**I’m sharing my story of meeting David, my last chapter. Catch up here.**
Our first date was set and now I just had to wait. I felt excitement mixed with fear. We’d been talking on the phone each night for hours upon hours up to this point. There were many times that we stayed up all night talking with just enough time for David to get ready to go to work around 4:30 am. We were like two giddy teenagers. We knew more about each other than anyone could imagine or even comprehend and we still hadn’t even met.
I finally told my sister and couple of my closest friends about our upcoming first date. Who is this guy? Are you sure you are ready for this? What if he is not who he says he is? Check in throughout the day so we know you are safe. Their reactions were of both excitement for me and hesitation, yet they trusted my judgement and encouraged me when I questioned myself.
As our date grew closer I was getting more nervous. I worried about the most trivial things. What was I going to wear? What if someone I knew saw me out on a date? What if David saw me and was disappointed? What if he didn’t like me after hanging out in person? What if I didn’t like him? What do I talk about?
It had been 17 years since I had been on a first date.
What would Mike think?
All of the decisions I was making during this new experience did not come without fervent prayer and seeking guidance from the Lord. I was scared. This was not just my life that I was putting out there. Eventually, this could very well affect my boys’ lives. I was afraid for them. With every decision I made, they came first.
The big day came. Of course, I didn’t sleep much the night before. Partly because of nerves and also because David and I talked on the phone most of the night. We made plans to meet a few blocks away from my house in a school parking lot. I didn’t want the boys or our friend who was watching them to see me getting picked up by a guy. As I finished getting ready I got a text from David, letting me know he was at the school.
Butterflies, nerves, and worry took over. I made my way to go meet him and as I drove around the corner I saw the truck he described in the parking lot. There he was. This was really happening. No turning back now.
I pulled into that parking lot and I was so excited to get out of my car to finally see this guy I had been falling for face to face for the first time. I had played this moment over and over in my mind. Do I shake his hand? Do I give him a high five? Do I hug him? No way I can kiss him. What if I want to kiss him? Is it ok to kiss him? My biggest questions of all…what in the world was I doing? Am I making a big mistake?
He got out of his truck and I got out of my car and it was like all those questions didn’t even matter the second I laid eyes on him. He wrapped his big, strong arms around me and hugged me for what felt like hours and I was instantly calm and knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else but right there with him.
He opened his tailgate and had the sweetest surprises waiting for me. I love surprises. Beautiful flowers, not one package of double stuffed Oreo cookies, but two, a couple of books for him and I to read together and the sweetest card I had ever read.
Without a moment of hesitation I checked yes as fast as his pen would let me write. I knew in that moment this was it.
This was my last first date.
