SIX months after a romance bloomed and six weeks after he first considered it, Clayton Harding-Colliss yesterday proposed to his girlfriend Kim Deckers.
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But the Wodonga father did not pop the question in the orthodox manner, instead he published his proposal in The Border Mail.
It read: “To my Darling Kim — I love you more than life itself, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Love always, Clayton. I win. Will you marry me?”
Ms Deckers was left speechless and shocked, before saying yes.
“Ï was a bit lost, but happy,” Ms Deckers, 41, said.
She had been woken at 7am with a Valentine’s Day card pointing her to page 27 of the paper and Mr Harding-Colliss pulling a ring from behind the page.
The mother of two had thought Mr Harding-Colliss, 43, was up to something when he disappeared with her daughter Christalie, 17, one day.
He had taken Christalie shopping for a ring because she has the same-sized fingers as her mother.
As for the reference “I win”? Well, that’s just a personal joke.
“First thing in the morning whenever we wake up we have a little competition over who can say ‘I love you’ first and whoever does wins for the day. It’s our little thing,” Mr Harding-Colliss said.