I was working at Floyd's Barber Shop in Boulder, CO. I had just returned from lunch when I saw him sitting there, in his blush pink button-up shirt. I walked up to the receptionist and asked, "Is he mine?" She nodded and said yes. I walked him back to my chair, and we went through the usual consultation — a high razor fade. But at that moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the room. I casually asked him, “Is there a Mrs. Heintzleman?” He flashed that perfect smile and said, "No." From there, I made sure to give him the best haircut ever, with non-stop flirting. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and I couldn't help but feel drawn to him. When I was finished, I walked him up to the register. He asked if I had a lighter, so I immediately reached into my purse and handed him one. We said our goodbyes, and I walked away. Jimi left the building, and before I started my next cut, I announced to the room, “I’m going to marry that man.” One of the girls I worked with said, “I went to middle school with him. I think we’re friends on Facebook.” I couldn’t type fast enough, and sure enough, there he was: Jimi Heintzleman, with 130 mutual friends. I stalked his profile but didn’t add him. An hour or so later, I received a friend request along with a message: "Thank you for the lighter. :)" We talked for a few days, and then had our first date at Taste of Philly in Loveland, CO. Since then, many things have happened: we’ve moved twice, added two more dogs to our family, gone on countless adventures, danced the night away to live music, laughed until we cried, and cried together. But most importantly, we’ve grown together. Jimi is my biggest fan, and I couldn’t be luckier to have found someone like him. He allows me to be me—he celebrates my half-Christmases, my half-birthdays, and even sits in a cold basement while I craft, just because he knows I love to be around him. He was, and still is, my light at the end of the tunnel.

Our story is one of luck, surprise, and resilience. I am thankful to have found my best friend, who is also the love of my life. For Decades, we existed in over lapping social circles, lived in the same town, same school district, worked at the same Kroger as kids, (but at different times) but we had not met yet. 6 years ago, I walked into The Barber Shop I regularly attended, and they did not have anyone on the clock who could give me the hair cut I was looking for. After some phone calls, they scheduled me an appointment with Danica, and I drove the 20 minutes to what would become a life changing afternoon. The haircut was a blur, what I remember is thinking "How do I get to see her again, outside of this salon." I lost track of the time as we shared laughter, and banter that was openly flirtations. I was both questioned like she was an interrogator and doted on like her first crush. She lit something inside me, and she herself illuminated the space we occupied together, unafraid. It took no time at all for us to start sharing afternoons, which turned into meals, that quickly became weekends to planning trips together. Despite whatever was going on, I wanted to share all my time with Danica. She is the old-fashioned love I always prayed about and accidentally found. Every moment together, quiet or not, an adventure or not, feeds my soul.