A tarmac tale: Ann says YES! to Brent

Update: Since the publication of this article, there have been changes in the relationship of Ann and Brent. As of 2018, they are no longer together/engaged. We respect the privacy of the individuals involved and ask that this update is considered with empathy and understanding.

Brent waited six months, and then some.

Ann waited about 24 hours.

Finally, on the tarmac at Dyess Air Force Base as Friday afternoon turned into evening, shadowed by a B1 bomber, they got the job done.

Moments after climbing down the ladder leading from the cockpit and hugging his sweetheart, Brent took a knee and asked Ann to marry him.

And she just thought getting to ride in the 9th Bomb Wing's "BAT IX" provided an unexpected twist to reuniting with her beau, a B-1 weapons officer.

"I had no idea. I was shocked, absolutely," she said later, still all smiles and tears. "Look at me ... I'm still shaking."

Oh, by the way ... she accepted.

At a wedding in October, when he met more of her family, Brent decided Ann was the gal for him, forever.

The bomber was due in Thursday but the crew hit their flying hours limit and had to stay the night in Hawaii.

I know ... those poor guys. Stuck in paradise.

But for Brent, who has been at Dyess for four years, it delayed his big plans.

"I was furious," he said. Getting to sleep was tough. "I got the minimum."

By the time the B-1 touched down Friday, there had been by some counts seven arrival time changes.

Brent (due to safety concerns, I'm using only his first name) stole this emotional show. Other families reunited, youngsters hugging their daddies, husbands passionately kissing their wives, sometimes all this going at once.

But, dude, taking a knee and producing a ring ... that's a showstopper.

While the couple first embraced, his mother sneaked behind Ann and handed her son a small brown box. Brent then pulled back, said what he wanted to say and then popped the question.

"I was very nervous," he said. "I hoped that she would like it."

Later, they'd pop champagne and toast each other and those celebrating with them.

On hand were Barbara and Kenny, her parents from Grapevine, and Aliceann, her grandmother who lives in Abilene. Also there were his parents, Cheril and Eric, of Colleyville. Eric was in the Air Force back in the day, flying B-52s as did Ann's grandfather.

Asked if he proposed so dramatically to Cheril, Eric laughed.

"It was pathetic," he said. "This makes up for it."

Ann was so caught off guard that every photo has her clutching her smartphone.

"She was going to take selfies," Aliceann said.

No need. There was an army of photographers on hand.

The couple — she's 25 and he's 28 — met as students in Colleyville. She went to A&M and today is a registered nurse in the oncology department at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He went to Texas Tech and joined the Air Force five years ago.

She was busy, he was busy, but they kept a long-distance relationship going.

"I trusted the heck out of her," he said. "It was quite easy in the end."

About two years ago, Ann said, they got the feeling this was going somewhere.

Brent enlisted some help and bought a ring before being deployed — not at the base exchange at Andersen AFB in Guam. He sent that to his mother.

Brent was supposed to come home at the start of August — he left Jan. 29 — but the B-1 deployment went into overtime.

He then was due back Tuesday, but that became Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Ann drove to Abilene from Houston after finishing work Wednesday morning. She stayed with her grandmother.

The Thursday evening arrival then looked like it would be after midnight, then maybe even later. Then Friday evening.

The two sets of parents were camped at local hotels and Aliceann's duty was to keep them away from Ann. She'd sneak into her bedroom of her small home to quietly exchange text messages to find out what the parents were doing or where they were eating out.

You know Abilene ... it's small enough they'd wind up at the same place and the surprise would be blown.

"I kept Ann here all day (Friday)," Aliceann said. "This was such a fun thing, but it was so stressful. Oh my gosh."

"She'd get so excited ... he'd send her a picture, he's on the plane," Aliceann said.

And then wait.

But finally, the reunion happened and with his crew, other Dyess B-1 personnel and families as witnesses, Brent asked for Ann's hand.

Out of nowhere, a bottle of champagne was produced.

"Does anyone have ... glasses," Ann joked. No, but there were cups and the couple toasted each other, sipped some bubbly and kissed again.

By now, they were used to everyone watching.

"I am very, very happy," Ann said, still beaming. "I don't want to know what my heart rate is."

They eventually rode from the bomber to the greeting area in the "batmobile," a black 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air with the iconic batman symbol painted on front door of each side. Torch was their driver.

Mission accomplished.

"I'm glad she liked it," he said of his ambitious proposal plan.

Some other plans, however, didn't materialize. Ann said she and Brent probably would go to Chipotle for dinner Friday night.

"He hasn't had Chipolte in six-and-a-half months, and it's one of his favorites," she said.

But they went to the new Sharon Allen's restaurant instead.

Then had cake and coffee back at Aliceann's house.

Any discussion of wedding plans?

No.

The proposal apparently was enough excitement for one weekend.

And there were other things the couple wanted to do ...

Like go to Chipotle for lunch Saturday.

Twitter: @GregJaklewicz

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: A tarmac tale: Ann says YES! to Brent