The Beginning of Forever

 One thing I have always loved and looked up to the most in my mom is her Blogger. It was so nice to me to always have memories kept in one place forever and easy to see, and I promised myself when I found my future I would make one too. I'm not married yet, but I know where my forever lies, and this is the start of that forever.

I'm writing this in retrospect on November 13th 2024, so some dates may be off and details vague. On May 26th, 2023, Cailey and I had our first official conversation. I had Anthropology and Cardio Fitness with her, but I was scared and never talked to her, and she didn't know who I was cause I was always quiet and in the back. May 26th we had an assembly for school and on the bus ride home a friend, Valen, introduced us to each other because we were all in a Summer Anatomy Program together. This was our first time talking and our first impression of who the other was. I had always seen her and thought she was cute, but talking to her I got to see how extroverted she was and how many similar interest we had. Cailey always likes to say I was funny and cute the first time we talked. This was a small but important start to the future.

Next was June 6th, the start of our Anatomy Program. I made an amazing impression by being late on the first day because I thought it started an hour earlier. Even then she still had interest in me. We were told to say our name, a fun fact, and something we like to do to the whole program of about 11 students, and I listed being late and rock climbing as something I like to do, the first spark of interest Cailey had in me. The anatomy program went on and while we weren't in the same group we still got to socialize, and on June 23rd we had been talking on Instagram for a bit and I asked if she just wanted to use numbers to make it easier. Luckily this went well and that's the first official photo of her face I ever got, her on a hike she had just done recently. This let us talk more but also get closer, and eventually, very important detail Cailey likes to brag about, she made the first move. She mentioned she heard that I liked to rock climb and was wondering if I wanted to go... and I did!

And so on June 30th we had our first hangout ever, and it was amazing. We started out just awkwardly at my house after I picked her up until I suggested we try the VR because she had mentioned she wanted to always try it over texts. This was funny seeing each other play Beatsaber without trying to look silly, but it ended up making her motion sick so we stopped. We went to Asana after that an went rock climbing, but she saw that they were doing trapeze so she made sure to make us go on that too. We didn't know at the time but this has become a hobby we enjoy together, but the first time was terrifying for both of us. We enjoyed climbing and both oggled over the men there and made jokes. While climbing I had mentioned Fiiz and she said she had never gone to Fiiz, so I made sure to take her and get a drink for both of us. The first hangout, not date yet, was a success and it was really fun, I had enjoyed it and luckily she did too. I didn't really know but this was the start of what made us start to like each other, her a bit faster than me. We hung out and climbed about 2-3 times more and on July 1st we had gone to the gas station for the second hangout in a row and Cailey joked and said, "They're going to think we're dating by this point." She was terrified, I had always wanted our hangouts to be dates but wasn't sure cause I didn't know what she had thought about them. In my very rare moments of being smart in the beginning of our relationship, while she was apologizing, I was clever and said, "Well let's make the next one an official date?" And so that was the start of our dates. I'm weird and stress too much so I had actually had ideas planned before and was able to pull one out fast and plan our date with her.

Monday July 3rd, our first date together, and my first date ever. We went to Blaze to get pizza, and watched horror movies. I didn't know this but that was her first horror movie ever. My plan was to watch Insidious 1-3 with her because the 5th was coming out soon, the 4th was not the best in my opinion so we skipped it. We also went swimming which ended up creating lots of funny and weird memories, as we played with random kids who grouped us into tag and I accidentally touched her butt trying to tag her, which embarrassed me a lot. This was the happiest I had been in a long time, it was a really fun and long date, and we got to talk a lot and learn more about each other. Looking back at the photos I really needed a haircut, but she still somehow found me cute. I don't know what I was thinking, but yes I brough out my Rubik's cubes to "impress" her. I'm equally as confused as most as to what she really saw in the start, I was always very awkward and weird and nerdy, but lucky for me she likes that.

This was the start of many dates and horror movies. The entire month of June is a bit confusing and dates aren't exact but these are my best estimates as to when everything happened. On July 4th I was at her house for the first time. It was fun but weird, we had lots of fun but I was extra awkward near her parents and family. Near the beginning of July we hung out at her house again she said she liked me and was curious how I felt. I pulled two big dumbs at this point. First, I was surprised, even though the day before she said "You know, you're like exactly my type looks and personality wise." I was very oblivious and blind. Secondly, I froze and said I wasn't sure, I very clearly did but I was scared, and she was very understanding with that. After a quick conversation after that hangout, Cameron knocked sense into me and made me realize I do like her, I was just being extremely dumb. Both Cailey and Cameron had a lot of patience in the beginning with me and my stupidity. The rest of July was filled with dates and hangouts at both houses. According to a screenshot of a text by Cailey our first kiss was mid July. I sadly biffed this up pretty bad, I was scared and awkward so I asked lots of questions, and weirdly started the kiss by asking "If I theoretically went in to kiss you right now would you kiss me back." to which she said "I don't know, better test it." She was a lot better at this whole romance thing than me. So I had my hand on the side of her face and I went in for a kiss and it was good, but she moved back, looked at me confused, and said "You know you're supposed to move your lips right."..... I had gone in with a kiss face and not moved at all, and I was so embarrassed but we have a good laugh about it now. My mind was blown that day and I officially had my first kiss. I've thankfully improved a lot more, but I definitely overthought about that for weeks and weeks. Other notable July things that happened is in the beginning of July she had kissed me on the cheek when I dropped her off, and being annoying as I am I held her in a hug tightly so she couldn't leave, and she still says she thought it was cute but scary I did that. On the 20th the Anatomy Program ended, which has thus far been one of my favorite experiences ever. Sometime in July we went with Jasmine, Cailey's best friend, and her boyfriend Kevin to Roaring Springs because Cailey said she had always wanted to go. This went amazing and bad. It was lots of fun and she enjoyed it a lot, but Cailey has some issues with motion sickness and the wave pool really messed her up. I made the mistake of taking the lazy river with her to get to our stuff, which only made the sickness worse. I was stressed but she said this is one of the cutest moments for her cause I had held her hand the entire time leading her back and she thought that was amazing cause I had never held her hand before. The final notable thing is the root of Cailey's hate for Sky Jo. She had won multiple round in a row, so I decided to make a bet with her on who would win, and I won. So I said double or nothing and won again... And a third and fourth time. Cailey is competitive so this wasn't fun but she always had and has the worst luck with luck games, especially with me. I always like to tease God's on my side so he lets me win.

August is the final month leading up to the start of us dating, most of this wait being my own fault. We went on many dates and basically hung out every single day until school started. On July 16th school started and we only ended up having one class together, 1A PPS class. On Saturday 19th my family invited her to come to with us to a hibachi grill which she really enjoyed. On July 26st I had been working and I had a really horrible day and asked Cailey if it was okay if I dropped by after work for a hug because I was stressed. It meant the world to me and is still one of my favorite memories, so after I got home from the hug I texted her and one of my texts was "the moon was beautiful tonight", which is a more poetic way of saying I love you in Japanese. The first unofficial I love you from me. Cailey had slipped and said it twice before, but this was the first really meaningful and concrete time we said it. The next day she said it back and we haven't gone a day without saying it since. On August 22nd Cailey asked me to Homecoming, this time not cause I was a wimp, she had always said she wanted to so I let her and made a posted to say yes. A funny photo we got is on August 29th we went dress shopping with

Emersyn, which was really fun, but Emersyn snapped a photo of me in a dress to show mom... Still needed a hair cute. Sometime in the beginning of school we talked about possibly dating and I made a somehow not relationship ending mistake. I had been stressed and didn't want my family to judge me so I was scared to say we were dating, I'm not sure where my brain was at this moment. Somehow she was extremely patient and said it was okay. Thank goodness every one in my family and Cameron told me how stupid I was. I specifically remember Beck just flat out calling me dumb and asking why I cared what they thought, and he's never rude, but he was being this time, and that was a really big switch for me to make me realize how dumb I was being and that I shouldn't care cause I knew I wanted to. Finally, after what was way too long and way too much patience from Cailey, August 30th, 2023, we officially started dating.

This was the beginning of forever for both of us. Not something we could realize in the beginning of our relationship, but this was the start of what would become the rest of our lives. To Cailey:

I love you so much and everything you have given me and taught me and I can't wait for forever with you. You complete my life and make it better. I never thought I would have such a gorgeous wife but look at me, I have the most attractive person ever saying they want to marry me. I love you forever and I'm yours forever.