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
A LUMPY BLUE COUCH
I handed the paint tray back to my mother. She stood on a chair, running the paintbrush smoothly along the top edge of the wall, painting the walls a soft cream while keeping the ceiling white and untouched. My hand wasn’t quite as steady, so I was in charge of the easier edges, around the doors, outlets, and windows. My dad had already zipped around the bedroom with his roller and was now tackling the closet. Ryan and his mother were in the living room with two rollers and a pan of tan paint.
It was Saturday, July 2, and Ryan and I were getting married in 6 days. And instead of working on that last minute list of wedding items, we were painting our new apartment and bringing in clothes and boxes and a mismatched collection of furniture. The kitchen table set that Ryan’s parents had used since he was little, the bedroom set they bought for themselves before Ryan’s mom discovered she was allergic to cedar, the bookshelf that had been in my bedroom since I was a child, and a lumpy navy blue couch.
Just two months ago we had graduated and moved back home without jobs or an apartment to live in together. But someone gave us a couch. And I knew that blessed, well-worn, navy blue couch was a sign that God would give us a job and a place to live before the wedding. It was not always easy to wait. And as someone who really likes to have a plan, I definitely got nervous as the wedding day approached.
God provided. A job and an apartment in the same weekend. Less than three weeks from the big day.
And now we had a place to put our couch. Just as soon as the paint was dry.