Thanks for all the well wishes, guys (and girl)! We both really appreciate it.
I don't doubt this will be a wonderful union, as since she likes to put it, this has been something coming for the last twelve years.
Even since then, when we'd first met one another, we both recognized there was an immediate interest but at the time couldn't act on it as I'd just gotten into a relationship.
After that, over the years it was a "musical chairs" kind of thing, where one of us would be single but the other was in a relationship. So, the timing was just never right.
Until just over two years ago (our anniversary was yesterday).
At that time, she called me right out of the blue (we hadn't talked for maybe a couple years), during which 4 1/2 hour phone call she made it clear at least three times she was finally single (I had been for a while).
It was then I decided to make the most of the opportunity, and ten years after we met at last got the chance to ask her out. I took it slow for the first month and a half, having us just "hang out" as friends, before finally popping
that question to her.
A year later (it will be as of June), we moved in together, and now here we are. It's amazing how quickly it's all come together.
The funny thing is, back when we'd first reconnected we were already talking about wedding stuff, just comparing what we both wanted for that (it was simply small talk, hypotheticals; didn't know it would get us to this point, lol). Not surprisingly, we were very in line with what the other wanted. Small, simple, not ridiculously expensive.
Oh, and given that she's into things like Star Trek and the like, that's certainly helped in her appreciation and understanding of my hobby. Despite what some people have suggested, I don't think we'd go the cosplay theme for our wedding, though. I jokingly ran that idea by her a while back, and she didn't seem to take too well to it, lol.
So, just a regular-type wedding for us, I think.
Anyway, thanks again for all the kind words, fellas. Much appreciated