Happy Valentine’s Day! V-Day holds a special place in my heart because it was when Cool Mum told me “I love you.” Too bad for me that I told her a few months before, and waited and waited for the response I hoped for. So the story won’t be one-sided, we’ll tell the tale together.
Cool Dad: It was October, and CM and I had been dating for two months. I graduated from the University of Florida in August with a degree in the exciting and lucrative field of Industrial and Systems Engineering. As any sensible engineering grad would do, instead of pursuing an exciting and lucrative job, I stayed in Gainesville to pursue adventures with my Christian rock band.
Back to October, CM and I were on a weekend retreat with our campus ministry, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, in Daytona Beach. My band led the worship music for the retreat. Though we had led worship for many weekend events in many beach towns along the Florida coast, this was a new experience for me: I had a girlfriend.
Our first two months had gone swimmingly. We enjoyed spending time together, and we rarely argued. It was only natural that on Saturday of the retreat, on the moonlit shore after a time of singing and praying as a group, that I Iooked into CM’s brown doe eyes and told her gently, sweetly: “I love you.”
Cool Mum: Well, it was a little more confusing than that. You actually finished up the prayer time by telling everyone to say “I love you” to all of their friends. I had no idea what to think! You probably said “I love you” to a couple of my friends and acquaintances on your way over to me!
CD: That was different. They didn’t have the distinction of being my girlfriend for a whole TWO months!
CM: One and a half months, to be exact. Does that seem a little early to you, looking back?
CD: Can true love every be too early?
CM: Maybe! I did have a best guy friend who wanted to marry me when we were 4. Aren’t you glad that didn’t pan out?
CD: I guess true love waits, too. I heard that somewhere. Anyway, after I told CM the three magical words, she looked back and said… What was it that you said?
CM: I think I may have said the words you wanted to hear. Silently. But it was all very confusing! I wasn’t quite ready to say it yet. Even though you already had my heart. Out loud, I may have said “Thank you.” And STILL you took me to look at rings that night. Remember, we settled on the kind that costs a quarter at the grocery store candy machine. I still have it on my keychain.
CD: Really? I don’t remember much after that. Actually, I don’t remember much before Cool Boy was born. I think I was hoping that you would accept the ring as like a fun, quirky, hey-lets-get-married-with-this-toy-ring-so-CD-won’t-have-to-go-diamond-shopping-and-learn-about-the-4-Cs kind of thing.
…Ring-shopping? Wow. What was I thinking? That’s way early!
CM: Well, with any other guy, I would’ve run for the hills. Somehow I didn’t want to!
CD: Thankfully, Florida has no hills!
CM: I guess I had no escape. I didn’t even have a car at that beach trip.
CD: I love it when a plan comes together.
CM: So what was it like for you when I didn’t return the three magical words to you?
CD: Well, it kind of derailed my hopes to kiss passionately on the beach with the tide washing over us. I think the music video for “Wicked Game” was my main inspiration.
Of course, I was disappointed. I didn’t know how it all worked. I was glad to still have you as my girl. CM can take the story from here. The ball was in her court.
CM: “Wicked game”…boy I sure hope my dad is not reading this.
The next few months were full of deep philosophical conversations about why I wasn’t ready to say it. I certainly didn’t want you to give up on me! Month after month would go by and I could see that it was taking its toll. But I was determined not to say it before I could mean it.
CD: Deep philosophical conversations…my favorite.
CM: Finally, early February, we were in church and singing a song that said “I love you” to Jesus. I remember thinking that it was my heart’s desire, but that my whole life would be spent making that statement true in practice. Then, I realized I could be free to say that to you, even though my love was selfish and immature. Because I wanted to be working on that love for life.
It wasn’t until Valentines Day that I finally said the words to you–12 years ago today!
CD: Woo-hoo! Happy ‘I Love You’ Anniversary!
CM: Same to you….Maybe as a Valentines Day gift, I will give you all the philosophical reasons for my love. You’d like that, right?
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And, of course, since that fateful day, CM and I have pointlessly bickered until we died hand-in-hand one night in a nursing home.
Oh wait, that was The Notebook. We both detested that movie. We really are soulmates.
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I’d like to think I’m not overly sappy, but CM’s description of realizing she desired to make the statement true the rest of her life actually gave me chills. What a wonderful story, even though it brought you pain, CD
Plus, it’s always wonderful to see what amazing people God has designed for my old friends 
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Heather! It’s hard to remember how much of an ordeal it was for me. Of course, looking back, it seems trivial. As a first-time dater, I think I was just confused.