7 years

Seven years ago today, I was driving up Route 59 with a cute boy in my passenger seat. His name was Joe.

I didn't dare to mention the major crush I had been hiding from him for 2 months. I knew I was safe though, I hadn't said more than 3 words to him up until the day before. I was playing it cool...

This was our first time hanging out and I wasn't about to mess things up. I was happy to have a new friend. My first friend that I didn't meet at school. I had just graduated from high school a couple months ago, so I knew he didn't like me anyway. I was too young for him to like. And if he found out that I was head over heels for him, then it would be really awkward. A friend can't like a friend and know about it...no way.

Before we set out on our drive, he came over to my parent's house (because most 18 year olds live with their awesome parents...) and my mom had secretly called my dad who was on his way home from work. I found that out when he pulled into the driveway and immediately walked up to us, shook Joe's hand and started chatting him up. "What the hell is going on!?", I thought. My dad is a quiet person. He just doesn't do that sort of thing. I went in the house and gave my mom a funny look (maybe even a glare) and she told me that she called my dad and told him that he better go out there and make a good impression on this new friend of mine.

Great. Thanks a lot, Mom

(I should mention that I had just (the day before) left my shitty boyfriend who was terrible to me and my family and my mom hated him and wanted me to have a nice boy.)

So anyway, back to the part when we're driving along. I start thinking about how embarrassing this little exchange that my mom put my dad up to just was and how easily he could have wrecked my little secret and what if Joe caught on and aaaah shit I should probably mention something.

"Yeah, sorry about my dad acting like you were my new boyfriend or something, my mom put him up to it and he--"

"Yeah. About that"

Shit, "about that"? What the hell does that mean?? He knows, I know he--

"Do you want to go out?"

Now, at this point, I don't know if I was more relieved or more caught off guard. All I remember was saying "sure" or something like that and trying not to make it too obvious how extremely giddy I was. And then I remember thinking that I couldn't let my parents know because I had just yelled at my mom for even thinking that I liked him. How dare she?!

I ended up telling her a few days later (when she asked).

And I ended up marrying him a few years later (when he asked).

And I ended up blogging about it 7 years later (when he would have asked me not to, had he known I was about to do this).

Spending 7 years with my best friend has been a lot of fun.

And I know that spending another 7 with him will be even more fun.

I love you Joe. 

xoxo