Last night while anchored out on the Illinois River, I had the strangest dream. In it, the quietest night (and soundest night’s sleep ever) was suddenly pierced by the ringing of my cell phone. I somehow managed to bring it to my ear and heard, “Daddy, I wanted you and Mom to be the first to know…tonight Evan asked me to marry him.”
That’s when I became dimly aware that I must be dreaming, because it was Carla and she’s only six or seven years old…”That’s nice, honey”, the dream me responded.
The phone magically (as can happen in a dream) jumped from my hand to the Admiral's, whose sonar like hearing had heard Carla’s words clearly.
In my dream, I heard Carla telling her mom,
“Romantic dinner at a little bistro in Coronado…
great bottle of wine…
walk on the beach…
down on his knee in the sand…
lighted ring box (lighted ring box? What, hey it’s my dream)…
and, I said yes.”
There was some more mother-daughter type chitchat, but the dream pretty much ended with that.
This morning, I mentioned the dream to the Admiral and got that stern look she gets that she uses so effectively to keep me in line. “Honey, remember, last weekend when we were home Evan asked you for her hand, and you gave him your blessing.”
“Yeah, but…” How could I explain I had thought he only meant her hand, and that he’d leave the rest of her alone until she grew up… “She’s so young”, is all I can manage to mumble.
“She’s twenty-five, Babe”, explains the Admiral, trying to make me feel better about the whole thing.
“But, she just finished the third grade.”, I mutter, grasping at straws.
“Yes Honey…But she was teaching, remember?”
“Yeah, but…I haven’t checked the Most Wanted posters for him in months.”
The Admiral begins to lose patience with me. “Don’t tell me we’re going down this road again”, she says, shaking her head at my state of mind. She was, of course, referring to the Steve Martin (Father of the Bride) imitation I had performed perfectly during the year leading up to our older daughter Dina’s wedding. As if I was acting!
I try denial, “No, no, I’m fine”, I lie. She just gave me that piercing and knowing Admiral glare.
Speaking of denial, isn’t that a river in Egypt? I didn't know you could get there on the Loop. But, I sure did!
Carla's engagement ring...I don't think it is as big a rock as it looks here...it's just that the hands of a seven year old are so small!
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