The Dodgens

On my 28th birthday [Will] I told myself that this was going to be my best year yet. I felt I finally had my life (somewhat) under control, I felt stable, and I felt like adventure and joy lay just on the horizon. I turned 28 in December and then in February the following year I was met with a decision. My good friend Madalynn Young asked me if I wanted to accompany her to get coffee with her friend while they took a quiz. I know... a tough decision! But nonetheless it was hard because living in ATL there is SO much to do on a Sunday afternoon. I responded and asked her "Is your friend cute?" And she entertained my thoughts by then showing me a picture of a girl that felt like my past present & and future all in one. When she showed me Lindsay's photo, she just felt familiar, in a way that made me frustrated I didn't know her more. You can guess that I for sure went to coffee with them… On the way to coffee, I found out that Lindsay had attended the SAME college I had and somehow we had never crossed paths (at least not been introduced formally). And this drew me in more… “How did I not know you in college?” We would later say to each other. But sometimes timing is quite literally everything, and God and the world had things in store for me and Lindsay all those years we weren’t together that would spur us on to become the people we are today, and for that I am so grateful. I’m so grateful I chose to go to Prevail Coffee on Sunday February 6th and see her blue eyes for the first time, hear her laugh at my dumb dad joke, and desperately wish that I had more time with her than the 3 hours we spent together that day. Now Lindsay will tell you that she thought nothing of our encounter but I’m here to tell you that’s a lie… it was MAGICAL. At least on my end. I went home that night and immediately followed her on Instagram (#mellenialdating) and told my friend Eliseo about her. “You know Lindsay??? How is she single… she seems perfect!” I’d tell him. my friend Madalynn will tell me to “Cool my jets” though even though I was ready to ask her out THAT DAY. I mean when Lindsay turned around to say bye to us and the sun hit her blonde hair I was CONVINCED I’d date her. It didn’t take that long at all, because Lindsay (as you know) is such a special human. So I wait to ask her out till I can hang out with her and Mads again, but sadly, that time never came. I spent the next 3 months of Atlanta Spring (the most romantic time in the city, I will fight you on this) thinking of Lindsay, literally knowing nothing about her. Hearing songs that reminded me of her, hoping that I’d get to see her before someone else swooped in, and even going back to the coffee shop where we met in hopes I’d see her there. I’m a hopeless romantic I’m finding out, because who does that? Flash forward to May later that year and I was getting restless. Trying to play it cool but bugging the crap out of our friend Mads who had introduced us to get us to hang again. During that time though Lindsay was busy working on her masters degree so honestly, she probably didn’t have time for me and my over the top love antics. Like most 20 somethings in this time and age, I also had dating apps on my phone because ya know #love. And every now and then I’d message someone who seemed interesting or like my type, but I never thought I’d actually find my wife on them. But who cares about cliches now because after 3 months of not seeing Lindsay, when I saw her pop up on the app, my heart skipped a beat. Finally!! Enough waiting. I’m taking this into my own hands. Luckily Lindsay at least partially felt the same way I did, because she liked me back! And we started talking. I was anxious to go on a date soon because I had a trip planned to Spain with the next week (talk about timing). Unfortunately, caught in the throws of a busy Grad school semester, Lindsay had ZERO time to accommodate my anxiousness. So off to Spain I went, for 2 weeks, with a girl on my mind...

So, here I was, in Barcelona, a beautiful city, and I was itching to get back home. I had been texting Lindsay on and off from my trip and I just had a feeling about her and our relationship. So before I left, I grabbed a postcard from an antique market. An 100 year old postcard for this girl that I had only met once. I wrote to future us, not to give to her on our first date, but to give to her after we'd been dating for a bit. I wrote to her telling her that I had a feeling about us, about her, and that I was hopeful we'd still be together. I wrote to her telling her that I was grateful to have even met her, and that even before our first date, I was in a foreign country, missing her. I held onto that postcard for the next 2 months. We went on our first date finally when I got back to Victory Sandwich Bar. It was a pretty simple first date tbh. I picked Lindsay up, we had dinner and drinks, watched the sunset over Decatur, I took her home 2 hours past we originally planned to, and we just talked. She truly felt like home already. So easy to just be with, even in those first couple hours. I remember feeling towards the end of that date that this girl sees the world through wonderful eyes. Yes, they are in fact objectively gorgeous, but also she holds empathy and grace for all humans in a way I hadn't seen before. I just loved hearing her opinion on everything. She was just so wise! I'm not sure how much you want or need to know about our first date, but there is a farely funny story in there about Lindsay sending mixed signals on if she wanted me to kiss her or not. Unfortunately, we had to wait till the third date. BUT, like waiting those 2 weeks while I was in Spain to go on our first date, it was well worth it. Lindsay, from the moment I met her, has always been worth it. And I learned that every date after that. Lindsay continued to confirm that she was worth all the time, money, and Taylor Swift songs out there. I had never been with someone that I could be this honest with, who felt this safe, who continued to feel more and more like home every day. I kept that postcard in my back pocket waiting for THE moment. But I learned over the next 2 months with her, every moment is the moment. There is this song that sums up what I mean perfectly. It's "Nothing" by Bruno Major and it reads: "Track Suits and red wine movies for 2 We'll take off our phones and we'll turn off our shoes we'll play Nintendo though I always lose cuz you'll watch the TV while I'm watching you. We're not making out on a boat in the rain or in a house we painted blue, but there is nothing like doing nothing With you." I learned from dreaming up of constant fireworks and sunsets in those months leading up to dating that the real magic of Lindsay Davis, is that we can have all that, but simply being with her, THAT'S the real magic. there is nothing, like doing nothing with you Lindsay. I feel so lucky that Lindsay continues to choose me. I'm not one for fate or "meant to be" but I do believe God puts people in our lives for a reason. Lindsay is put in people's lives to show them how beautiful they truly are, how seen they are, and how loved and cherished they are. And so, I simply want to keep that kind of energy around... for the rest of my life. After a year and a half of dating this wonderful human, that postcard felt more and more special to me, like a letter I wrote to my past self to keep this wonderful woman around. And that I chose to do, so I took Lindsay ring shopping...

In November of 2023, Lindsay and I decided to go ring shopping. We had been talking about marriage for a while, but honestly, in the moment, I felt terrified of it. I was about to turn 30 and for the first time in my life I felt settled in all aspects, why should we shake things up! But I'm glad we shook. Or I'm glad I trusted her, and our relationship enough to do the next right thing. "Just go look at rings, it will be fun! And, it doesn't mean you have to get engaged RIGHT NOW." I'd tell myself. Which was a lie. because we went ring shopping and I immediately knew that it was time. I remember the moment I saw the ring I'd end up buying for her on her hand, my heart lept. It looked so at home on her hand, and I couldn't wait any longer, I had to ask this girl to marry me. And it had to be soon. Flashback to the first time we said "I love you." Lindsay and I had taken the Hoover's kids to the aquarium and joked all day about how overnight we became a married couple with kids. But honestly, I kind of loved that idea. I've said this before but Lindsay has always felt like home, and the thought of building a life together and truly being home for each other felt like 2 puzzle pieces fitting together. it just felt right. On the way home from the aquarium, unfortunately, Lindsay and the kids got in a car accident (everyone being completely ok) and I came to bring the food and to help out. The kids ended up being picked up by Haley (Dozier) and we made our way back to the Hoovers to decompress and recover from a slightly traumatic experience. We sat on the back porch and it started to rain. And while holding and comforting her I felt it, something I had been feeling for months, and holding so dearly to my chest. We had been dating for 6 months at this time, and ever since I gave her that postcard I had been feeling this moment bubble up, but I waited. I wanted to wait till the right moment, till the fireworks exploded and the sun set while Bruno Major played in the background. But I shoulda known that every moment with her is right. And this simple mundane moment on a rainy Saturday afternoon became not so mundane when I told her I loved her. We made that moment special, declared it even. And no joke, a rainbow appeared through the clouds. How special, how wonderful, how sweet, even the simplest of moments can be with you Lindsay. How easy the leaps feel and how natural it is to be by your side. Back to Christmas of 2023. It took a couple of weeks to get the ring made, but once it did I had one more question to answer. "How the hell do I ask her to marry me?" I consider myself a fairly creative person but with Lindsay I wanted to show her the world! Because she deserved that much. So I enlisted the help of Haley to shoot ideas off her when we concocted the perfect plan. We were planning to go the beach the week before Christmas with Lindsay's family so it made the planning of the actual proposal insanely difficult. But what wasn't difficult was the support I had from the Doziers, the Hoovers, my family, and Lindsay's to make it all happen. And so, through everyone's help, we made a backyard into a winter wonderland, full of Christmas lights, love... and Bruno Major playing in the background. We made the moment special much like that day we said "I love you" for the first time. I have learned that from Lindsay and it is what I am most excited for in our marriage, that even the simple moments, of watching tv, playing cards, going on walks or doing the dishes, it all can be so magical if you choose it to be. Or simply if Lindsay is there. So on Christmas Eve of 2023, I got down on one knee and made a backyard a forever special place, by asking the most wonderful woman I know to marry me. She makes everything special, and I count myself so lucky that I had the guts to see that when I barely knew her. I love you Lindsay, there is nothing like doing nothing with you. -Will