The Story of Us: The Night We Met (Part II)

Click here if you missed Part I.

After formal introductions were made, I slouched down in the passenger seat as we traveled over winding roads through the heart of town to Leo's house. A light dusting of snow fell from the darkness above, and tires crunched loudly on chunks of ice mixed with road salt. Leo's voice flowed from behind me and mingled with the voices of my two friends, but I was too consumed in thought to pay attention to what was being said. I was silently criticizing my outfit choice, wishing I had chosen contacts over glasses, and cursing my unruly mop of hair.

I slyly glanced at my reflection in the window and impulsively yanked the hair tie from my ponytail, allowing my hair to cascade down to my shoulders. I nervously ran my fingers through the strands. I began fiddling with my glasses, eventually making the decision to slide them off my face entirely and tuck them away into my purse. I couldn’t see a darn thing, but I thought I’d look and feel prettier without them. In reality, the only thing it did was make the rest of the night a literal blur.

As an impressionable eighteen-year-old girl, I was an utter mess in regard to body image and self-image. I didn’t carry myself with confidence, and I didn’t believe that I was beautiful just the way God made me. I spent too much time in front of the mirror, nitpicking my features and lusting after those of others. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin, which left me wholly unsure of myself. I cared too much about what others thought of me, and I felt like the world would swallow me whole in one gulp if I didn’t cover up or change every aspect of myself that I deemed imperfect or “not good enough.”

Truth be told, I thought I had to put my best impression forward for someone to take an interest in me. I didn’t know that Leo would prove me wrong, that he would fall in love with me for who I really was. I didn’t know that when I felt my worst – sans makeup, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt with my hair pulled up in a messy ponytail – he’d consider it my best. I didn’t know that it’d be effortless for me to take hold of his heart.

I eventually abandoned my self-deprecating thoughts and tuned into the conversation that buzzed around me. In doing so, I learned that Leo lived at home with his parents and two siblings. Following his high school graduation earlier that year, he'd enlisted in the Army National Guard, and he’d returned home from basic training just in time for the holidays. He was currently looking for a construction job, hoping to proudly follow in the footsteps of his hard-working father. The fact that he had a connection to the military and ambitions in regard to his future piqued my interest even more.

I spent the remainder of the night lounging on a bench in Leo's basement, sipping my cappuccino and chatting with Amanda while blurry blobs (a.k.a. Leo and his friends) played games of pool. Occasionally, I had the feeling that his eyes were on me from across the room. I could tell with certainty that he was glancing in my direction, but for all I knew (thanks to that not-so-bright idea to stash my glasses), the real focus of his gaze could have very well been something else.

As the night winded down, he caught me alone for a few brief moments. He sat down so close to me that even without perfect vision, his every detail was visible and striking. As my lips formed a smile, his eyes burned into mine, a boldness on his part that sent my gaze to the floor and brushed color to my cheeks. I honestly have no recollection as to what we talked about (aside from his casual mention of a party he was planning to host at his house for New Years’ Eve), but I’m fairly certain that my shyness kicked in full-gear and I barely said two words to him. (I later worried that my quiet nature had sent him an I'm-not-interested vibe.)

On the drive home, I was overrun with giddiness, which alluded me to the fact that a little crush was forming. With a fluttering heart, I replayed the night over and over again, and I wondered if he was as interested in me as I was in him and if I would ever see him again.

As it turned out, he was. And I would.

To those of you who are married or in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other?