We all dream of finding that special someone like they do in the movies, catching the eye of that pretty girl from across a crowded room and mustering the courage to into yourself then the rest is history. Well for most of us that’s just not how it works out but for me and Bailey that’s exactly what happened. The location wasn’t a vibrant bar or trendy restaurant, but it just so happened to be a local, unassuming café. The kind of place with down-home cooking and great baked goods, right about everyone is picturing such a place they hold near and dear to their hearts. Well the Dixie House will always be that place for me because its where my life changed forever. On this particular cold December Sunday morning I was wrapping up my usual Sunday routine of breakfast and coffee before I launched myself into another NFL Sunday. As I was getting ready to pay my bill and head out one of the waitresses I had seen a few times comes over and starts chatting me up, nothing too exciting just “what do you do for work?” and “are you single?” kind of stuff. Now my first thought was “this lady is totally hitting on me” but that thought would be short-lived as she got to the point and told me that one of the other waitresses thought I was cute, then lifted my bill and said “yup shes the one who had waited on you and her name is Bailey”. It turns out that girl was the love of my life, I just didn’t know it yet. As I paid my tab and headed out with a noticeable pep in my step I couldn’t seem to shake the thought of Bailey and wanted to go back as soon as possible to see her again but that would take some time. In the following weeks I went back to the Dixie House time and again but no Bailey, it started to dawn on me that I might never get the chance to leave her my business card with my number I had written on the back. As the holidays came and went I had all but given up on seeing Bailey again, it just seemed it wasn’t meant to be.

Another Sunday morning was upon me in early January and I was heading over to one of my very best friend's house to watch some football and the thought of stopping in at the Dixie House crossed my mind but I shook it off and told myself “she won’t be there”. But as I left my house something kept pulling at me and telling me that I needed to give it one last try so I figured what the hell might as well just stop by and give it a go. As I walked in the front door it was clear to me why that little voice in the back of my mind told me to go there at that morning, there she was looking as beautiful as ever. I saw her and she saw me, it that was magical moment people talk about when they know they have just met their soulmate. As I sat down to order my breakfast it was another waitress not Bailey who took my order, you can imagine I was less than pleased with this development but this feeling was short-lived as who do I see headed my way with a plate of food… Bailey. She greeted me with a nervous smile as I tried to play it cool but looking back I doubt I did a very good job of that. We exchanged a little bit of small talk as she put my meal in front of me then she quickly retreated to the kitchen as I let myself relax. I was hoping we would get a chance to talk a little bit more and that I would get my chance to leave my number for her as I had planned to do for months now. Next thing I know here comes Bailey walking up to my table and as soon as she gets there she looks me right in the eyes and says “so where have you been?!” which certainly caught me off guard. I stumble through a sentence of “ya know just working and keeping busy” this launched us into a conversation of “getting to know you” type questions. She eventually had to get back to her other customers so we said our goodbyes and I finished eating. As I was getting ready to leave I took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching and I slipped my card onto the table and made my exit. The rest of the day I was on pins and needles hoping that she had seen the card and gotten my number off the back. As I retold the story to my buddy he sat back at the end of it and took a minute to think before saying “yeah I think you messed this one up, Jake” and as the day rolled into night I was starting to think he was right. Then I felt my phone buzz praying it would be the text I had waited all day to receive and almost too nervous to check it but I took it out of my pocket and there it was. It was Bailey. We started firing texts off to each other making small talk and joking around until I decided to take my shot and ask her on a date for the following weekend as I was headed out the next day to watch my beloved Cowboys in the playoffs in Tampa Bay. She agreed to a date for the next Saturday. And as they say my friends… the rest is history.