True love knows no bounds. A soldier stationed in Kuwait proved that this Valentine's Day.
Anthony Moody, a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army, was bound and determined to propose to his girlfriend, Vernita Dotson, on February 14.
He wasn't going to let a little thing like the 6,000 miles that separate the two of them get in the way.
So Anthony recorded a video proposal and e-mailed it to The Daisy Fair Flower (http://www.thedaisyfairflowers.com/) shop in Conway.
On Valentine's morning, a delivery man for the flower shop brought the video, along with roses, a teddy bear and a diamond ring, to Vernita's front door.
"To stand by me, through thick and thin, forever," Anthony said on the video. "Vernita Sherri Dotson, will you marry me?"
With a smile and a laugh, she whispered her response: "Yes!"
How big a surprise was it? Anthony and Vernita have been together for ten years, and they've been talking about a wedding for months, so popping the question wasn't a huge shocker.
It was the way he did it.
"It was so cute. He really was creative," Vernita said.
Florist Daved Kinard played a reluctant cupid, a little wary about handling someone else's $7,000 engagement ring. Along with that, there was the obvious concern: what if, after all the build-up, she said "No"?
In the end, Kinard put all concerns aside in the interest of true love.
"It was fun putting it together. All e-mails, no voice communication whatsoever. It's modern technology at its finest," Kinard said.
Vernita is a home health aide to a senior citizen. In fact, she was taking care of the World War II veteran when the proposal was delivered.
It was not what she was expecting on Valentine's Day.
"Only thing I've been thinking about today is planning my party for the kids in the neighborhood. Nothing about you guys knocking on this door talking to me," she said.
Once the big moment was over, Vernita video-taped a response to send to Anthony and the next step will be planning a big June wedding. Her four kids plus his four kids and 12 bridesmaids and 12 groomsmen, in all.
There's sure to be plenty of love to go around.
