It was the fall of 2013, at McQuaid Jesuit’s first middle school dance of the year. We were both in 8th grade, I was standing with a few friends in our cafeteria mid way through the dance when I looked over to first see her. Without looking away I said to my friend “I want to go talk to her.” And promptly walked to the back of the cafeteria where she was standing with a few people. To which I made some self effacing joke about not being able to dance which registered a laugh. I introduced myself and then we proceeded to walk around the rest of the night, talking through the salvos of early 2010s pop music, think Gangnam Style and Party Rock anthem. By the end of the night she was typing her number into my sliding keyboard track phone. And to the advice of no one after only leaving the dance for fifteen whole minutes I was texting her on the drive home trying to get a date. 

She put on this air of hard to get and not interested to come off cool and mysterious, little did I know her parents said she wasn’t allowed to date yet. This was quickly relaxed upon realizing our parents worked together. My father informing me her mother a terrifying lawyer and his advice was to not mess this up.  We got around this no date rule by having a “friends” hangout where our two closets friends and us were allowed to hangout instead. This “hangout” consisted of us immediately leaving the observation of her parents to go to a near by park. In which we all listened to Colby’s favorite One Direction song and played truth or dare. Colby was dared by our friends to kiss me or eat recently thrown out cake from a trash near by. She chose the cake.

The next time we hung out was at my parents by the water. Where I planned to give Colby a four leaf clover from Ireland and attempt to have my first kiss. I, of course gave her the clover and then was a coward and backed out. Both of us assuming then the other wasn’t interested. 

A few months later was the McQuaid formal where I did not take Colby as my date.  I also didn’t think she was at this dance at all. Until when her favorite One Direction song came on and I was singing it with my date, Colby stormed up to me seemingly out of nowhere and angry as all hell that I didn’t ask her to the dance and worse I was singing her favorite song to somebody else. This interaction devolved into us arguing claiming that each other gave no sign of their interest and we somehow argued our way into a date the following week.  Needless to say our dates for this formal were not pleased.

A few weeks later on the way to our date, my father tried giving advice such as hold the door for her, stay until her father picks her up at the end, etc. Our first unaccompanied date saw the two of us awkwardly holding hands watching on of the worst comedy movies of the 2010s (Ride Along). At the end we sat outside the theater. I was waiting for her father to pick her up so I can follow the advice of my father. Little did I know her dad sat in his car the entire time we were there waiting because she was waiting for me to try to kiss her. After 45 minutes I left. A few days later Colby informed me her mom had a new job in Chicago and they were moving. We slowly stopped chatting after that.

~ 9 years later ~

I was scrolling through social media one night when I saw a post by Colby Roberts. She posted that she had gotten into the University of Pennsylvania for graduate school.  I being in Delaware for school had several friends and family in Philadelphia. I checked my contacts, low and behold I still had her number. I do not know what possessed me to text my 8th grade crush on a whim after 9 years of no contact but I did. Saying congratulations on Penn and if she wanted to contact of my sister or friends for advice on Philly. Where to go, what to do, etc. 

She responded. Saying thank you and that she’d love to but me a beer and catch up when she moved to the city.

A few months later she texted me asking my availability, we decided to meet for a drink. Getting to the city I parker at my sisters. She asked who I had a date with, I said I didn’t think it was a date.

I remember sitting at the bar and hearing from behind me “Hey stranger.” I turned and responded, “So what have you been up to the last 9 years?” One drink became dinner, dinner became more drinks. 

Several hours later, waiting for our ubers in the rain, my ride came first. And just like 9 years prior I was ready to hop in. Thankfully, she grabbed my collar and kissed me. I said “I wish you had done that 9 years ago.” She responded “So do I.” 

I got back to my sisters, informed her she was correct as always, and drove back to Delaware. The next day I drove up for another date. One date became a weekend. A weekend became every weekend. 

Six months later we moved in together. Two years later on the rock I had failed to ask her to be my girlfriend, I asked her if she’d marry me. Second time around worked.

Oh, and she still has the tickets from our first date all those years ago.