It all began the first day back at school for the Spring semester. We had a pizza party to welcome everyone back for the semester for band, and everyone was catching up from all that had happened over Christmas break. There were these two new guys who had transfered to Liberty and didn't have anyone to catch up with. So I introduced myself and we all hung out for the night. Dustin and I figured out that our dorms were pretty close to each other, so I made sure that we walked back together. It was dark and I didn't want to go back by myself... not too many people were back on campus. I told him he could stop at his dorm since mine was just a little further, but he, being the gentleman that he is, told me he'd walk me all the way! I'm pretty sure I never walked back alone after that night (except maybe the times we were pushing curfew and had to park in some far off place in "the pit"). Over the next few weeks we went to movies, basketball games, church, and dinner in groups together. Then around Valentine's Day, Dustin's prayer group was going to do some sort of thing and they said that everyone had to bring a date. So he asked me to go and I said sure. Whatever it was, that was being planned ended up being cancelled, but I'm sure we went out anyway.
The weekend before spring break, Dustin went home for the weekend and I'm pretty sure I walked around like a lost puppy, even though we weren't actually dating yet. I waited by my computer, watching my IM screen for him to come back, but he didn't get on that night. But the next day, when I saw him, the hug that he gave me was just a little different- not the side-hug, hey buddy hug that just friends get.
The band always went on a recruiting tour over Spring break, so we were the last ones to leave campus. The night before we left, the two of us and the other new guy from that semester went to a movie (Jarrod told us later that he felt like such a third wheel- we still weren't officially together yet though). Then I was talking to my friend Libby and she was sure that we were dating, but I assured her that we were just friends and did a lot of stuff together, that was all. Well, we happened to sit by each other on the bus heading off. One of the days we spent 11 hours on the bus traveling to Miami and we talked the whole way. I think at one point we were the only ones awake. It was so nice to be able to do that. So we ended up holding hands on the bus, but I didn't want to start dating then and have it be considered "bus love."
So we got back and continued our non-dating, but dating relationship. We had our first kiss in the pit parking lot, which was so exciting . Finally we made a date to have "the talk" at a local park. And shocker, it rained that day! So we sat in the car and decided that yes, we were a couple- and we did absolutely nothing different, we just finally had the title.
He came home with me for Easter that year and we went to the beach for the afternoon. It was there that he told me that he loved me for the first time. Unfortunately, I told him that I wasn't ready to say it back yet. So he didn't tell me again until we left for Summer break, when I finally told him, too. That summer was pretty tough, but I realized over those few months that I found the man I was going to marry. We dated for another year and a half before we got engaged and another 15 months before we got married. (But those are stories for another time)
Since then, we've grown so close and made so many great memories. I can't wait for all that's to come in the next decades.
I love you, Dustin!
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