Thank for you adding a reference to my piece in this! :) I'm thrilled to see that this has started a conversation!
Even though I knew about your proposals beforehand from your response to my story, I still absolutely enjoyed reading it again! I especially love how you and Deb discussed all of it and you still managed to inject an elements of surprise into it!
Her ad libbing makes for a really cute part of the anecdote too. It's a much more beautiful story than "I rehearsed it perfectly and she waited until the end and said yes at the perfect time" :D Big moments are supposed to be rollercoasters of blubbering emotion and this is in keeping with that!
PS: I think your niece was interested even at the time. From the picture, it looks like she's raising her fists in celebration of the news! :D