On Friday, November 22, 2013, Luke and I had each just wrapped up our work day, and were prepared to kick off the weekend with Thai takeout from our favorite local restaurant and a Netflix movie. Luke told me that he had a small present for me later, and asked me to pick up dinner while he took a shower. I didn't think much of it, and little did I know Luke was slyly setting the scene to ask me to marry him later that night.

I returned with dinner, and we both took our normal positions on the couches. As the movie played, I looked fondly at our first Christmas tree together, reflecting on how my parents had brought some of my childhood Christmas ornaments for us to hang a few weeks prior.

I said, "I wish I had my pickle ornament!" To which Luke replied, "Are you serious? I told you I had a surprise for you. I bought you a new one and hid it on the tree, so you have to find it!"

I looked up and down the Christmas tree for several minutes, but to no avail. We started to play the "hot or cold" game, which I still did not succeed in finding the pickle. Finally, Luke pointed in the general direction of the pickle ornament. As soon as it caught my eye, I exclaimed, "Luke! It's broken!" I reached into the tree to get the ornament, and as I did, I noticed something reflecting the Christmas tree lights in the bottom of the "broken" pickle. 

Once I realized what was sparkling so beautifully, I gasped and tears welled in my eyes as I turned around to see Luke down on one knee. He took the ring from my hand, and said, "Will you marry me?"

In the middle of our moment of celebration, Luke said, "Hold on one second!" and took off through the front door. Puzzled, I waited admiring my gorgeous new ring. After what felt like an eternity, Luke returned with a bottle of Champagne that he had in his car for the surprise moment.

We both still find humor and irony in the moment when I randomly remembered my missing pickle ornament, and how Luke planned to surprise me with a new ornament that night. Some may call it a coincidence, but we call it fate.