The Story Pt. 1

This is one of "those" stories I'd never thought I would be putting down in words... The two-Mormons-meet-and-somehow-"fall in love"-and-practically-get-married-the-next-day-story.

However, one short month from today I will be married to the love of my eternity! This is our story from my perspective, it was quite a journey to start off with, and I believe with all of my heart if it is any foreshadowing of our eternity, I'm going to have one exciting endless existence with this man!

Friday 1 May 2015--> While I'm making some curry to end a two day fast kicking off a cleanse my roomie and I are doing I get a call from my wonderful mission friend Braelene at 6:30pm It's completely out of the random, but she asks if either of us happen to be free for a date to see a movie at 7:45...

My excitement at the prospect of this girl being in town fades as she explains her friend from Provo is looking for a date, but she is stuck in Rexburg. Even though I've been home from the mission for a few months I still haven't seen that many movies, Brittan doesn't want to go, and Braelene is vouching for this kid, so sure why not? If I'm not home in a couple hours Brittan will find me, so I’m not worried.

“Wonderful, I’ll give him your phone number and he’ll call you. I love you girl!”

Braelene hangs up, and I realize I have to go change and put on some real clothes, so I leave Brittan to tend the curry, and 5 minutes later I get a phone call with a  really friendly voice on the other side.

[So just to put a side note in here my address confuses people because it’s an apartment complex, but the number East in the address refers to the apartment number.]

The first thing I ask is if he’s lost, because it gets confusing, but he says no, he’s just looking for the apartment, and I offer to go and find him, so I step outside my door, and…

“…wait talk louder.”

I’m confused. “What?”

“Say something more…”

Braelene, Me and Joshua
(I may be on my tiptoes ;)

“Joshua… where are you?”

“I HEAR YOUR VOICE!”

The voice in my ear sounds a little different than the voice coming from behind me… I turn just in time to then I see this tall ginger kid with an excited child’s smile emerge from around the side of the building. 

I think to myself, ‘well it’s going to be a fun night!’ as I introduce him really quick to my roommate, and then leave to make it to the movie in time. We park a little far away, and he mentions something about ninjas, wanting 30 children, and that we are meeting up with his friends as we walk towards the the theatre, and I think to myself ‘what a weirdo! this kid is hilarious!’

We ended up sitting really close to the front of the room to watch the Avengers, and I somehow manage to be between him and his married friend who’s cute 6-month old makes Hulk noises every time the big green guy is on the screen. Being the cuddly person I am too, I feel this weird urge to hold his hand, so I just awkwardly place it on our shared armrest…

By the end of the movie I am thoroughly impressed with the attention span and lack of crying that comes from baby Hulk, and become a little self conscious as I further realize this movie was a work event when Joshua’s coworker reminds him teasingly not to kiss on the first date, as she points out we are cutely matching in our plaid shirts. As we stand outside I forget how to talk, and he apologetically realizes that even though we’ve been together a couple hours we don’t know anything about each other. He offers to take me to dinner, but it’s late, so I just offer him some of the curry I made, and hopefully some good conversation if I can remember how to talk.

As a good gentleman does, he continues to open doors for me, and we get back to my place and enjoy some good conversation over delicious food. Our common interest list grows exponentially when he finds out my brown-ness comes from being half Filipino, and sees my blackbelt hanging near my mission flags. I’m intrigued to learn that he teaches knife fighting!

At some point the date comes to an end, and there is a great good-night hug, and he says:

“This has been a really good night, I would love to take you out again.”

“I work evenings, so I’ll have to let you know what nights I’m off next week.”

“Please do, I really look forward to getting to know you better.”

“Me too Joshua, I’ll let you know tomorrow. Have a good night!"

Needless to say I go to bed thinking… wow, what a random thing to happen to me today! And what an interesting kid!

The next day…

(Saturday 2 May 2015)

I’m pleased to be off work, and I’m sad to realize that I won’t be available for a date until Friday night, so I text Joshua in the early afternoon so as not to seem too excited.

After checking the phone regularly for two hours between rounds of basketball at the Ky and Kylie's, I get a text back saying:

“Wonderful! :) Can I be audacious and ask you out for Friday?”

They notice a grin on my face as I read the text. Ky says “Girl, you can’t say yes if he’s not man enough to call!”

So thinking to myself, ‘he just asked if he could ask me on a date’ I text back commenting on his wonderful vernacular.

Within ten minutes I get a phone call, and I answer it…

“So I have this rule for myself, I can’t ask a girl out on a date over text message. I’m glad you have next Friday off Heather, could I take you out on a date?”

My heart is basically melted from sheer unexpected proper courtship, and my excitement level about this kid skyrockets from interested to ‘dang, who is this guy!?!?!’

This new level of excitement and some witty banter perfectly sets up his next statement:

“Friday is so far away, I think I’m going to need to see you before then!”

My heart stops for a second, and a string of random thoughts come to my mind ‘Why are so interested in me? It’s because I’m brown isn’t it? …well I AM pretty amazing, and humble. Oh man I’m hilarious.’

So we set up a fun brunch date for Tuesday, and agree we’ll get in touch on Monday to finalize the plans.

Still in shock and awe from this kid’s exceptional manners, my mind seems to function a little slower and my face won’t lose a little grin as I continue with the evening.

Sunday rolls around and I wake up, excited I get to go to my ward since I’m not working the morning at the hospital, and even more excited that we are making dinner for lovely friends! But there’s a part of me that is dying a little bit because I’ve not called Joshua to ask if he wants to come over for dinner too.

After church I ask Brittan: “It would be weird right? …I mean we just went on a date like basically yesterday. I should just wait to call him tomorrow… I can do that. Why am I so excited about this kid!??!”

…okay so it was more of talking at her than asking her anything, but at least I get to a decision to wait for Monday.

And Monday comes!

My first thought as my eyes open:

'Wooohooooo I get to call Joshua today!'

As I reach for my phone… 'Woah, calm the freak down girl… it’s like 7 am'

So instead I tell Brittan “Hey guess what I get to do today!?!?! CALL JOSHUA!!!”

Eventually I get to talk to him before my evening shift, and we decide on brunch the next morning. 

We take the day to brainstorm brunch ideas, and talk again later for about an hour and a half after I get off work.

Tuesday

I wake up and it feels like Christmas as I do my morning transport at the hospital, and return home to get things started for our date.

My usual confident composure is completely lost when he comes over and I totally forget how to carry on a conversation. I’m literally thinking, as we are assembling quinoa bowls in the kitchen: ‘How the crap did you forget how to talk? …seriously you graduated college… with a psych major… you should be able to carry on a conversation dude….’

What a brunch right? ;)

My mind doesn’t completely soak in all of the conversation we have, especially when I accidentally drop some avocado on my dress, and I’m trying to figure out why he is purposefully spilling his avocado too. As he explains that it makes your date feel more comfortable too, I just keep thinking about what a cute weirdo he is.

Then, a really great… and I mean great as in big, not as in awesome, scratch comes to my throat that just cannot be soothed by water. This fact is proven as I start choking when I take a drink… and yes this was followed by Joshua trying to choke on his water too.

I start crying because I’m coughing so hard tears come to my eyes, and I’m grateful the flushed nature of my cheeks can be blamed on that, and not just my horrific embarrassment at the fact that he thinks I just swallowed my water wrong, but really I’m just choking for no reason, and then that thing happens when your nose starts to run… but not just run, it’s like mini Niagra Falls... so I try to excuse myself with as much grace as possible.

While I’m in the bathroom I take a few deep breaths, and pray that things won’t get any more embarrassing… hopefully we can just laugh about this later…

When I return to the table though I remember that we have the common interest of knives! As we talk about throwing knives, I enjoy the mix of respect and disbelief that comes to his face as I show him my personal set.

The time comes too soon for everyone to return to work. He gives me a very friendly hug and my awkwardness of speech, mixed with the embarrassment of choking and lack of previous physical contact comes together with: 

“So I’m kind of a touchy-feely person…”

as my hands slide into his.

He giggles a little bit, in an oddly masculine way, and squeezes my hands tighter as he pulls me closer to him and kisses my forehead. 

I feel an incredible warmth, like the Spirit filling me with the most sobering excitement I’ve ever felt in my life ascend from my toes up to my heart. Before I realize it I’m hugging him again, and I’m just stunned by this delightful peace I’m feeling in his arms.

… needless to say, my heart is floating for the rest of the day, and much into my sleepless night.

So on Wednesday I wake up after sleeping for a couple hours, I rollover and ask Brittan: "How can you be asleep when it's Christmas!?!?!?!?!?!" Well, it's not Christmas for her, but my extra energy gives me the motivation I need to speedily get ready for work even with the lack of sleep.

Then I get a text from Brittan: "It is Christmas!" ...and pondering on the missed call I have from Joshua I realize I missed him at my apartment this morning!! So I decide to stop by home before heading up to my babysitting job and I see the most beautiful purple flowers sitting on our table!

So I die a little bit more with joy, and then come to life again when we finally get a good texting conversation going, that isn't awkward because we're used to just talking on the phone. We talk about the logistics of us meeting being incredibly improbable, and decide that we need to have a mango date that night. He's really excited to tell me something.

I don't think I can wait till the night, but I try to work on my patience, and then decide that if I'm not going through a crazy manic episode I should be able to feel some peace in the temple. So after work, I go with Brittan, for some reason, know that I'm not just being crazy, I'm just crazy about him. At some point between the temple and work round 3, I call him and we talk for minute, and naturally my being crazy about him comes up... I tell him it's weird for me to feel this strongly about someone, because as much as I love people I generally don't like them or crush on them. Of course, he just tells me he wants to wait to see my face when he tells me how he's feeling. So naturally, I can't wait but I have to go.

So I get home from work, and I'm dying for him to get to my place so we can talk. But he's not there yet, and I'm freaking out a little bit and pacing and talking to Brittan. My heart stops when there is a knock on the door, but it's Ky and Kylie! So I continue pacing, and start my story over again about how this amazing kid is making me feel!

My heart stops again and everyone screams a little when there another knock on the door, but it's Tati, our friend who has been staying with us for a few nights!

Various voices with displeased remarks unavoidably come out as everyone squeezes onto our full-sized bed, and I start up again my oration of meeting this man... then we hear another knock!

My anxiety is through the roof when I open it, and it's our neighbor from across the building returning a roll of paper towels she borrowed over the weekend!

I inadvertently let out a little frustrated sigh as I go back to the room and explain that it wasn't him at the door, and describe my disbelief in the chances that this night would be the night our door would be most knocked on! 

I hear another knock, and this time, approach the front door half expecting to see missionaries or Jehovah's Witnesses out there, but it's him! And he's got a bag of mangos! I think I smile the biggest I have in ages as I give him a hug, and introduce him to the abnormally large number of women in the apartment.

They got to the living room, while we go to cut mangos in the kitchen.

I'm going for the knife and cutting board, but he pulls me in for a really tight, and surprisingly comfortable hug as he tells me really sweetly:

“I’ve dated a lot of girls, and you  are just doing something to me, and it’s different…”

It’s really flattering to hear this, and I’m confused at the overwhelming desire to just get know everything about Joshua even though I want to call him Jordan, because I’ve only known him for a few days… so I try to formulate something intelligent to respond to him, and I’m pretty sure I’m successful when he has the cute excited kid grin on his face again.

He pulls me close again and says: “Hey, how about let’s be together, just me and you?!?”

For a short second the thought comes to my mind ‘Why didn’t we just have this conversation outside to begin with?’ and then I realize, ‘Ohhhhhhh, committed relationship… this is fast! but sure, why the heck not? You’re an awesome kid.’

Fortunately for the both of us that thought train comes out as less of a wreck:

“I like the sound of that.”

Somehow that huge kid grin got huger (yes, this a word)… and the next thing I know our faces are really close together, and I think our lips are touching, but the only thing I can think is:

‘What is happening right now?’as I realize my sudden lacks in speech and thought also extended to my kissing skills, and I’m standing there feeling like a 12-year old again.

"I've never been so excited to cancel a date!" He says cheerfully.

All I can do is laugh as I think 'Wow, I'm really glad you like me because I'm so sorry that was our first kiss! How the heck am I forgetting everything!!??!!'

So we cut some mangos...

... I realized this might take more than one night to write, so it'll be coming in parts ;)

But here's a cutesicles picture of us in front of the Provo Temple where we will be getting sealed in a month!! :D