We met 5 years ago, aged 49 & 50. She had been married twice before, i had several failed relationshipss but never married. I had never even wanted to be married, until i met her.....my soul mate. We fell in love hard, and it didn't take long to know each of us had finally found our person, the one we were meant to be with. As our love grew, so did my desire to marry. We talked about it, planned for it, wanted it......but the thought always ended with "someday". Someday for me was when i could finally afford a ring. Someday for her was just a dream. Then one day, i took a sketch i had drawn to a local jeweler for him to create a one of a kind masterpiece of my design. It was 6 months of keeping it secret from her, but not from many others. Turns out, the only way i can keep a secret is by not keeping it as i let some of our good friends in on it. There were many cryptic comments from me regarding the subject of marriage. There were the 2 times she tried to get me to go into the very jeweler who was making her ring to have my finger sized, only to hear me reply "we've got lots of time for that". There was my declaration that this year's christmas surprise was bomb proof as she has ruined so many of mine in the past by figuring it out. Then there was the little voice that told her to visit the website where she had found her dream wedding dress, only to find it on sale for less than a quarter of it's original price, and already tailored to her measurements. This was followed by me getting very excited and insistant that she buy that dress. This was very close to christmas, and she told me she thinks she's figured it out......my christmas surprise was a ring. DAMN!!! SHE FIGURED IT OUT AGAIN!!! NOW WHAT?!?! Plan b. The ring was placed at the toe of her stocking, to be the last thing she took out. Half way down, i placed the sketch i had drawn. When she looked at it with puzzled bewilderment, i told her that this was my design, (my elabotate 104 diamond, almost a full carot purple saphire, custom made 100% original design), and it's the reason i don't have it yet.......it's going to be very expensive, and i don't have the money yet. I just wanted her to know i was really serious about "someday". She bought it, and resigned herself back to the dream of marriage......"someday". Then she opened the box, i proposed, she cried, i smiled with great satisfaction of pulling off the impossible, and eventually......after the shock subsided, she said yes. It was a very merry christmas.