(My boyfriend has just proposed, and he is driving us home. We have given up a lot of things for each other, including moving to a different hemisphere and being partially disowned. We’re also huge math geeks. I have been running my fingers over the ring over and over. I notice that there is something engraved on the inside of the ring: 3.1415926535897.)

Me: “Babe, why does this ring have Pi engraved on it?”

Fiancé: “I was waiting for you to ask. I asked for that because our love is like Pi – spontaneous, somewhat irrational, and never-ending.”

(My eyes water a little.)

Me: “That is the sweetest, most nerdy thing anyone’s ever done.”

(My mother has died the day before and I am still deeply in shock. My cousin’s daughter is trying to distract me with conversation, specifically about her album collection.)

Little Cousin: “So, I got a couple more CDs last night.”

Me: “Mm-hmm.”

Little Cousin: “And the new Michael Jackson.”

Me: “That’s nice, dear.”

Little Cousin: “What? Why do you say that?”

Me: “Huh? Oh, I guess it’s just a polite response.”

Older Cousin: “It means she doesn’t care about Michael Jackson. Hush, she just lost her mom!”

(The little cousin snuggles against my arm for the rest of the car ride. Later, we are at the funeral where my drama queen grandmother is making a scene about how hard it is to lose her daughter and how no one is suffering like she is. I again, am in shock.)

Grandmother: “You’re so cruel. I’m suffering!”

Me: “Oh, that’s nice, dear.”

Little Cousin: “That means shut up. She just lost her mom!”

(My then-boyfriend is walking me to my car one night after work.)

Me: “Thank you for walking me. I saw a group of people hanging out around here earlier. It was kind of shady.”

Boyfriend: “Of course! I wouldn’t let anything happen to you!”

(We walk in front of a house with very large bushes along the sides. Just as we get near a bush, a small dark mass bolts out from the bush directly towards me.)

Me: “HISS!” *I jump and genuinely cat-hiss*

(Turns out, it was actually a cat. It got highly offended and ran off without another thought. I then turn to look at my boyfriend.)

Boyfriend: *eyes huge* “Did you just?…”

Me: *looking down* “Shut-up… never happened.”

(My Mom and I have just gotten out of a driving seminar, and she’s quizzing me on what we learned.)

Mom: “So, how are you supposed to hold the wheel?”

Me: “4 and 8. Mom—”

Mom: *interrupting* “And how many passengers are you allowed to have in the car at one time?”

Me: “One until I’m eighteen, after that three until I’m twenty. Mom—”

Mom: “And are you allowed to even answer a phone while driving?”

Me: “No, but Mom—”

Mom: “Stop interrupting me!”

Me: “But you’re not wearing a seatbelt.”

Mom: “Oh.”

(I’ve been seeing this guy for a few months, and while we have spent a lot of time together, we haven’t said ‘I love you’ yet. He is opening my car door for me; we are laughing and joking as I sit in the car.)

Him: *out of nowhere* “I love you.”

(Both of our eyes get as big as saucers. Before I even have a chance to react, he puts his hand on the side of my head, pushing me the rest of the way in the car.)

Him: “Go away. I said nothing.”