I love a good love story. And that’s why I love nothing better than having a couple sit on my couch and tell me how their love story began. That simple question, “What’s your story?” brings smiles like no other as, in a split second, moments of their relationship pass by their eyes. The feeling of butterflies, the first kiss, the moment he knew she was the one. Hearing a couple tell their story tells you so much about who they are. So Ryan and I wanted to share our story too. From first crush to first day as Mr. & Mrs.
Part 1: When Boy Meets Girl
Part 2: Code Words & Crushes
Part 3: Class Rings & Field Trips
Part 4: A Christmas Gift
Part 5: The First Date Mistake
Part 6: Graduation Day
Part 7: Student IDs, Scantrons, & Schedules
Part 8: A Month Apart
Part 9: A Proposal
Part 10: I Now Pronounce You... Not Compatible
Part 11: Commencement
Part 12: A Lumpy Blue Couch
Part 13: Our Wedding Day
CODE WORDS & CRUSHES
Our story begins with a 5th grade class on their field trip to Jamestown.
And in How I Met Your Mother fashion, I should say “Oh wait, kids. That was another field trip to Jamestown.”
According to our yearbook, we did go to Jamestown that year. But nothing of significance happened. Actually, I should say we all learned a whole lot about the early settlers of Virginia. But the quiet boy with freckles wasn’t interested in the bubbly little girl yet. And the bubbly little girl enjoyed whispered conversations and giggles with her friends about other boys. And the next segment of our story happens a couple years down the road...our 7th grade year.
Seventh grade… the year I chopped my hair off but still had no idea how to style it. I had upgraded my glasses to a more nondescript bronze pair, and I was scheduled to get braces in just a few months. That was the year Ryan decided to give basketball a try (it didn’t stick) and the year that I got cornered into joining the band and playing percussion. All the boys had newly discovered AXE body spray, quotes from Pirates of the Caribbean peppered our conversations, and the most important part of the day was changing your away message on IM.
Code words were all the rage, and my best friend and I had 6 of them. He, she, her, him, it, and they. Each pronoun stood for a specific person. We had almost created a secret language, a way to talk about our crushes in front of their faces and leave everyone completely confused. And my crush still wore glasses and was just as quiet as ever. His voice was deeper now, a clear smooth voice like a radio talk show host. And since he didn’t speak much, when he did, everyone stopped to listen. Listening to him talk always made me smile. And if he ever looked my way, butterflies jumped on trampolines in my stomach. I was as head over heels as anyone in 7th grade can ever be.
My best friend and I used our secret language, dropped hints, and maneuvered seating arrangements, but time passed and nothing came of it.