You know that saying that goes something like, “You find love when you least expect it”? That’s happened to me recently. The past few months, heck, the past few years of my life have been a roller coaster to say the least. Ages 19-22, I was living in Knoxville, loving the freedom and culture, and then life threw in a curve ball. I was pregnant, unexpectedly. Moved home to be with my family, became a single mother and life threw another curve ball. I met the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with and I married this man. Then, here comes another curve ball. Diovored by 26.

Typing all that out, I’m exhausted looking back on it. I had the best times in Tennessee, both in Knoxville and in Clarksville. But, it never felt complete. I was always around people, but still felt completely alone at times. I’m a scheduled person, I need consistency in my life. I thrive off of consistency.

I met someone about a year ago now. A friend of a friend, who became my friend. At first, it was telling him stories of my time in Tennessee with Michaela. It was giving him advice on what to do about a love interest of his. It was him asking me about my husband, what he did in the military, how I was doing with him being overseas. It was very innocent, very delicate, very consistent.

Even my time in Tennessee, he would check in on me and Hayden, and I would check in on him. We’d talk for a little bit, but nothing extended. And then last fall came, and he checked in on me. So I told him how I was doing, and he did what a MAN should do. He was a friend, he was an ear to listen, he was a warm hug when I needed it. He was a date to my best friend’s wedding so I wouldn’t be alone.

And that’s when things changed. I went to his house one night, cause I wasn’t ready to go home yet, planned on staying for about a half hour. Next thing I knew it was 2:45am and we were still in his driveway talking. We planned a day to go shopping, get him clothes for the wedding, get Chick Fil A, just spend time together. That day came and went, then it was March 5.

My best friend was getting married, and I was so happy for her. But in the back of my mind, all I could think was, “I get to see him tonight”. We hadn’t explored our feelings for each other, or at least we hadn’t verbalized them to each other, but, I could feel it. Whatever was going on between us, it was something special. And that’s when it hit me, you really do find love when you least expect it. With this man, I wasn’t looking for anything from him, because he was already giving me everything I needed. He was that shoulder to lean on, he was a listening ear, he was a warm hug.

The time in between our texting conversations became shorter and shorter, until we were talking all day, every day. We never once played 20 questions, but kind of just realized how much we had in common by the things we said or quoted. He’s respectful of my situation, and isn’t trying to cross any lines with me. He’s respectful of my son, and knows Hayden will always be the number one man in my life.

I’ve never been a fan of cliche quotes, but the whole “Find love when you least expect it” thing, is pretty spot on. I’m trying very hard not to get excited, or to fall to fast, but this man is pretty perfect.

Keep your heart open to love, y’all. You read a summed up version of my life the past couple years. If I can do it, you can too.