A game of college telephone

(If you are new to my blog or just popping over after some time away, I'm nearing the end of a series I've entitled "The Story of Us" where, in honor of our 10 Year Anniversary, I'm writing about how my husband and I met. This is post #13 so you can catch yourself up by first starting out here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and then here).

I recall the exact moment I realized I was falling for Graham. It was after our series of coffee dates, which took place over a two-month period between the end of March and the middle of May. I was in my dorm room with my roommate, Jackie, having just returned from another evening spent with Graham. We were winding down for the night, me sitting in my pajamas atop my pale IKEA dresser, and Jackie, in a chair on the opposite side of the room. She began asking probing questions about all the time I was spending with Graham. There was a tone of teasing to her voice and a smirk across her face. Was I starting to like him? What was going on? It sure seemed like I was acting giddy every time I got to hang out with him. She had me cornered, determined to get the what-for on Graham out of me, once and for all. 

Yet I remained stubbornly stoic to her questioning, refusing to give her the satisfaction of calling me out on my crush. But it was right then, as I sat on top of my dresser, closely examining my reflection in the mirror, that I realized something in me had shifted. I no longer was thinking of Graham in a way one might view a friend. I had begun to think of him romantically. My heart began to pound and there were butterflies in my stomach.

I had let my guard down without even realizing it (the only way it would ever come down) and Graham had snuck in the back door. He knew me better already than anyone ever had, even my closest girlfriends. I had shared with him some of my biggest insecurities and fears and he had affirmed me in some of my darkest places. I really can't explain it but the Lord was doing amazing things in me and it was like suddenly I could see the big picture. This man, right in front of me, the one I said earlier in the year that “I could never date" because of our differences also happened to be, in my humble opinion, the most incredible human to ever walk this earth. He had been pursuing me purposefully and beautifully. He was intentional and curious and adoring. And I suddenly very much wanted to be his girlfriend. 

Isn’t it great how the details in our stories are ever-revealing themselves? I always wondered what gave Graham the final push to ask me out on our first “real” date. As it turns out, it was a real group effort involving many of the characters pictured in this post. Upon inquiring, he revealed to me that there was a leak in my water-sealed, tight-lipped group of college girlfriends. I recall now that I had casually divulged of my shifting feelings toward Graham to one of my floor mates while we were out on a walk one afternoon. I won’t call her out by name (*cough* Lori!!!) but I'm pretty sure I have her to blame (thank!) for the game of telephone that ensued. She didn't tell Graham directly of course. She spilled the beans to his former roommate who had graduated and moved to California (the secret was safe with him because everything said in California stays in California), who then told one of Graham's current housemates while he was visiting him in The Sunshine State. And then it just so happened that Graham was the one available to pick this housemate up from the airport upon his arrival back home. (And women get the bad wrap for not being able to keep a secret...men obviously struggle too. Sheesh! ;)

“Kelsie is ready to date you now,” this housemate blurted out to Graham, as soon as he got in the car. Hot-off-the-press news like that just simply can’t be contained.

Shocked, Graham asked him for his source. The telephone chain of conversation was traced backwards, his excitement growing by the second. It all sounded pretty legit. His time had finally come!


(And PS - see the coat I'm wearing in that first picture? That's the "purple" (BLUE!) coat I keep referring to. Blue? Yes?)