How We Met August 17, 2014
On
August 17, 2014, my brother was joining me for school at Davis College. As the
concerned older sister that I was, I was naturally intrigued by who Alex’s
roommate was going to be. After some asking around, I discovered that Alex’s
roommate was going to be my good friend Jackson’s cousin, who was also starting
at Davis that year. I totally Facebook crept on Patrick to see what he would be
like. But when he arrived and I met the very polite and personable southern
boy, I was pretty much instantly interested in him. I started finding
opportunities to spend time with him. It was convenient that my brother was his
roommate, “Hey Alex, do you wanna hang out? Why don’t you ask Patrick to come
too?” When he volunteered for CEF I casually managed to get his number. But
when I tried texting him later, I never got a response and I figured he wasn’t
interested enough.
On
September 12, 2014, I found the perfect way to start talking to him. I happened
to be in the library when I overheard Patrick and some of his friends talking
about playing “Words with Friends.” Words with Friends has a chat feature and I
just knew if I started a game with Patrick, that I could casually strike up
conversation with him. So I downloaded the app right then and there and sent
him a game request. We started talking through that app on Friday. Finally,
Words with Friends led into texting and Patrick and I were conversing regularly
throughout the day. When we did see each other in person we’d exchange shy
glances and smiles and occasionally some playful or polite words.
Our First Date September 19, 2014
On
September 19, 2014, Patrick and I had our first “date.” Since Patrick didn’t
have a car on campus I had told him the night before that if he ever needed to
go somewhere he could just let me know. The next day after classes were over, I
“casually” mentioned to him that I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go grocery
shopping or just take a nap. I was laying down getting ready to take a quick
nap when he texted back and said, “Well if you decide to go grocery shopping,
let me know, I’ll tag along.” I bounced out of bed and texted back saying,
“Yeah meet me in 15 minutes outside.” So Patrick came with me to Aldi to go
grocery shopping. Romantic first date right? After we finished and were walking
back onto campus together, Patrick was saying, “Ah… Friday night… what to do?”
I knew he was baiting me but I didn’t want to give in so easily. He then said,
“I will probably end up just doing homework.” I quickly threw in a little bait
of my own, “Homework on a Friday night? That’s lame!” But he didn’t take it.
Neither of us took each other’s bait. Later on when I was hanging out with
another friend, I instantly regretted not taking the bait. And so I sent him a
casual text saying, “If you’re bored with homework, you could always come hang
out at the café with us.” He did and then afterwards we went to Sweet Frog with
some of my friends. The next night, after I’d finished watching an episode of
Dr. Who and had sent him a text saying, “Well the episode is over, I don’t know
what I’m doing now.” After a bit, he finally just out right asked me to hang
out. We went to McDonald’s and got smoothies and then sat on the Davis benches
(notorious for couples) and talked the rest of the night.
The Start September 25, 2014
From
that night forward, we hung out every day. After a few days of hanging out, we
expressed our feelings for each other but weren’t necessarily in a committed
relationship yet. At this point, I was at a point where I truly felt that God had
called me not to get into another relationship unless I was pretty sure it
would end in marriage. I made that known to Patrick and he also expressed to me
that he was also done with the dating game. Both of us, prior to meeting each
other, held the quote, “A woman’s heart should be so lost in God that a man
must seek him in order to find her” very close to us. Only Patrick shared with
me that he had flipped that for himself. If he wanted to find a godly woman, he
was going to have to seek God. Patrick and I earnestly prayed about starting a
relationship for a few days.
On
September 25, 2014, Patrick and I were sitting on the gazebo on campus chatting
with each other. I asked Patrick what God had been saying as a result of his
prayers and he asked me the same. That night we expressed to each other that we
both felt that God was giving us the go ahead. We both felt like we were right
for each other and we could both see the relationship resulting in marriage.
That was the night that we “defined the relationship” as some would call it,
and what we consider to be the true start of our relationship.
We
laid low for a while however until Patrick was able to talk to my father about
our relationship over our October break. My father, although a bit nervous at
the thought of his daughter getting into a serious relationship, gave his
blessing. Things haven’t always been easy for us, but God’s blessing over our
relationship has always been obvious to both of us.
The “L Word” October ? 2014
I’m gonna warn you ahead of time. This is a
disgustingly sappy love story. You were warned.
Patrick
and I had been together for a little while at this point and the chemistry
between us was obvious. I had never felt the way about anyone like I felt about
him. Patrick and I had many conversations about love being a choice and not
just a magical connection that some people had. We had also discussed how
serious of a decision that was and how we had both said it too soon in other
relationships. But at this point, I was pretty sure that I was ready to make
the choice to love Patrick.
We were sitting in my car one night, chatting with
each other, and looking lovingly into each other’s eyes. I wanted so badly to
tell him that I loved him, but I of course didn’t want to be the first one to
say it. As Patrick held me, he asked me what I was thinking. I hesitated and
decided to say instead, “I feel loved.” Patrick responded by saying, “Well… you
are,” he said, “And at the risk of saying it too soon… I do. I love you.” I was
all smiles as I said, “I love you too.” Patrick explained, “I was hesitant to
say it because I’ve said it too soon before, but this is different.” I nodded.
I also knew that this was different than any other time I had ever told someone
that I loved them. I returned to my dorm room all smiles and I’m pretty sure I
smiled for the rest of the night.
The First Trip to Mt. Washington October 11, 2014
Patrick came home with
me for fall break that semester to formally meet my parents. The view from the
Duquesne Incline on Mt. Washington has always been one of my favorite tourist
attractions in Pittsburgh. That’s partly because my father proposed to my
mother on top of Mt. Washington at a slightly different spot. Since it was
Patrick’s first trip to Pittsburgh, I decided to take him to the Duquesne
Incline. We rode up the incline and then went out onto the overlook right next
to it.
The night couldn’t have
been more perfect. When we initially got up there, there were a few people
around. We went to the edge of the outlook and looked at the beautiful lit up
Pittsburgh skyline that decorated the evening sky. About the same time, a
guitarist set up his guitar and began to play some soft music. It was the
perfect atmosphere: the lit up skyline behind us, the guitar playing softly,
and the fact that we were with each other. I remembered that I couldn’t stop
smiling and even laughing. As Patrick and I lightly swayed to the music, I knew
beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the one for me. No other person had ever
made me so happy.
Patrick and I made
several other trips to that overlook since that first night. Any time we
visited Pittsburgh, we would always make at least one trip there. It became one
of our favorite spots to visit whenever we happened to be in Pittsburgh.
The Proposal August 7, 2015
On August 7, 2015, Patrick
had come to visit me in Pittsburgh for a few days before we went on vacation to
his home town for a week. That Friday night, he planned a date for us to go out
to eat at one of our favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh, El Campesino, and then
we were planning on riding the Duquesne Incline up Mt. Washington.
I had slight suspicions
that Patrick might be proposing that night. I knew he had taken my grandma’s
wedding set to get cleaned up so I could use them. But Patrick had told me he
wouldn’t have them until after we returned from vacation. I had wondered if he
was just telling me that so I wouldn’t know when he was proposing, but I
figured if he did have them earlier than that, he would have proposed in
Wilmington.
I had also,
unknowingly, tried to ruin his proposal plans on a few different occasions. I
found out that the CPR certification for school was earlier than I had planned.
I had considered cancelling our trip to Wilmington, and his trip to Pittsburgh,
altogether so that we wouldn’t have to pay for the certification. Patrick
convinced me to let his father pay for the course and so his trip to Pittsburgh
was still on. Even when he was there, I was really overwhelmed because I’d had
no time to pack. I asked him the night before if he just wanted to forget our
date night altogether so that I could pack instead. Patrick had very adamantly
insisted that we still go out. So, despite all my unknowing attempts to ruin
his plans, we went out for our date that night. “Why don’t you wear that new
dress, Lindsey?” My mom said as I went upstairs to get dressed. That added to
my suspicion a bit as well.
So Patrick and I went
out to eat and then drove into the city towards the Duquesne Incline. We rode
the incline up to our favorite spot. There was a Pirates game going on that
night and a blimp was circling the city. The overlook was pretty crowded
because of that. When I saw how crowded it was, all of my suspicions about
Patrick proposing went away. I figured that even if he was planning on
proposing that night, there would be no way he’d want to do it with so many people
around.
We hung out, waiting for the crowd to disperse a bit so
we could get to the edge where the view was. I noticed a photographer that my
family knew, Kandy, and even whispered to Patrick, “See that lady taking
pictures? She goes to the church that my mom works at. She took Alex’s senior
pictures.” Patrick thought for sure that meant I knew he was going to propose
and she was there to take pictures of us. But I didn't put the two together and
I just thought she was there taking candids on a nice night. I was also too shy
to approach Kandy and say hello. There was even a family that approached Kandy
and asked her to take a picture. Kandy had to whisper, “See that couple over
there? He’s about to propose so I can’t.” Apparently the mom wasn’t very discrete
about it when she went back to her husband and explained why she couldn’t take
their picture. Thankfully, I didn’t hear her say to her husband, “See that guy
over there? He’s about to propose.”
Once the edge had
cleared a bit, Patrick then went over to the viewfinder and put some money into
it. He started looking around before saying, "Hey look at this, can you
see that banner down there?" I looked into the viewfinder and looked down
where he had aimed it. But all I could see was the fountain at the point of the
three rivers in Pittsburgh. “The fountain you mean?” Patrick had to redirect it
so I would be able to see it. I had to look into it again. That's when I saw
two people down on the point holding a sign that said, "Lindsey, will you
marry me?" It was my parents! I was practically frozen at the viewfinder. Everything
felt so unreal! My heart started racing and everything started to blur.
Patrick got down on one
knee next to me said, "That's your parents down there. Can you read the
banner?" I don’t do well in high adrenaline situations so I kinda stopped
thinking about what I was doing. I was still looking through the viewfinder but
I nodded and said, "I know what it says." I think he had to pull me
away from the viewfinder. He was holding the ring in front of me. At some point
I did actually say yes. But I also took the ring box from him and held it in my
hand. Patrick said, "I love you. I can't wait to spend my life with
you." He stood up and we held each other, exchanging smiles as we did. As
I said, I don’t do well in high adrenaline so it took me a while to remember I
was supposed to actually put on the ring. I opened the box and Patrick took out
the ring and slid it onto my finger.
I took a picture of the
ring on my finger and sent it to my parents who were still down below in a text
that said, “I said yes.” My parents drove up to the overlook and we all
exchanged hugs and smiles. It was a beautiful night and I couldn’t have been
happier. I had no idea Patrick was going to do so much planning. I’d also
expected him to propose in Wilmington. But he had known that involving my
parents and proposing around the same spot that my parents got engaged would be
important to me. Patrick and I went home after a while and celebrated some more
with my parents at home after calling my brother, who was in Laos at the time. My
parents, before returning home, drove down to the spot on Mt. Washington where
my father proposed to my mom. Needless to say, it was a wonderful night.
Patrick and I are so
excited to start the next phase of our journey together on March 19, 2016.
