Dear Interwebs, He Loves Me

I drank the kool aid my friends. Or as Mike said in the comments on yesterday's post, I bought the mortgage. And yes, I bought the mortgage knowing that the house is not entirely perfect, but sometimes imperfection is beautiful.

Only having met Nick just shy of a month ago, most people would say this is too soon. In fact, I text my mom this morning to share the news that Nick told me he was in love with me and her response was:

"Take your time. No matter what you feel or what he says, don't rush it."

I get it. The heartbreaker told her to her face that he would never hurt me and he did anyway. She doesn't want to see me hurt again like that.

But when you feel it, how can you try to stop it? And what if it is meant to be? I guess you can never be 100% of this, naturally when you first feel it you think it's meant to be...but only time will tell. There is a story about my dad that I often hold onto:

After 22 years of marriage (and lots of fighting) my parents finally decided to get divorced. My dad moved out on May 1st into his own place and immediately got himself a sports car. Mid-life crisis, I thought to myself. By the end of May my father asked me to come to his apartment to meet his girlfriend, whom he had just met through the personals. I chuckled to myself, because seriously? A girlfriend? My dad? No way.

I met her and could see that my dad and she were like teenagers. I wanted to vomit. Then on the 2nd week of June at my sister's high school graduation party my dad showed up boasting the biggest grin I have ever seen. I chalked it up to new love but was floored when upon leaving the party he enlightened my brother, sister and I with the news that he was engaged. They would be married the day after my parent's divorce would be finalized. That would be in 91 days.

I tried to talk him out of it, not because I held loyalty to my mom, but because I felt he was being foolish. I told him he was rushing things, I told him he was just afraid to be alone...he told me I didn't understand how he felt about this woman.

Exactly 91 days later my father and his fiance married. No one thought it would last except the two of them. That was 15 years ago and my father and his wife are still as much in love now as they were back then. And I am incredibly happy for him because as time has passed I have come to understand that this was the woman he was meant to be with.

I realize this is the exception and not the rule, but I have come to love my dad's story. He took a huge leap of faith and could of certainly wound up in a car wreck. And I'm not saying there haven't been bumps in the road for him and his bride, trials and tribulations are to be expected, but they have made it through because they are committed.

So I'm taking the same leap of faith. Thanks for the inspiration to do so, dad.