I’ll never forget the day I saw Paul’s face pop up in my Facebook suggested friends list. He was so handsome with bright blue eyes, a sweet smile… and absolutely zero mutual friends. Still, I was curious. Without overthinking it, I tapped “Add.” It was random, maybe even a little impulsive, but somehow, it felt right. At that point, I was just looking for a friend anyway. A couple of days later, my phone buzzed with a message. It was him. Not only had he accepted my request, he messaged me first. “So what’s your story?” Without missing a beat, I replied, “I’m looking for love in all the wrong places.” Funny thing is, I wasn’t. As it turns out, I found him at exactly the right place and exactly the right time.

They say when you meet your soulmate, you’ll feel like you’ve known them forever. But that wasn’t quite the case when I stepped out of my car and saw him standing there. He was strikingly handsome, eyes bright, with a smile that lit up the whole parking lot. I was already smitten so my nerves were definitely getting the best of me. Had I really driven three hours to chicken out? No way. Nope. I’d been the one to suggest we meet that day, and I was so excited to finally see him in person. Paul had arranged dinner for us at The Sage Room, but we had time to explore the island beforehand. Not far from the restaurant was a small park, and he asked if I wanted to take a walk. The sun was beginning to set, and the ocean breeze danced along the hem of my dress. In the distance, we spotted a pirate ship playground, massive and full of ropes, slides, and charm. “Why don’t you climb up there?” he said. I hesitated, wearing a knee-length dress and sandals, but he encouraged me to have a little fun. So I kicked off my shoes, tucked my dress between my knees, and scrambled up the side like I was seven years old. Paul followed right behind me, and before long we were racing down dueling slides, laughing the whole way. I don’t remember who reached the bottom first, just that we were both completely caught in the moment. A sweet elderly couple watched us from a nearby swing. I’ll never forget the look they gave us...then gave each other. Maybe we reminded them of something. Maybe they saw something in us that we were just beginning to understand. As we wandered on, Paul talked about the design of the playground and how it reminded him of construction projects he’d worked on. I was trying my best to pay attention and to be completely transparent, I don't remember a word he said in those few minutes. I do, however, remember the way I felt. As we were leaving, we passed a two-person swing that had just become available. He suggested we try it together. And that’s what we did. He held me close, pointed out constellations, and kissed the top of my head. In that quiet moment, wrapped in his arms, I felt like he gave me back the sweetest parts of childhood...wonder, warmth, and the feeling of being completely safe. Paul taught me a lot on that very first date. He taught me that it’s okay to let go of being an “adult” sometimes and just have fun. He showed me that chivalry isn’t dead. Real men still exist, the kind who want to protect you and treat you with care. He taught me how to use a hammock (and tried to teach me how to get out of one). And, unfortunately for him, he also had to teach me that he’d be there to catch me or pick me up after a fall from a hammock that was only 2 feet off the ground. But most importantly, after all the laughter and unexpected adventures of that night, he taught me something I didn’t know I still needed to learn. I could finally believe in love again. The kind of love that the little girl in me once thought was out of reach was now within my grasp. After years of being told that life wasn't like the Hallmark romance movies that I loved to watch, I finally was able to land the starring role in one. A perfect ending to a perfect first date with a first kiss on a moonlit beach and a clear path to happily ever after.

There's a reason why Paul and I chose Savannah as our destination for the wedding. This place was a magical weekend for us. We watched the boats drift by on River Street and the people pass. We read the historical markers within the squares, and he pointed out architectural details. We had a romantic dinner followed by quite a funny interaction in a local CVS that we still laugh about to this day. We even chased ghosts on an open-air trolley. People probably thought Paul was terrified of the spooky commentary, but he was only shivering because he forgot his jacket. I did try my best to keep him warm, safe from the spirits of the night, and got some extra cuddles along the way. Somewhere in those moments, we both knew we were in love. We just didn't tell each other yet. When we ask each other when we knew, we usually just say, "Savannah." I don't know that love can be pinpointed to one moment in time, but the moment that I realized "he’s the one” came when we were standing in Savannah Sweets, because I wanted to sample their pralines... I mean, who doesn't? Those things are amazing! The pralines were delicious, but they weren't what caused me to fall in love. That was all Mr. Gibson. He rounded the corner while I was grabbing my sample and surprised me with three Pez dispensers: Princess Peach, Mario, and Yoshi. One for each of us… a sweet symbol of us becoming a family. Those candy dispensers weren't the reason I fell for him, but that simple act of including us all was a clear sign of his character. He is thoughtful, kind, and someone who embraces not just me, but my child too. And looking back, I remember him looking at me with that sweet smile on his face, and I know. That's it. That's the moment! That has to be the moment when I realized that he was the love of my life.