how much I wanted the ring and so he offered to buy it for me. For 2 for 100 baht, he got me two. He took the turquoise ring and asked for my hand. He slipped it on my finger and again, asked me to marry him, right in the middle of Samphaeng market. Of course, I said yes.

Since then, I've been proudly wearing this gargantuan turquoise ring on my left ring finger.

Until one day, D suggested we look at wedding rings. Take note: wedding ring not engagement ring. I was perfectly happy with that. We set out that day to look at wedding bands. But somehow we ended up with a beautiful sapphire engagement ring instead.

The ring had to be resized and we wanted one in white gold so we couldn't take it home that day. We had to come back weeks later.

And so last Saturday, after what seemed like a long wait, D and I went back to the jewelry shop, picked up my engagement ring, and once again, he asked me to marry him.

Naturally, I said yes. Again.