It was a beautiful March spring morning. My birthday was approaching but I started celebrating on the 1st of the month, so I was on already on 1,000. I was still in the mindset of trying new things and finding new things that made me happy. I was putting more time and effort into getting cute for no reason other than for self. I always choose comfort over anything, so I threw on a fuchsia colored two piece set and some cute black tennis shoes. I was heading to the dealership to get my car serviced for its normal checkup so there was no need for heels or makeup. I walked into the dealership and gave my name and keys to the service technician then found a place to sit that was quiet and not near anyone. I pulled my book out of my purse and put my cell phones up. I knew it would take about an hour, so an hour of reading would get my mind quiet from all of the errands I would run after leaving the dealership.

Naturally, I pay attention to my surroundings, therefore I noticed the older woman to the left of me watching the daily morning show on the TV. There was an older male directly in front of me but a few rows up flipping through a magazine. There was a mother sitting in the kiddie room tending to her active child. Lastly, there was a tall male, no older than 40 years old, that was standing at the coffee machine when I first walked in, who’d just finished getting his drink. He came sat near me but not too close. I would or could say that he could have chosen another seat but I didn’t get the vibe that he was going to be a pest. Normally, I can tell early on. We made eye contact and did the silent hello nod and I returned to my book.

I took a sip of my bottled water and realized I needed to use the restroom. I put my book in my purse and went the the restroom. Once finished in the restroom, I headed back to the waiting area and noticed someone new in the room. It was a younger lady who sat not too far away from the older male that was in front of me. I didn’t go back to my original seat, I moved down one chair to place a bit more space in between me and the tall man from the coffee machine.

As soon as I sat down he said “I promise I took a shower this morning. I didn’t think I smelled that bad.” I looked in his direction and laughed. He said “First you move away from me and now you’re laughing at me. Man, this day has to get better.” I said “You are funny. I was only trying to be socially distant.” Now it was his turn to laugh. I pretended to be offended that he laughed at me. He said “If I were to get you sick from this far away, I assure you that I would pray for your speedy recovery and take great care of you, if you allowed me to.” I thanked him for the sweet joke and pulled my book out of my purse. He notices and says “Thanks for insulting me and laughing at me. Your smile was worth it and your laugh washes away the insult. Enjoy your book Ms. Angela, I’m Deshawn.”

I looked into his eyes and replied, “Nice meeting you Deshawn. I see that you’re an ear hustler.”

He said, “You could say that. I would say that I pay attention to my surroundings or maybe you talk really loud.” I couldn’t help but to laugh because I don’t know how to whisper at all. At this point, I’m obviously intrigued. He was tall, very attractive, well spoken, paid attention to his surroundings, had a sense of humor, offered to pray for me, which could mean he may have a relationship with God and he had beautiful teeth to match. I snap back to reality because my head and heart almost started planning a wedding and I engaged in more small talk with Deshawn.

Fast forward 3 months in and I was trying to figure out how my life changed so fast. I was absolutely smitten and Deshawn’s nose was wide open. Since meeting at the dealership, we talked daily and went on a few dates before we decided to only date one another exclusively. We had our normal date night one night and he went all out. He gifted me flowers, a new dress and shoes to wear for the night. Surprisingly I had a gift for him as well, a new bottle of cologne that he smelled and liked when we were in the mall for lunch one day.

We had grown to know that we both pay attention to each other so I knew something was going to happen tonight but I wasn’t sure what. At dinner he asked me to be his woman. He said that he wants to marry me but he knows that I like to take things slow and I needed time to process it all. He said he knew that I was his wife when he first saw me but he didn’t want to scare me off. If he only knew how close I was to thinking about starting to plan a wedding the first day we met.

Four months later, he proposed to me in a way I’ve always imagined. It was small and intimate and I for the first time ever didn’t have a clue. It was just him, myself and a couple of close friends (literally 4), a professional videographer and photographer to capture the moment. He gave a speech about the number 7 and its significance, since we had been dating for 7 months. He decided that it was time to end the title of being his woman and go into month 8 as his fiancé. New beginnings. Of course I said yes.

Everything about him felt right. I had been in love twice before but never felt like this. It felt like I knew this man before, like home, like comfort. I could actually picture me walking down the aisle to him. I was never able to do that before. Our chemistry was blatant and our communication reminded me of why it took so long to meet the man of my dreams. I had a lot of lessons to learn to prepare me for him. Thank God for the lessons and his perfect timing.

Normally, I would have thought that I was moving too fast but my bones yearned for this man. My heart fluttered with the mere thought of him. We went to church together, prayed together, laughed and cried laughing together. We had a few disagreements but we never went to sleep without resolving them or getting clarity on each others point of view before moving on or going to sleep. He treated me as if he never wanted to lose me. He said that I felt like home and felt safe. He never met a woman like me and he could tell that I had waited for him. I treated him with love, respect and peace. He prayed for that. Our relationship wasn’t perfect but it was perfect for us. Trials and tribulations were a breeze between us. God truly made this experience and blessing worth the wait.

Wedding day didn’t take long to get here. Engagement photos, dress shopping, planning and everything in between, happened so fast. It was all a blur. I was just ready to stand before our God and closest friends to declare our love and commitment. Makeup done, hair and nails, dress is on and the day is going off without a hitch. I exited out of my dressing room and head to the aisle. I didn’t feel nervous or anything. Of course it was beachside adorned with the most beautiful sky and weather I could’ve imagined. There was only about 12 people total to celebrate our union, a few close friends/family and the same videographers and photographers from the proposal/engagement shoot. As I walk down the aisle to the man of my dreams, I make eye contact with everyone in attendance. Not a dry eye in the area. Everyone knows how much each of us had prayed for this moment. The sand is in between my toes, the cool breeze hitting my face, the sun kissing my skin and I’m cherishing each step. Soaking in this long awaited moment.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around but no one was there. Then I felt a shake and everything went black. I opened my eyes and I was back in my room, in my bed. I had just been awaken out of my sleep. It was all a dream. Damn…