"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around." — Bob Marley

I was out with girlfriends one night, and as we were finishing up a game of darts, a young man with long blonde hair kept underneath a backwards cap and a light beard asked if I wanted to play baseball. I had never played before, so I casually agreed, knowing his apparent interest and putting up my guard in response. He asked where I was from, and I said, "Far away." He persisted, and I shared that I was from Perry County. He lit up with enthusiasm and shared that his family had a cabin there and that he had grown up there. He also shared that he wanted to buy a house in Shermans Dale and settle down some day. I was taken aback and turned to truly look at him for the first time. I said, "Me too." We transitioned to playing pool as our friends had moved here to play. As we grabbed another round, he asked me if I wanted to come back tomorrow. I explained that I was already talking to someone. He persisted and asked if it was a relationship, and after hearing me share it was not, he explained that it wasn't a problem then. I laughed and suggested we rejoin our friends. I won that game with a behind the back shot and remember enjoying the confidence and deciding to leave the night on a high note. Halfway through the door, he stopped me to remind me that I hadn't given him my number for us to come back tomorrow. Softened by his sincerity, I consented and gave him my number. The next evening, we learned more about the things we had in common, and after a while, he suggested we go someplace nicer for dinner, but he needed to stop by his place first. Concerned by the undertones of this pit stop, but also not being ready for the night to end, I agreed but was guarded. When we got to his place, he showed me around and introduced me to his pup Ziggy. While playing with her, I remember thinking, "He must be a good guy to care for her by himself." We went to dinner, and I had never been here before. There were lights everywhere, a garden with a fountain, and a glass wall with water flowing in-between the panes. The food was Greek, and it was beautiful, but not eloquent enough to suggest exorbitant effort on his part, which I was grateful to be spared the expectations that come along with such gestures. We were simply just enjoying each other's company and getting to know one another. As we left for the parking lot, we hugged goodbye, and he pulled back slightly, stating, "I really want to kiss you right now." Caught off-guard, I nervously laughed, smiled, and said, "Goodnight." A day later, I received a text message with the picture of a key, which said, "Hey, I found this key at my house, and I wanted to see if it was yours." I shared that I did not believe the key to be mine, and that was the end of the conversation. Two weeks later, the guy that I had previously been talking to turned out to be just like the rest. I got to thinking about Cody and how it was about time I gave a good guy a chance. Too proud to admit my loneliness outright, I responded to Cody's previous text about the key and told a tale about how I learned the key went to a drawer in my classroom, and I would need to stop by and get it. He used this opportunity to suggest another get together, which was exactly what I was looking for. We took Ziggy off-roading in his truck, and when he suggested dinner, I purposely suggested a more expensive option to reassure myself that I was worth as much to him. He happily agreed, and I could feel myself struggling to keep my heart guarded, despite the fear of yet another disappointment. The following weekend, Cody invited me to Shippensburg to celebrate his brother's graduation. One of my best friends was tending bar at the same place, and I thought this to be an opportunity for someone close to me to give me their opinion. He more than passed this test with his good heart and by which he stole mine. I felt proud as he led me through the crowd, and this was the night we shared our first kiss, and the rest ... is still to come.