I want to tell a fun little story, and it starts in May of this year. Or does it?
I was sitting behind my friend Derek who was sitting next to a cute girl.
President Taylor introduced her to the branch last month? I think her name is Rebecca? I should try to talk with her today.
I decided to pull the whole, "strike-up-a-conversation-with-your-bud-to-really-talk-to-the-girl-next-to-him" thing. And it was an epic fail. As I was talking with Derek I remember saying to her, "I don't think I've introduced myself, my name is Cleave" Smooth right?
Nope. She just looked at me and said, "Hey."
I felt like the last guy to jump out of a diving plane on fire, only to realize that everyone else had taken all of the parachutes.
"Ok," I thought, "She definitely does not want to talk to you."
I'm not one to try to sell something to someone that isn't interested, so I just said something to the effect of, "nice to meet you" and I went on.
Fast forward to mid July. I was directing the music at church for the main meeting in the chapel, and there she was again. And she was looking at me while doing so. Something seemed different, but I tried talking myself out of it.
Everyone is looking at you dude, you're directing the music. Don't be dumb, she's not interested.
As the meeting went on, something said, "Ask her on a date."
What?! You remember how she shot me down before.
Ask her on a date.
Why?
(Silence)
Fine, I'll think about it. If I run into her, I'll talk to her and see how things go.
And that was that. I was thinking about it through the meeting, and I couldn't shake the feeling/voice that I kept on hearing.
The meeting ended, and I had to go set up a class while everyone else remained for the opening exercises of the next meeting. I was almost done with setting everything up, and it came back.
Go talk with her, and ask her on a date.
This time it was my turn to be silent and really listen, to make sure that it wasn't just my feelings.
Ask her on a date.
So I went back to where everyone else was, afraid that I had missed her (earlier in the year I noticed that she would leave early from this meeting). But there she was sitting in the middle section of the chapel. As everyone was starting to leave, I started talking to a couple from the branch and she walked by me. I stopped quickly talking with them, and asked her for a moment of her time. Said goodbye to the couple, and then started talking with her.
"Are you busy this week?"
"Um, not particularly"
"I'd like to take you on a date this Friday."
Please be available!
"What date is that?"
Think quick, what is it?
"The twentieth."
(Silence)
"Yeah. That should work."
I then took her on a date to dinner, the Dallas Arts Museum and Italian Ice Cream afterwards. It was a lot of fun, and I learned that she prefers Becca, likes circle doorways, and is a purist with her chocolate.
From there we went on other dates, one where we went to the Temple and did separate work there. As we were driving back home she asked me an interesting question.
"Do you remember our first date?"
To which I quickly responded, "Yep, we went to the Museum a couple of weeks ago."
I could see something wasn't right.
Uh oh, that wasn't it.
She then described a date that we went on six years earlier, to which I had to admit that I did not have any recollection of it. I felt terrible, but so grateful that she had given me a second chance. A second chance to get to know me and who I am now.
We went on more dates, and spent even more time together. I told her that I loved her, and she said that she loved me as well. I proposed on September 20, 2012 and have been happy that I did.
The rest is history. We have spent the past couple of months getting ready for our Wedding this December. I have been realizing that I am so blessed with her in my life. We have two weeks to go until the big day, and then we have forever to spend with each other.
