our meet cute, part two.

Well, I've been avoiding the second half of this post for the entire day. Mostly because I've been incredibly busy, but also because it's really hard to remember just the way everything happened, and I want to do our story justice by getting all the small details right. I'm sure you understand.

So. Here goes nothing. Jeffrey and a good friend of his kept asking me to hang out with them. I obviously was into Jeffrey, so I happily obliged. It was fun. I liked hanging out with Jeffrey and his two best friends, but I was (still am) painstakingly shy, so it was hard for me to be myself around them. I wondered if I was ruining things for myself, so I made a change. I started being bold, saying things that I normally would reserve for only my closest friends, and laughing, uninhibited, at things that were funny. It was freeing. One particular night (I couldn’t tell you which one) Jeffrey admitted to liking me while we were on AIM. I remember running out into the porch, where my mom and aunt were sitting, and doing a little happy dance. I was soaring.

Fast forward a few weeks. Jeffrey and his friends were going on a trip to Michigan to stay with another of their best friends. Since Jeffrey confessed that he liked me (and I confessed right back) we had gone on a few dates, most of them awkward. Neither of us had been in a relationship before, so I think that had everything to do with it. Anyway. The trip to Michigan. We were talking the night before he left, and it happened. He asked me to be his girlfriend. I was overjoyed. I’m pretty sure I blushed even though no one could see me. Of course, I said yes. I ran and told my family right away. Now I'm going to skip some parts, mostly because they're uninteresting. So, Jeffrey's back from his trip and I'm getting ready to leave for mine. I went on a trip to New York City with my family. The night before we left, Jeffrey kissed me on my front porch. We often joke that one of us had to leave the state for anything monumental to happen. I remember driving to the airport the next morning and whispering to my sister that Jeffrey had kissed me. It was the most perfect first kiss, and I was happy. The rest, as they say, is history. Jeffrey and I continued to get closer, spent more time together, and eventually fell in love.

I love our relationship for many reasons. But, perhaps, one of my favorite reasons is because before Jeffrey and I were together, we had never been in any other relationship. It has meant so much to me to be in only one relationship with one person. I’m not saying that that works for everyone, but it worked for us. And, it’s still working. I appreciate and love all the people who have been there for me throughout our journey together. It has been friends and family that have supported me, helped me, given me advice, and the courage to go after the things I really wanted. And, Jeffrey has absolutely played a huge role in that. When I met Jeffrey I also met my best friend, confidant, and everything in between. His love means the world to me, and then some.

Phew! Sorry about the length of this story, but I've never really been short-winded. Well, I believe that's enough cheese for one night. xo, R.

(And the wonky font is staying because it's impossible to fix!)