I always hear people say that the best relationships start when the two of you start off as best friends, as you already have a connection and now you're just building on it. However, that's not the way my relationship started.
We didn't know each other and had only run into one another a few times. An instant connection drew us together and we started dating very soon after. Month after month, we learned more about each other and went from just dating to also being best friends.
Soon, there was no one else I would call to vent to. No one else I trust so completely. It didn't matter that we weren't best friends before, because we built that together knowing we wanted it.
All we had to build off of was a spark and butterflies in our stomachs when we saw each other.
When we first started dating, I didn't know your favorite drink or any funny family stories. It's all something we had to talk about, something we had to bring up and learn. Everything was new in the beginning, and now I can almost tell his stories better than he can.
A lot of trust and communication paved the road to the amazing place my relationship is in now. We learned each other's quirks and paid attention, and suddenly, it didn't matter that I hadn't known him before. After a while, it felt like I had known him my whole life because it just felt so natural and right. As for his favorite drink, it's lemonade and the glass must always be filled all the way to the top. It's all about the small things.
Through the months, we've shared our hearts and our secrets. I could call him for anything and I know he will always be there. Listening to my feelings and my concerns about the world and my life and making me feel better, word by word.
Our bond is the way it is because we started out as strangers. We didn't already have that familiarity that friends who start dating already have. Everything that we are now is because two people put in the effort to learn and love.
I wouldn't change a single thing about the way that we met. I would keep the cheesy pickup line and the awkward asking for my phone number conversation. Now, he's my absolute best friend and the person that hears everything first. I know that even though he's my boyfriend, I can be open and honest about anything. Because no matter what it is or what's happening, we can handle it together.
I don't think that you really have to be best friends before you start dating. I think the real test is if you're able to be best friends even when dating. That's the real test.
I am so thankful for my best friend and the greatest boyfriend a girl could ask for.
