Nearly ten years ago I met the love of my life. A scrappy little kid with a buzz cut, donning an LSU shirt and a smile that could melt your heart. The first time I ever saw him, I remember we were in the school hallway outside of the gym and he was introducing himself to a fellow student, hand outstretched ready for a shake. The new kid on the block, and look how polite? What can I say, he instantly stole my heart.

I was a bit of a weird one back in eighth grade. Ok, I was really weird. You know the girl who’d run up to you and say hi and then runaway because she was so shy? That was me. Usually stumbling over my own feet in the process. I had braces, frizzy hair that never seemed to quit, I laughed at everything and had an obsession with Laffy Taffy jokes (Ok, maybe a few of these things have lingered a bit haha.)

Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly beating the boys away with a stick. It wasn’t until senior year of high school that my love finally noticed me. We were assigned seats next to one another in one of our english classes. There was a spark there that wasn’t before. We made each other laugh and slowly but surely we began spending more time together. We played the flirting game for a bit and then before I knew it, with his class ring in hand, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I’ve been on cloud nine ever since. I mean, he picked me? Me? I still get butterflies just thinking about our time together. He’s the only one who gets me, he’s my best friend, my soulmate, the person I want to call out to when I’m scared or excited, he’s my rock. He’s my superman, he’s my teddy bear, he’s my love.

Three years ago this August, will mark our three year wedding anniversary. I can’t believe how time flies. Our engagement was unexpected, at least to me. I had no idea the plans he made, and he literally took my breathe away when he got down on his knee and asked me to be his.

This time of year, with love in the air, I’ve been thinking about our relationship a lot and how it was brought to the next level with a simple set of clues.

In college, we had a few little hangouts we always seemed to gravitate to. Little places that represent our relationship in college perfectly. On the anniversary of the day we started dating, I slipped into my red dress, prepared to go out to dinner to celebrate. When I arrived at Chad’s apartment, I was greeted, to my surprise, by a clue. A clue explaining that we were going to play a little game before heading out to dinner. I was intrigued. What was he up to?

With each clue, he led me to some of our favorite places around town. The apartment complex where we both lived. Chiles, where we shared many laughs, where we discussed our dreams and what we wanted to do with our lives over, over bacon wrapped chicken and margaritas. Landis Green, many summer days spent lying on the grass studying and reading to each other. The Fountain. The fountain where our lives changed forever. After grabbing the clue from the classroom that held our Short Story class, I ventured over to the fountain, where Chad was waiting for me. A ball of nerves in a suit. With a huge smile and no words, he handed me one last clue. Right then and there I cried. It was, and still is, the most beautiful thing I have ever read before. The rest is history. Chad you’ve captured my heart. Thinking of our past makes me smile, and dreaming of our future makes me jump with joy. I love you babe.

Forever Yours,

Britt