PART II: The Epic 3-Day Date and First Kiss

FIRSTLY: If you have not read part one, GO DO IT.

Please. :)
This post will be more pleasant if you do so.

Also, this is a little long, so brace yourself for...

PART II: THE EPIC 3-DAY DATE AND FIRST KISS

SO! We left off with Caleb's going away party that I walked away from with no knowledge that I would ever speak to him again.

A few weeks later, I'm at work when a buddy comes up to me and says, "Hey, Sairah. I've got this friend who I think you would get along really well with..."

Enter proposition for a blind date. Which I accepted because I had only been on one blind date and didn't think all of them could be that severely awkward.

Lesson learned.

Anyway, I give my friend my number so he could pass it on to this guy. A few hours later, I get a text saying something like, "Hi, is this Sairah?" I figured it had to be the Blind Date Guy (we'll call him BDG) texting me, so I just replied with a, "Yeah, who's this?" When he introduced himself as Caleb, I wasn't even thinking of the guy whose party I had gone to earlier that week- I was focused on the idea that I was talking to BDG. So when I asked "Sorry, Caleb who?" and he told me who he was... I was a little shocked. Not to mention, I had no idea how he got my number, 'cause I didn't give it to him.

In any case, we got to talking and he asked me on a date for that weekend. He mentioned that he had plans for the night he wanted to get together, so we should do a lunch date. My first thought was that he probably had another date that night. Hahaha :) But guess what?

I honestly didn't even care. I thought it was funny, even! I was like, 'Yeah, go him.' Not even a little bit offended or anything. Don't worry, I found out later that he really didn't have another date. My husband is a gentleman. :)

So Friday, the 11th of February, Caleb comes to get me for our date. He comes to the door, walks me to the car, and opens the door for me, very "gentleman" status. But here's where it gets better:

There was a single rose laying on the front seat, just staring up at me.

So, being as silly as I possibly could have been, my honest first thought was, 'Is this for me, or is this for the girl he's going to see tonight and he just forgot he put it there?'

Yes, that is really what I thought. I know, it was dumb. But imagine my pleasant surprise when I hear him start to explain that because he leaves for basic training on the 14th (that's Valentines Day, for those of you keeping track), that he wanted a Valentine to celebrate early with. Which I thought was THE most adorable thing he possibly could have done. I wanted to turn around and kiss him, but I refrained. I just gave him one of my super tight squeezes that are REALLY super awesome hugs instead. (Upon discussing this with Caleb later, apparently he would have been fine with the kissing thing. Go figure.)

From there we headed to a shooting range. He had obviously done this a time or two, and I had very obviously not. About half way into this escapade, he turns to me and says, "Lets have a competition."

I was not thrilled about this initially, due to the amount I sucked at shooting. But get this: the terms of this competition, as set by Caleb, went something like this:

"If you win, you get anything in the world you want. If I win, we go back to my place and watch Psych." (This is the part where that whole Psych conversation in Part I becomes important.) I was like, 'Holy cow! Is this guy even for real??' I'm pretty sure my face lit up so bright, it could have provided light to that whole room if they turned the lights off.

So, I lost (shocker, right?) and we got to go back to his place to watch Psych. I did have a roommate's birthday dinner to go to, so I had to leave right after the date. As Caleb was dropping me off, he said something to the effect of, "So, my plans for later fell through, if you want to come back when you're done." Uh, DUH I wanted to come back!!

So I did. :)

Reader's Digest version of our night is something to the effect of: his friend Kyle was over (which I didn't mind) and we went to Walmart to pick up all sorts of movie night snacks. I don't remember a lot about it, but I remember we laughed a lot and I had a good time. Then, we got back and ordered the BIGGEST PIZZA I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Here, take a look at this:

DO YOU COMPREHEND HOW BIG THIS PIZZA IS?!?!

Giant. Anyway, we had our ginormous pizza, our snacks, and Psych. Even though I was dropping every hint POSSIBLE, Caleb didn't start cuddling me until about half way through the night. Silly boy. :)

Later, his friend Kyle leaves and we decide to put in a movie. While this movie is loading, he comes to sit down on the couch, we start joking around, and...

BAM!

He kisses me.

Blindsided? Yeah, I was too. But it was a good kiss anyway. :)

So, as SUPER rare as this is for me, we actually ended up falling asleep in the middle of the movie. Keep in mind, it was probably almost 3 in the morning at this point. At least. Next thing I know, I'm waking up to my alarm for work. However, I decide I'm going to call in sick because I'm a little irresponsible and I wanted to sleep more.

Plus, I wanted more time with this super hot guy who seemed to not be getting sick of me.

That day consisted mostly of him making me breakfast (insert: "AWWW!" here) of eggs, toast, and Capri Suns, and mostly a combination of chatting and making out for the next few hours. I did have to go to my mom's birthday dinner that night, so I had to leave again. And just like the day before, Caleb extended an invitation to return. :)

This time, I returned with all the makins for french toast. When I finally got back to his place that night, we tried to put in a movie, but we were both so tired from staying up so late the night before that we both literally fell asleep within about half an hour.

The next day (the 13th), I made him french toast as he packed for basic training. At one point, he walked up the stairs, came up behind me as I cooked, and wrapped his arms around me. I was so happy in that moment, I had the biggest grin on my face. Little did I know that this was a glimpse into our future. :)

That night he had a dinner plans with his family and after only three days of knowing him, he invited me to join them. I was a little weirded out, but I went with it. I'm not shy! Just before dinner he actually asked me how I would feel about dropping him off at his hotel in SLC that he had to report to that night. I was again, shocked. Whoever dropped him off was the last person (from UT) he would see for the next 3 years! And he wanted me to be that person?? I was shocked, but I thought it was super great and adorable.

So, I drop him off at this hotel and he tells me that this was only supposed to be a short briefing and then he would be free for the next couple hours. Keep in mind, this is the 3rd time he's done this in the last three days. Think he liked me much? :P

After his briefing was over, I gave him my address (which he requested that I give him so he could write me, and I gave it despite thinking he wouldn't.) and we hit the town. Chocolate donuts and hot chocolate from a gas station, driving around downtown, and ending up parking in front of the Capitol building.

As it's almost time for him to go, I drive him back to the hotel to say goodbye. I give him another one of my super awesome hugs and try to be as adorable as possible. And for the 4th time that weekend, he says that he wants to see me again. "If we end up leaving late, can I see you tomorrow?" 

HOW SWEET IS HE?!

Sad story time: He DID end up leaving on time, so I couldn't see him the next day. But get this: He texted me THE WHOLE DAY. When he had to start boarding planes, he would text me until the second he boarded the plane, and then he texted me the second they landed. He did that for every single flight he went through. It's amazing that even after asking to see me again four separate times throughout the weekend, AND doing all the other adorable things he had done for me, I still didn't believe he would write me. I hoped he would, but I kinda figured he wouldn't.

Once again, I was happy to be proven wrong.

PART I: Before the Beginning (And Some of the Beginning)

I've been meaning to write this for some time now. What is "this", you ask? 

My and Caleb's story. 

A story about true, enduring love that is so crazy and nonsensical, some have deemed it a fairytale.

How we met, our first date (Yes, the story of our first date *IS* so epic that it gets an entire post all to itself), how we fell in love, how we got engaged, etc... You're gonna hear it all. The two year anniversary of the weekend we started falling in love is next month, so I wanted to start this now in case it takes me a month to finish.

PART I: BEFORE THE BEGINNING

Our story begins (sort of) in 2009. No, we didn't meet until 2011. So how can a story start two years before it began? I'll explain.

I'd like to demonstrate how fate (or God, whichever you believe in more) had a HUGE hand in bringing Caleb and I together.

I was just out of high school and working for a company called Western Wats. Without getting boring, I will just tell you that I was semi-promoted to a different position in a different building where I met Amber Biggs. I really enjoyed her company and we became friends.

After a while, she introduced me to a company called Primerica. I did not do well with this company. I did, however, come away kind of starting to date a guy from that company named Seth. While Seth and I were "dating", I met his roommate, Chad. When Seth and I fizzled out, Chad asked me to go on a blind date with one of his friends. This friend just happened to be a kid who was one of Caleb's best friends for YEARS.

However, this is not the part of the story where I meet Caleb.

I went on this blind (and thankfully GROUP) date, where I met a friend of Chad's. TJ was his name, and his date bailed at the last minute, but he came anyway. A few weeks later, TJ had my number and he and I became a couple.

Jump forward only a few months later and we're in 2010. I had been graduated for a while and DESPERATELY needed to move out. I had been talking to TJ about this for a few weeks, so when one of his friends texted him about a room for rent in a house in Sandy, he let me know. If Katrina had never sent that text to TJ, I would never have moved to that area specifically. Fast forward several months and I was officially a resident of The House on Loma Way.

If I hadn't moved to Sandy, I wouldn't have joined the singles ward up there, causing me to never meet John and Adam, who would subsequently have never invited me to a movie night where their roommate/my future husband and I would set eyes on each other for the first time.

Ladies and gentleman... If you don't believe in destiny, I hope I can convince you to. It is CRAZY to me that a decision I made in 2009 relating only to where I would work, would create a domino effect of everything that needed to happen in order for me to meet my husband. If  my friend Brent hadn't introduced me to this job, I would have worked at some other insignificant job. I would never have taken the position they offered me that led me to meet Amber. I could have not chosen to move in with complete strangers. But the crazy thing is that I DID make those decisions! Not knowing that they were all leading me to the most amazing person I've ever met.

And I am POSITIVE that they did not happen by accident.

Now, THIS is the part of the story where I meet Caleb. :)

Caleb was about to leave for basic training and I heard someone ask him about a girl during this movie night event. I thought this guy was cute, but I didn't even remotely see things going anywhere.

 This particular night, I wanted to watch Psych REALLY badly. (This part will be important in my next post, I promise.) Even though everyone was trying to decide what movie to watch, every time a suggestion came up, I would insert my two cents.

"Hey, should we watch this one?"

"Guys, let's watch Psych!"

"Maybe. What do we think of either of these movies?"

"No, no. We should watch Psych!"

"Hey, do you have that one movie that just came out?"

"It's not out on DVD yet. LET'S WATCH PSYCH!"

Eventually no one could make up their minds, so we watched Psych. And everyone loved it. People should really learn to listen to me the first time. :)

ANYWAY, as the night went on, Caleb and I didn't interact one-on-one very much. We mutually participated in the group discussion, but nothing really significant. As it grew later, our friends left one by one until I was the only remaining guest. And I have no explanation as to why, but I was dawdling.

HARDCORE DAWDLING.

Mostly just chatting with John, Adam, and Caleb, but I was putting on my shoes and gathering my things much slower than was necessary. It was getting pretty late, though. Maybe it was because he was tired and wanted me out, or maybe it was because he could tell I was getting more intrigued with this Caleb kid. I'm not sure why John said what he did next, but I'm happy he did.

"Hey, Caleb, why don't you walk Sairah out to her car?"

So he did.

Anticlimactic alert: Nothing happened. Ok, a hug happened. But nothing else happened. He didn't ask for my number or to see me again... nothing. I assumed it was because he was serious with this girl I had heard someone asking about earlier. So I was bummed, but I let it go. He was leaving for basic training anyway. I had already sworn to not ever get involved with military guys, so I just moved on.

 

John texts me inviting me to a going away party for this Caleb guy. He was just a week away from leaving for basic training. It was a barbeque. I wasn't about to say no to free barbeque, despite the fact that I didn't know this kid very well. So I show up and, to my surprise, Caleb is FAR more attentive this time. I noticed (after testing my theory a few times) that he was actually TRYING to be in the same room I was and interact with me. I figured that this hussy he was dating before was out of the picture.

I was WRONG.

She shows up and wants to talk, so he disappears for like a year.

Just kidding. Maybe only an hour and a half.

Anyway, I got a chance to start chatting with his younger brother, Casey. We got along really well and ended up chatting until I decided that it was time for me to go. I decided I was going to go find Caleb to say goodbye. Luckily, I didn't have to interrupt anything awkward because he was coming up the stairs right then. When I told him I was leaving, he seemed genuinely put out. But again, didn't ask for my number, didn't ask to see me again... nothing. So I went home expecting to never see this kid again.

Luckily, I was wrong about that too. :)

TO BE CONTINUED...