It all started when I came home from college after graduation. It took me 4 years to get rid of that freshman 15 and fully anticipated to keep it off! So naturally I called up my hometown high school bestie, Kara, & we hit Golds Gym. It didn't take long for me to notice the mysterious hunk that strolled in... a few months go by and let's just say I spent not as much time lifting as I did staring in the mirror across the gym every chance I got to catch a peak at my new gym crush (he'll tell you he didn't look back but he's lying). One day, I was lifting with my pops and I finally worked up the courage to... ask my dad to talk to him for me -I know what you're thinking-go talk to him yourself!- well, no thanks, I will have my dad do the dirty work for me... afterall, he was very intimidating with his hoodie, headphones, and the classic "don't talk to me" face that most frequent gym rats have. Dad returned a little while later after having a seemingly pleasant conversation with this man. Footnotes: recently single, 2 young kids, union worker and a Manito native. TBH all I heard was "single" so I did what every creepy girl does, I went home that night and stalked him on facebook and sent him a friend request. Accepted. Ope! I reached out first- probably said something whitty, charmed him with my awkward sense of humor, and BOOM! Couple weeks later, there we are... our very first date- hotdogs at the Cranwills Rootbeer stand. Needless to say, we fell hard fairly quickly and here is where I am supposed to say "and the rest is history"- but it didn't quite turn out that way. Life happened. After a devastating goodbye, our whirlwind, summer romance was over- just like that. A few years go by-we're navigating life, one obstacle at a time, we both experience heartbreak, we grow up, we live, we learn, we both do our best to learn to love ourselves and take life one day at a time. & then- when you least expect it- you're sitting at a stoplight and look over and make eye contact with that one that got away--- & the rest is history. Timing truly is everything. Sometimes God doesn't say no; sometimes, he says "not right now"- & that is the best way I can sum up Steven and I's story. It is our time. Finally, our time to choose each other forever.