"You are what I never knew I always wanted."
From the Movie “Fools Rush In”
I've never seen this movie, but I read this quote and I thought it described me so perfectly.
When I first met Gentry, I was 100% certain I did not want a relationship. At all. I was enjoying my single life, and I wanted to enjoy my "college experience" that everyone talks about. So I went on a date with him, not expecting much, then I found that he was actually really nice (yes, this may sound odd, but after the past little while, that was saying something for me.) I worked through most of Christmas break, and he happened to be in Cedar as well, so we spent almost every day together, going on walks, making dinner, watching movies, whatever we wanted. I knew then that I liked him, but I still wasn't ready for anything serious. At one point, (actually on Christmas day) I had decided that I didn't really want to date him anymore, so I was trying to figure out a way to break it to him. We went to church together that Sunday, and I was very closed off, and I knew he could tell. (This is the start of him being able to read me extremely well. He always knows when something is off.) Later that day he text me and asked if things were okay, and I blamed it on my being sick (which I was.) But I knew I had been rude earlier that day, so I decided to invite him over for cookies and play poker. It was very laid back and we just talked like normal. Then we decided to take 4 hours and look through all of his mission photos and he told me all of the stories associated with them. That's pretty much the point that I realized I couldn't let Gentry out of my life just yet...
So we kept dating and spending time together, and at one point we discussed our dating "status" per say. We told each other that we really liked each other, but I was still insistent that while we could date each other frequently, I thought we should still date other people. He agreed with me for the time being, but with the comment that he didn't think he'd go on many other dates. At that point I wasn't too worried, I just wanted to keep my single status for a while longer. That didn't last long. Later that week while he was working, I remember it clearly: I was sitting at home, doing something random, when I had this feeling come over me that said: "You need to date Gentry exclusively."
Of course, being me, I started freaking out and practically hyperventilating, because I kept thinking: "What?! I can't be getting this prompting... I don't WANT this prompting!" I was so confused, and again, Gentry could tell, even over text, that something was up. At this point I was practically telling him everything, so I told him about what I was feeling: that I had the impression I was supposed to date only him, but I wasn't sure how I felt about it. His reply said: "Well, I'll take whatever you'll give me, but I know that I want to date you exclusively." Talk about added pressure on my part!
This was a Saturday, I believe, and the next day was Fast Sunday, so I decided I needed to seriously fast and pray about this decision. At church, I ran into Laren (which, if you don't remember, is the girl in my ward who set us up.) She asked me how things were going with Gentry, and I told her the conflict that was in me. So gave me her "Laren" look, and asked: "Well, how do you feel about him?"
Without even a second to think about a response, the first thing that rolled off my tongue was: "I love him." To which, after the words came out I starting freaking, because I never say that, especially about a guy I just barely met less than three weeks before. But I understood well enough to know that that was the answer I had been fasting and praying for.
So later that night when Gentry got off work, I asked him to come over to my apartment so I could talk to him. I'd told him earlier in the day that I'd gotten an answer, but I wanted to tell him about it in person. So he came over, and me (being the cheesy person I am), got down on my knees and asked him if he would date me exclusively. I think he must've been surprised by the way I asked, because all he replied with was a nod, a huge smile, and a "Mmhmm."
Technically we've been dating since we met, but that was when we decided to become official and exclusive. And ever since then, Gentry and proven to me time and time again that I made the right choice--and that he is the one person I'm supposed to be with for forever.
I found another quote, and I changed it only a little:
"Everything I know about love, I know because of you."
I feel like this is so true about me with Gentry. I didn't know I could love a person as much as I love him, and every day that love just keeps on growing and growing exponentially. He is the answer to every silent prayer I was offering right before I met him, and I will never regret the answer I gave when he asked me to marry him, for time and all eternity:
YES.
“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
― Dr. Seuss
