Chapter Fourteen* My Valentine (Part One)

I know… I know… I’ve been slacking with my posts about how the Hubster and I met. I’ve actually been waiting to write this one, and I wanted to write it as my LAST post, but I didn’t for two reasons:

1) Even though I am not superstitious, I didn’t want to have my Valentine’s post as Chapter “13”.

2) As it IS my Valentine’s post, how perfect is it that it is CHAPTER FOURTEEN? I mean, I’m just THAT good. :)

So, without ANY further ado, this is the story of how the Hubster and I met, fell in love, and got married within 8 months…

…and lived happily ever after*

By now we had been dating for three weeks. As I had written in my journal, I had begun to sort through the feelings that coursed through my body when I was with him or thought about him. I hadn’t admitted out loud that I was in love with him yet, because I mean–that would be crazy, right? Being head-over-heels in love with someone I “hardly” knew? Even though I knew I was “crazy” about him, calling it love was something completely different.

I had been in “love” before in my past relationships; first with my high school boyfriend of nearly a year, and then in other relationships over the years, but they were nothing like this. I had cared deeply for all of them and loved them in some way, but what I felt for the Hubster was something completely different. There was a deeper connection there that I couldn’t resist or deny even if I wanted to. A quote from It Takes Two sums it up much better than I ever could:

“It was that can’t eat, can’t sleep, reach for the stars over the fence, world series kind of love.”

…or least it was becoming that. What shocked me most was how quickly it hit me. There was no gradual increase of affection that develops into a kind of love over time–it took me completely by surprise and knocked me off my feet. I had never ever allowed myself to feel it that quickly before… I have even had “I Love You” said to me by a significant other and was unable to say it back simply because I would not, could not believe that love came so quickly, and I don’t believe that you should say it until there is no doubt in your mind that it’s what you feel.

Well, by February 14th, 2005, I felt it. Oh momma, I knew it and I felt it. Annnnnnd I didn’t know what to do about it.

As our very first Valentine’s Day approached I fretted and fretted about what to do. I don’t think anyone ever wants to be the first one to say those three little words, especially when you are completely unsure of the response. So, I decided to pour all my energy into making him an AMAZING card (as I was too poor to buy one haha):

I seriously poured hours into that baby. haha! Of all the cards that I have ever made for him, it is by far my favourite. On the 14th we had been dating for exactly 3 weeks, so I wrote out 21 reasons why he should be my Valentine. If you click on the pictures they will enlarge and you can read them if you’d like. :)

We had plans to have a Valentine’s date that evening, and all day I fretted over what to do. Should I tell him? Should I wait? If I do tell him, will he say it back? What if he doesn’t? What if he thinks I’m CRAZY? …it was a stressful day.

When he showed up on my doorstep that evening, every stress I had completely melted away and I simply knew. I knew without question that I was in love with this man that I had known for only three weeks. I loved him, and there was nothing I could do about it. He walked in (looking gorgeous) and handed me a huge bouquet of beautiful roses. Once I put them in water he told me that he had another gift for me, but we decided to wait until after dinner to exchange cards. I can’t remember what I made, but it was something simple. My roommates were out and we enjoyed a quiet dinner together… it was perfect.

After dinner he pulled me over to the couch and I sat down beside him. We talked for a minute, then I pulled out my card, a little nervous that he would think it was silly. I shouldn’t have worried though, as he loved it–which is why we still have it more than 3 years later. (just for the record, I debated and debated about whether to write “love, Shop Girl*” instead of the heart, but I decided it was better to say it in person the first time).

After reading my card, he handed me mine which had a beautiful note to me inside. I was perfectly content with my flowers, card and his company, but he also pulled out a long silver box. I just looked at it for a minute until I realized that it was a jewelry box. He smiled and put it on my lap, and I pulled off the lid. Inside was a beautiful silver bracelet (simple, just how I like it) with a little lady bug charm attached to it. A lady bug bracelet for his lady bug girl. Really, could he be any cuter?

I was ready to tell him I loved him right then and there. My knees were trembling and my heart was beating so hard I thought he could hear it. As we sat together cuddling on the couch talking about this and that I thought that it might burst out of me…