I met Libby on the playground - not as kids, but as kindergarten teacher and a school security officer at Glen Allen Elementary. I was supposed to be watching the perimeter...but I couldn't stop watching her. Every day, I'd find a reason to patrol near her class - checking mulch, chasing off imaginary threats, or pretending squirrels were a security concern. I was awkward, obvious, and totally gone for her. She could've laughed at me - but instead, she laughed with me. That smile stopped me in my tracks then, and it still does now. What started as a few nervous playground chats turned into late-night conversations, real love, and now, forever. I thought I was protecting a school - turns out, I found my home.

I was a kindergarten teacher at Glen Allen - busy wrangling 5-year olds, wiping noses, and convincing tiny humans not to eat glue. Then one day, I noticed the school security guy kept showing up around recess. At first I thought, "Wow, he takes playground safety very seriously." Then it became suspiciously regular. Like...do we really need a full security sweep every time a kickball goes over the fence? He'd come by with lines like, "Just making sure the monkey bars aren't rigged," or "We've got a possible squirrel threat." I knew exactly what he was doing - and I thought it was adorable. He was sweet, awkward, and totally obvious. And somehow, in the middle of glitter spills, lost shoes, and juice box drama...I found my person. He wasn't just watching the playground - he was watching me. I'm so glad he did.

We were awkward - like, really awkward. First date jitters plus trying to sound out the alphabet letter by letter at Oliver Garden made for a pretty hilarious combo. Instead of smooth conversation, it was more like: "A says 'ah.' B says 'buh.' C says 'cuh.'" Between bites of breadsticks and awkward pauses, we laughed a lot - mostly at ourselves. Somehow, that goofy, imperfect moment made everything feel just right. Who knew the sounds of the ABCs could be the soundtrack to the start of something amazing?