Our love story didn’t start out as such. In fact, the night I met my future husband I remember thinking that I wouldn’t be upset if I never saw this man ever again. He didn’t do anything overtly terrible; it was just a bad first impression.

We met at a social gathering, and the reason I was encouraged to talk to him was because of our shared interest in rock climbing. I was only a novice, but I was very enthusiastic about this newfound passion of mine, so I was very excited to speak to another rock climber. Although I was disappointed after our initial encounter, I changed my mind when I ran into the guy at a rock climbing center. He was helpful, he was humble, and though my guard was still up, I found myself warming up to him.

Having had more experience than me, he was the one who took me climbing outdoors for the first time. We drove for three hours each way, and on the way back it turned out that we both can recite Tim Minchin lyrics and that we both had a fairly recent heartbreak. I later learned that the three-hour singalong on the way back from that first climbing trip was the moment he started falling for me. I, however, was entirely oblivious to his feelings, but thankfully he had good sense to let me know.

There was no explicit “asking out”, but in the interest of getting to know each other and seeing if it would lead somewhere, we started spending time together. Climbing, of course, slacklining, ordering pizza to the local park… I discovered that he wasn’t a foodie, and briefly considered if that would be a deal-breaker, but I am certainly happy I looked past it.

The night that ended up being our first date was a surprise. We were supposed to camp overnight near a rock climbing location, with a plan to spend the next day bouldering. Last minute, I realized I had already made plans with my friends that evening, but Ian insisted on picking me up after, no matter what time. Perhaps the fact that he was so adamant should have tipped me off, but at the time I decided to be adventurous and just go with it.

He picked me up at 11.30pm and drove for over an hour to get to the camping location. As you can imagine, camping doesn’t happen in the center of a city; we were in deep countryside. He stopped the car at the edge of the woods, telling me we have to walk the rest of the way. I warned my best friend that I’d be going on this trip, but when we got out of the car I discovered there was no phone reception. Are your alarm bells going off yet?

To this day I don’t know whether I have really bad instincts (because I did follow this man into the woods in the middle of the night, with not a single soul around), or whether my instincts are next-level amazing. Because it turns out the reason my future husband was so adamant we should still camp that night is because he spent a whole day preparing the spot for a romantic date..

Before he came to pick me up, he already drove to the location that afternoon, gathered firewood, made a cozy seat in a sheltered spot, put up a tent, and took care of food and drinks. He then drove for over an hour just to pick me up and head back. And I guess at that point he knew me well enough to know that I would love it.

Our first date was under a sky full of stars, with just the two of us in a lovely secluded spot. We sat by the fire and talked for hours. We never even kissed that night because both of us were scared to ruin the magic of that moment.

A month later we were living together. We just did not want to be apart. Six weeks after our first date, we were engaged. We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, and the action that would seal the deal would be one of us asking the other. So I did. In a small local pub on the South coast of England, surrounded by the fossils of ammonites, I asked him to marry me. Our small wedding took place on 21 September 2019, and yes, Earth, Wind and Fire was playing.

We are approaching the fifth anniversary of our first date, and looking back, I would not do a single thing differently. I get to spend my life with a kind, compassionate, adventurous, creative, caring man, who understands me like no other person could.

If you liked this love story, check out other real life love stories and fictional romance stories. If you have a story to share, real or fictional, please consider doing so here. Please share on social media using the buttons below, and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice and stories straight in your inbox.

Just a friendly reminder from Creative Romantic to stay safe on your dates.

When I think about the first time I fell in love, I think about how easy it was, and how impossible it could have been. See, people from different generations never stop arguing about how certain things used to be easier, or how they used to be way more difficult. They can never decide. Love is one of those things. There used to be fewer expectations, but also less freedom. Maybe letters were more romantic, but texting is more practical. Well, what I think is that twenty, fifty, or a hundred years ago, I would have never met Alejandra, and our love would have been impossible.

Grandmothers everywhere would be scandalized to hear this, but I met the woman I fell in love with… online. You’d be surprised by how intense and precious simple words can be when there is no option to reach out and simply hold hands. It was, literally, not an option. Because, here’s the catch of our story; we had the entire Atlantic ocean in between us. We were both teenagers; we lacked the money or independence to make that trip without our parents’ support. Parents that would have immediately frowned in confusion and disapproval at the idea of trusting someone you’ve only seen on a screen. Different generations, different opinions.

So, we were just friends. Just friends for years. Just friends even if every day I woke up to a sweet text from her, and every night she went to bed with a loving message from me. Just friends, even if we told each other everything. Every secret, every problem, every moment of joy. We cried together, we laughed together. We spoke the same language, but we teased each other for our different accents.

I bragged about having nice weather the whole year, she made me jealous with tales about cozy winters and exhilarating summers. We were always there for each other, just one text message away. And then, the miracle happened, I got a scholarship that would take me to Madrid.

Now, as I said, we were totally just friends, and so we felt under the obligation of acting casual, nonchalant, like completely platonic friends that hadn’t been dying to meet each other for years. So, I got my own place, she didn’t pick me up at the airport, and we planned to meet calmly the next day. But, the thing is, I didn’t plan to meet her over the internet, I didn’t plan to catch feelings, and I certainly didn’t plan to need her so badly as soon as I stepped out of the plane.

I tried to settle down in my new home, but I grew restless and went out that same day to explore my surroundings, or so I tried. As soon as I was on the street, I found a particularly pretty leaf on the ground. “So this is what you call autumn, huh?” I texted her along with a picture. This was something we used to do all the time, just sharing our days in whatever ways we could. But now, would things be any different?

I was nervous; I didn’t want her to think I was too desperate to see her. However, I was surprised and overjoyed when she replied with a picture too. The message was playful, nothing extraordinary, but there was a trick in the picture. There was a street sign right behind her. I remember my heart skipping a beat when I got the message.

I remember I started asking for directions like a crazy person. I didn’t have time to figure out the public transport system; I pretty much started running. The entire time we continued to exchange casual pictures with more sneaky clues of where exactly we were, closer and closer with each picture. I had crossed the entire ocean. I just needed to find one street, and I was finally, finally there. It was better than any dream. It was perfect. It was also very fitting for us because, once again, it happened to be our phones that brought us together.

If you liked this love story, check out other real life love stories and fictional romance stories. If you have a story to share, real or fictional, please consider doing so here. Please share on social media using the buttons below, and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice and stories straight in your inbox.

Written and photographed by Elizabeth Marie

I think love is one of the most beautiful feelings in this world as it holds great power over most, if not all of us. I grew up on fairytales and happily-ever-afters, reading book after book, watching movie after movie. Then, reality hits me. I learned that it’s not always rainbows and butterflies in the real world, but how come I’ve been living in my own fairytale? Amidst the cruelty and harshness of the world, I grew up to be the main character of my very own love story, living my very own happily-ever-after.

And I’m more than happy to share just one of my favorite chapters in my love story. It’s that chapter you just can’t seem to get off your mind. The chapter whose pages you come running back to after a long, long day. Brace yourselves, this chapter ends faster than you’d want it to. So, enjoy every moment and feel every word, because before you know it, it’s time to keep reading and finish the rest of the book; the book of my life which is still being happily written.

I’ve been with my partner, Marc, for almost five years now. It seems like a long time, but to be honest, time flies especially when you’re with the person you love. Five years seems like a lot of time to be with someone and get to know them, but there’s still so much I want to know about him. We’re still young, and we have our whole lives ahead of us. That’s why we live day by day sharing wonderful memories, beautiful stories, and enjoying as much time as we can together.

When the pandemic came around this time last year, Marc and I went through a lot of hardships in our personal lives and most especially in our relationship. We were used to enjoying each other’s company everyday, but due to the lockdown, the distance, and our busy lives, we didn’t have the chance to see each other for almost a year. It was definitely unexpected but we’re not quitters. We called each other as much as we can, laughing our hearts out over the phone each night.

Love is not something you find, it’s something that you work for with passion, dedication, and commitment. We both knew that and so we still had the most wonderful year together regardless of the distance or the fact that I haven’t been able to see his beautiful smile in person.

But just a month before my birthday, I received the best news I’ve heard all year. Marc had planned a three-day long vacation at our favorite beach to celebrate my birthday. We were going to spend a few days together with both of our families, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I love the beach, but at that point, anywhere in the world with Marc for even just a day was more than perfect. We had the most amazing time together that I was convinced it was all a dream. It honestly didn’t feel real to me.

“I missed you!”

Those were the first words he said to me the first time we saw each other again, along with a big smile on his face, hugging me as tight as he could. The days were filled with fun, adventure, and excitement as we spent hours swimming in the cool water and soaking up the warmth of the sun. We talked endlessly and laughed until we cried. My cheeks hurt from smiling all day because he is the most precious person in the world, and he was finally in front of me again.

My phone and laptop screen have been lying to me all this time. His smile was more beautiful in person and his eyes shined with happiness every time he looked at me. His presence and his energy made me forget my problems for a second, like how I have tons of paperwork back at home waiting for me.

At that moment, all I could do was stare as if I was falling in love with him for the first time. Only, I’ve been in love with him for the last five years, but I don’t understand why I still feel the butterflies and why I was still grinning from ear to ear the whole time we were together. I’ve never felt more at home than I did with him.

The nights were even better. Everything was calm, the world was falling asleep, and I was still falling in love. We sat by the beach, watching the bonfire as I laid my head on his shoulder while we listened to the waves crashing by the shore. For half an hour, we didn’t say anything because we didn’t have to. For the first time in a long time, we sat in silence as the moment spoke all the perfect words for us.

The way that my hands fit perfectly into his, like they were made for me. Crafted to perfection, a perfect mold just for my tiny little hands to fit into. They were warm and comforting, I almost forgot just how I loved holding hands with him.

We still talked; looking back I’m surprised we didn’t run out of things to talk about. But, I guess that’s just how it is when you’re with the right person, your better half. Even when you can’t think of the perfect words to say or when you don’t say anything at all, they know what you’re thinking. It’s almost as if your hearts and minds are in always in sync.

But with each hello comes a good bye. Three days felt nothing like days. The car ride home was the fastest seven hours of my life. I spent the first few hours trying to memorize his angelic face knowing this might be the last time I see it in a while. I pulled out all the best jokes I have so I could hear his hearty laugh and to have a glimpse of that charming smile of his. I lay my head on his shoulder, wrapped my arms around his, and closed my eyes, not to fall asleep, but to enjoy his presence and the last few hours we had together.

The way he looked at me made we want to go back. If I could just have one more day. I wasn’t ready to say good bye just yet. Unfortunately, good chapters must come to an end, too. He placed the softest kiss on my forehead and hugged me as if it was the last time we were going to see each other. And frankly, I don’t blame him. He smiled at me with the biggest smile and I smiled back.

“I’ll miss you” he said to me, as he looked at me, grinning from ear to ear.

And just like that, he was gone. One minute he was sitting beside me, and the next minute he wasn’t. We were back to phone calls and seeing each other through the screen. I miss the meaningful silence. I miss the sound of his heart beat. His presence, his energy. How my hands fit perfectly into his. Until we meet again, my love.

If you liked this love story, check out other real life love stories and fictional romance stories. If you have a story to share, real or fictional, please consider doing so here. Please share on social media using the buttons below, and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice and stories straight in your inbox.

When people ask me how my husband and I first met, my answer is always the generic one: “Oh, you know, we met through mutual friends and hit it off.” It also tends to come with a small white lie—that our love blossomed in the summer of 2017. But the honest truth is that I knew I loved him by March 12th of that year, less than 48 hours after only a single conversation with him that left me feeling absolutely furious.

It’s not everyone’s idea of a fairytale, but it’s the start of my fairytale. This may seem cliché or exaggerated, but when I look at who I was then compared to who I am now, it’s very clear that I’d locked myself away in a tower, of sorts. I think it’s a good story that deserves to be told. So here it goes:

Our First Meeting – Forgetting English

Once upon a time, Ricardo was just a strange boy in overalls who forgot English every time I spoke to him. Back in those days, my occasional free evenings were spent with my college friends, who at that point had all graduated and managed to find jobs in the city.

I, on the other hand, had just begun a daunting Master’s program earlier that fall. Phrases like “top of my game” and “shining star” echoed in my head, dangling like carrots in front of every assignment and every lecture. My plan was to eventually land a great job and move to a major city like New York or Washington D.C.

But the work was grueling. The climb of my first semester left me feeling incredibly lonely and worn out. So by the start of my spring semester in 2017, I was trying to re-incorporate some semblance of a social life. I also really missed all my friends.

Not long before, my best friend had started a new job and took a real liking to a colleague named Ricardo. While I’d been busy in my program, Ricardo had settled right into my social circle. Most of my friends had immigrated to the United States at a young age, and I was the only one who was not bilingual.

I remember the glow of streetlights and the cool breeze of early spring. Ricardo would come walking up with some friends, laughing and chatting about something I couldn’t make out. Then we’d make eye contact, and he’d smile and nod. It felt like we’d been friends forever, without ever having spoken a word. But I couldn’t reconcile that sense of connection with the reality that he and I just couldn’t seem to hold a conversation.

Like this one night, we were all meeting up at a favorite Korean karaoke joint. Some things just never get old. Throughout the night, I’d try and say something interesting to Ricardo or ask him a question. He’d just look me in the eyes, nod his head cheerfully, and then freeze. Moments later, he’d start whispering to one of our friends in Spanish. After a couple of attempts, I gave up. Maybe his English skills weren’t there, or maybe he just didn’t have anything he wanted to say to me.

A friend eventually caved and revealed a secret: Ricardo hadn’t stopped asking her about me since he saw me tagged in a photo on Facebook several months earlier. Apparently, one look at my smile had been enough for him. And I had been so busy with my new program that I’d missed all of this. And he was so nervous around me that he would freeze and forget English.

The First Date – The First Rejection

It was adorable, but I was immediately concerned. My program was too demanding, and I really hadn’t dated before. I especially didn’t like the idea of dating someone who already seemed to like me so much. He could only ever be disappointed, I told myself. In my mind, there was no point. I’d open myself up to him, and he’d realize that I simply couldn’t live up to his expectations.

When a text message finally arrived from him asking me on a date (yes, a text message), suggesting either burgers or a movie, I turned him down as politely as I could. But I still felt so bad. He avoided me for a few weeks after that, and I felt somewhat relieved when things got busy with school again. It was a lot of discomfort for two people who had never even spoken to each other before.

But that was just the beginning. Almost immediately, my friends planned a road trip to the Grand Canyon, and they made sure the timing aligned with my spring break. They insisted that Ricardo was over my rejection and that it would be a fun trip. I reluctantly agreed and then counted down the weeks, then days, then hours.

I remember sitting in my apartment with my bags packed, waiting for them to pick me up. The Expedition that we had rented pulled up to my building on a Friday evening. We were going to try and make as much headway as we could overnight. I approached the van and saw that Ricardo was driving. And the only spot left for me was in the front passenger seat beside him. I shrunk back a bit. I had sensed that it would be a bit uncomfortable for both Ricardo and I, but this was a different level. I climbed up, shut the door, and watched the road before us as the sky turned increasingly dark.

The Beginning of Our Adventure – The Infuriating First Conversation

By midnight, our friends had fallen asleep, but I was still wide-awake. The navigation system offered a soft light between Ricardo and I, and a gentle rain began to fall. I watched through the windows as the weather grew worse. Before long, the rain was descending onto the windshield with a fury. It only amplified my uneasiness.

“Jackie,” Ricardo whispered.

It felt as though I was hearing my name for the first time. His eyes remained fixed on the road.

“Yes?” I managed to squeak out.

“I’ll be very careful, and I love driving in the rain. I’m used to it; it rains a lot where I’m from. So you can just relax and rest.”

His words were so crystal clear. I jumped at the chance to finally talk to him.

“Yeah, they told me you’re from a small town that’s really pretty.”

“I am. One day I’ll take you there, if you like?”

I felt my heart flutter. Did he still have feelings for me?

“I… that would be so nice,” I stuttered, being very careful with my words. “Hopefully, I’ll have time to break away.”

“You must like to be very busy. We were all kind of surprised that you even came on this trip,” he said.

I felt a bit taken aback, although I wasn’t sure why.

“Well, yeah. If I want to be successful, I’ll have to work really hard.”

“Even if it makes you unhappy? Even if you don’t get to see your friends?”

I gave an uneasy laugh. That was incredibly presumptuous, and I felt myself getting defensive.

“I want to be successful. Everyone in my family has been super successful. They’re all lawyers, doctors, journalists, you know… they’re all the best at what they do. I want that.”

He thought about this for a moment.

“So, if you’re not the best at something, they’ll kick you out?”

I burst out laughing, and he smiled.

“What if I told you that I like your company the best? Would that make you feel successful?”

I didn’t like where the conversation was headed.

“You don’t even know me,” I said, trying to speak quietly. “I think this might be our very first conversation. You asked me out in a text message.”

“I’m shy,” he whispered.

“Yeah, I know. You forget English. Except to tell me I’m unhappy and naive in the most obvious ‘negging’ attempt of all time. You’re still trying to ask me out after I told you, ‘no.’”

“You already turned me down. I have nothing to lose.”

There was another brief silence.

“And I’ve decided that I’ll still want a date with you in 10 years or whenever you realize that you are unhappy,” he continued, which caught me completely off-guard.

“But I don’t want to wait that long if I don’t have to. I might as well try one more time.”

I felt my heart flutter, but I was also angry again.

“What do you even like about me?” My question felt more like an accusation.

“I have a feeling.”

“Oh, you have a feeling.” I echoed mockingly, not even trying to hide how insulted and confused I felt.

“Do you have a feeling?” He asked. The rain was beginning to subside.

“I feel tired.” I snapped, turning my back to him and looking out the window. I wanted to cry so desperately.

“Hmmm,” he said quietly, “makes sense, makes sense.”

The Realization and the Beginning of the Rest of Our Lives

I didn’t talk to him at all the next day. Once we arrived at the Grand Canyon, I found myself still fuming about what a misogynistic jerk he was and how relieved I was that I hadn’t gone on a date with him in the first place.

But by Sunday afternoon, the fresh air had gotten to me. I managed to admit something to myself that I had been denying: I was so unhappy in that program. My life felt directionless. I didn’t know what I wanted, besides to be successful. More than anything, I was embarrassed that my own failure (because it felt like failure to me at the time) was somehow so obvious to a complete stranger.

I also admitted to myself that Ricardo wasn’t a bad guy and that I hadn’t reacted so well to the things he said. I decided that I wanted to apologize. I approached him while he was separate from the rest of the group.

“I’m sorry for getting so upset with you the other night. But you assumed a lot about me. I want you to know that I want a career because it’s something that’s important to me. It’s always been important to me.”

He looked surprised and nodded slowly. His eyes drifted from my face to the scenery behind me. He looked so serious for a minute, and then his face softened and he looked back at me.

“Burgers?”

A smile began to form at the corners of my lips, and I rolled my eyes slightly.

After a moment, I shook my head, shrugged and said, “You’re good.”

He laughed and also shrugged, saying, “Maybe, maybe.”

And just like that, Ricardo went from being a complete stranger to an arch nemesis to a person who seemed to know me better than I knew myself. The funniest thing of all for me is that these days, two dogs and two kids later, we never seem to stop talking. It’s such a complete switch from those early days that sometimes I look back and can hardly believe it myself.

If you liked this love story, check out other real life love stories and fictional romance stories. If you have a story to share, real or fictional, please consider doing so here. Please share on social media using the buttons below, and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice and stories straight in your inbox.

Introduction

Every little girl dreams of her wedding day, and I was no exception. I dreamed of wearing my mother’s dress, walking down the aisle in the church I grew up in, and marrying the man that my family loved. However, that was not the case for me. This story is fraught with spiritual growth, maturity, abuse, and prayer. If it was not for the grace of God, I would be in a cult today of my mother’s making. My name is Kortney, and this is my love story.

The Road to Salvation

Part of the story begins with my lifestyle as I grew up. I grew as a stereotypical black girl in Philadelphia. My parents divorced when I was five years old, my father left my mother with two little girls to care for full-time, and he would pick us up on the weekends to hang out and learn life lessons from him. As I grew up, I was fraught with conflict because I wanted to please my parents enough that, maybe, they would stop fighting and my mother wouldn’t be so miserable. My mother taught me to take the “honor your mother and father” thing way too far. It got to the point where I didn’t really think for myself.

As time went on, my Mother pursued other relationships, married again, had a second set of kids, and divorced again. After that, men were dead to our family of five, and we were determined to grow up as a group of strong, independent black women… except for my little brother. For most of my life, I felt like a mother to my younger siblings. Mostly because I was taught to resent my father and help around the house. I felt like since I was the oldest I had to replace him. My sister and I were best friends at this point, and my little brother and sister were like my children at times. We were all very close…but that bond wouldn’t be as unbreakable as I thought.

“We” felt that our “strength” and “independence” were hindered by my mom’s first and second ex-husbands constant influence. When in reality, my step-father saw the mistreatment of my little brother and sister and wanted to take them out of my mother’s custody. Miraculously, she heard a revelation from God that we needed to move to Texas. So in 2011, she sold our home, packed our bags, and crammed two teenagers, two toddlers, and two cats into one car, and drove to salvation. During that time, I began to question some things that were happening to me:

• Why have I not seen my father in 3 years?
• Why hasn’t Dad called in a year?
• Why can’t I go out with my friends?
• Why can’t I go to college out of state?

Then The Trouble Started

In 2017, I was old enough that I said that I needed to move to a college town. My family decided that this meant that we all needed to move to a college town. So we ended up moving to Fort Worth, Texas where I would attend community college. During that time, I felt strongly about our family being a part of a church, and I thought that it would be good for us to join one. However, I refused to go to a church of predominately white or black people. I told my mother, “I’m not going to attend a church with an uneven ethnicity in either direction because that’s not what heaven will look like. I want my younger siblings to go to a church with diversity and learn from all kinds of cultures!” My mother said okay and gave me the task of choosing the church. And that’s when it happened. I found what we’ll call in this story Diversity Baptist Church.

We fell in love with Diversity Baptist Church as soon as we entered their doors. We couldn’t believe all the opportunities, amenities, and friendships that were waiting to be had. After two weeks of attendance, I felt like there weren’t any cute guys my age to be seen…and that’s when he walked out of the drum cage. If I told you that he was walking in slow motion, you wouldn’t believe me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He was dressed like a hipster with his blond, side-swept hair and brown leather dress shoes. He didn’t smile, and he immediately left as soon as he walked out, but I was intrigued by him.

Months went by as I crushed on Elias from afar, too afraid to make the first move and subtly flirting with him – however, I’ve never found that subtle flirtation works with men. During that time my family became a prominent family in the church and joined the choir. Everyone in my family can sing and we were known for our ability to harmonize with one another and other people at church. I couldn’t believe someone as cute as him existed! I did research around the church and heard that he had a girlfriend, so I decided that I would at least be his friend. We talked every now and then, but he kept his distance for some reason – I didn’t understand why. Fortunately, through our friendship, I was able to follow him on Instagram one week before he would eventually ask me out. And that’s when everything started to change.

On May 20, 2018, I noticed that Elias wasn’t there. Where could he be? I asked our music leader where our drummer was and he said, “Oh! Yeah, Elias has a stomach bug and wasn’t able to make it.” Well, I found this unacceptable. My friend was gone, and I had to check on him. Immediately after church, I sent him an Instagram message asking how he was doing. He said that I was sweet to check on him and that he was doing much better. He explained that he started taking a new medication, but he was feeling much better. Eventually, we talked more and he asked me what my plans were for the day, and I told him that I purchased a classic movie and I planned on watching it. He asked if I would be interested in watching it with him on Saturday instead and he would treat me to dinner. I asked him if it was a date, and he said that it was. I was so excited.

In May 2017, Elias and I had our first date. He and I lived an hour apart from each other, but seeing him was worth the ride. As I listened to romantic, classical jazz music, I looked at the beautiful landscapes and trees as I drove down the highway. I didn’t realize it at the time but Elias lived in a university town. He worked very closely with a prominent college, and I fell in love with the town immediately. I arrived at his door, and he greeted me wearing shorts, a pink shirt, and sneakers. I had never seen him so casual, and my crush on him was just getting stronger.

It was a beautiful date where we walked around town and discussed our interests, had subtle touches and glances, and I really felt like I could be on my first date with my husband. One of the places that he took me to was the library. As we perused the books, I asked him what made him decide to take me on a date? He said that he always thought that I was cute but he thought that I was 18. He heard that my sister was 20 and that we were two years apart and assumed that I was too young to date. At this point, I was 23, and I thought that was hilarious. We went back to his house, ate pizza, and watched a movie together. After our date, he walked me to my car, hugged me, and left. Later, I learned that he told his mother that he believes that he would marry me.

The First, First Kiss

A month later, Elias and I were on a date, and he asked me if I did anything interesting this week. At this point, I wanted to start giving him presents, and I also wanted to see if he was dating anyone else since we weren’t exclusive. So I told him that I went to the store to buy him a present (some silly socks with avocados on them), and I asked the sales representative if he could tell me where the men’s section was. He said that he’d take me and since it was a bit of a walk he started to make some light conversation with me. He said, “who are you buying the socks for?” and I kind of hesitated. What should I call him? I thought to myself. Well, I told him that I was getting them for a friend but that didn’t seem right. So I asked Elias, “What should we call each other exactly? Is that the right thing?” Elias thought for a moment and said, “I’d really like it if you called me your boyfriend.” After that we were exclusive.

After our date, he drove me home, and the whole time I knew that I wanted to kiss him. I was so nervous, and I didn’t know what to say to him. We were just sitting in the car at this point. We kept kind of saying goodbye and we gave each other long glances. That’s when we had our very awkward first kiss. He said, “come give me a hug.” And I reached over and gave him a hug. Then he gently said in my ear, “I’m gonna kiss you now. Is that okay?” I said yes and then we kissed. He held me for a moment and our eyes locked.

“What?” he said nervously. “Was it bad?”

“It wasn’t bad!” I replied. “I just think I need another one.” He chuckled to himself and kissed me again. Then I said goodbye, and I’d text him again later.

As time went on, our relationship grew and grew. We would debate on what movies were best, discuss theology, play video games, and share secrets. Sometimes we would spend long nights together and forget that we had work in the morning (and that I had an hour-long drive back). We were falling in love, and in October we would finally tell each other on the car ride home.

Kortney’s Choice

Our relationship was starting to get serious very quickly. After a month we decided to be exclusive and four months later, I told my mother that I was falling in love with Elias. She was very unhappy and began to do whatever she could to hinder our relationship from blooming any further. The first thing that she did was tell me that seeing him twice during the week and on weekends was too much. She asked that I only try to see him on Saturdays and Sundays. She said that the stress of me not being home was affecting my younger siblings and no one ever knew what was going on with me. I agreed to this because I loved my family, and I didn’t want to see them suffer. Soon she asked that I try to only see Elias after church on Sundays. She said that I needed to focus more on school, work, and the family and spend less time with him. After that, she started working some night shifts and said that she missed seeing me and asked if every other Sunday could be a day where we spend time together as a family. So I hesitantly agreed to that too.

Eventually it got to the point where I was seeing my now boyfriend once a month! I couldn’t understand it! Why was she keeping me from seeing him if she said she was happy for me? I broke my heart to have to call Elias and explain that we would only be allowed to see each other once a month. Elias and I had a heart to heart once I suggested that we try to only see each other once a month. He said that he thought it was too excessive and couldn’t imagine seeing his own girlfriend so infrequently. I confronted my Mom and told her that I was a woman, and I needed to see my boyfriend more often. I told her that I would make it work any way that I could and not skimp out on spending time with the family, but I wanted to see this man. She was upset but accepted the terms.

Eventually, things got too hostile where I was living. My mother was shutting me out; she was always tired and angry. My siblings were taking the brunt of her anger when I messed up. I was tired of feeling insecure, and I was in my last year of community college. That’s when I decided to apply to a university near where Elias lived. I told my family my plan to move out and live near Elias but not to live with him because I believe that you should only live with a man you’re either related to or married to. My mother flipped out. She accused me of having sex with him outside of marriage, giving up my life for a man, and said that I would be pregnant and barefoot with nowhere to go in a year. She said that he would leave me, and I would come crawling back to my family. She said that I was a bad influence on my siblings.

Despite her words, I worked hard to find myself in a new living situation. I was accepted to the university that I wanted to go to, I got a job as a live-in nanny, and a second job as a sales associate. There were weekdays where I didn’t have school or work that I would come home to my family and help drop the kids off to school, clean, or take my siblings out for the day. However, my relationship with my mom was getting more and more volatile as time went on. During that time, Elias and I went to church and learned more about each other. There were many nights where I would hang out at Elias’ house and just cry because of the hate that I was getting from my mother. I knew that our relationship was moving fast for her, but at this point, we had been dating for a year.

In August 2018, I told my mother that I wanted to marry Elias and that he and I had been discussing it. She said that if I married him that I shouldn’t bother talking to her again. I asked her why, and she said that I was too young to get married and that I was too inexperienced. She said that he was rude, stubborn, and reminded her of my step-father. I told her that he wasn’t that way and that she didn’t get to know him. I tried to persuade her, and it didn’t work. I drove to Elias’ house at midnight and cried my eyes out in his arms and slept on his couch that night. He didn’t think it was safe for me to have even driven to his house in the first place.

Elias didn’t want to stand by and do nothing so he decided that he had enough of the verbal abuse and manipulation I was receiving. We met with my mother, and all she did was bash my character. We went to the elders about it concerned, and they tried to meet with her but she was too angry to reconcile with them and said that she didn’t trust them. Then we tried to meet with some friends that she was close to but she never showed up for the meeting. The reason that she didn’t show up for the meeting was that she witnessed two of her other friends die in a car accident outside of the church and was planning their funeral that previous week. For some reason, she decided to plan the funeral on the day that she was scheduled to meet with me and only scheduled to talk with Elias and I for one hour. I was crushed.

In November, my mom calls me and tells me that she and my siblings are going to be moving back to Philadelphia in April and wanted to know if I was coming. I told her that I was not and that I was going to finish my degree to become a teacher. She said she doubted that I could take care of myself and that when I need a plane ticket I should call. Elias and I discussed this together, and he said that he thinks that we should get married. He said that he would be able to care for us both on his salary, help pay for school, and I could just focus on my education. He said that he loved me so much, and he didn’t want me to want for anything. He said that he wanted to design our wedding rings and my engagement ring and said it could all be done by December. However, I said that I wanted to wait to see if by then we could patch things up with my mother. We tried and tried but never could. I told Elias that I didn’t care anymore and that I loved him. I knew that being with him was the right thing to do and that I loved him. I told him that we could get married at any time.

Friday night, January 2019, Elias calls me says that he wants to take me on an impromptu morning date on Saturday. I agreed, and I thought that it was weird that he wanted to meet with me on such short notice. I begin to think to myself that he’s going to propose so I got into the cutest outfit that I could. It was a very cold winter that year, but I was cute and bundled. I drove to his house to see what we were doing, and he looked at me and laughed. He said that I looked cute but I was dressed for a night out on the town. He grabbed one of his hoodies, his hat, and told me to change into my work sneakers. Then he drove me to our favorite fast food place for breakfast. He drove out to a beautiful, open field with dewy grass and a lake. We sat in the car drinking our coffees and eating our food.

We were joking and laughing like we always did with lofi music playing on the radio. Then be became deadly serious. He said that he loved me and that he knew after our first date that I was the woman that he wanted to spend his life with. He said that he had never met a woman like me before and couldn’t believe that someone so kind loved someone like him. Then he kissed me with one of the deepest kisses I had ever received. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and told him that I had always prayed for a man like him. I told him that I wanted to be his wife and that I was so thankful that we met. Then he said that he wanted to ask me something…he asked if I wanted to go to his mother’s birthday party the following Saturday. I was hesitant, but said yes. Then he drove me home, kissed me, and said that I could come over to his place that day at 4 PM.

So the next Saturday came and I decided to dress really cute (black skirt, black heels, floral top, and skin-toned pantyhose). On the way there I ended up ripping my stocking and asked Elias if we could run to Walmart to get a new pair. As we drove to Walmart I said to him, “Oh! Honey, did you want to come inside with me to get a present for your Mom?”

“No, I’ll wait here.”

“You don’t even want to get a card or something?” I asked.

“Nope. It’s all good. Mom doesn’t care about stuff.” He gave me some money for the pantyhose and told me to hurry back so we could get there on time. Once we arrived at the party, I was greeted by his Mom, Dad, sister, and Auntie. They were all smiles as usual, and I suspected nothing. After we sang happy birthday and blew out the candles, she said that she was ready for presents. I was so embarrassed because I forgot a present as well. After everyone gave a gift, Elias turned to me and proposed. It was a beautiful band of twisted silver and pink gold. Atop the band were three beautiful pearls, my favorite gem. I said yes and then his family clapped and cheered. Then they all left the table and brought in presents for us. His sister gave us crystal champagne flutes and his mother and aunt gave us a vintage wedding dress from the 70s; it was beautiful.

Once the party was over, Elias told me that the party wasn’t over yet. He said that he wanted to watch a movie with me and talk for a while until 1 AM. After that was going to be a lunar eclipse, so we traveled out in the country and looked at the stars. As the eclipse hung in the sky, we sat in his car, and he showed me all the constellations. Elias looked over at me and noticed the tears in my eyes. He asked me what was wrong. I told him that many people are kind to us, but not everyone would be accepting of our relationship. I told him that the world, my parents, and many others would have issues with us. I asked him if he was sure that he wanted me and told him that if he changed his mind while we were engaged that I would understand. He said that there wasn’t anyone else in the world that he wants other than me. As we sat in silence we listened to “I’ll Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie.

The next day I sat next to Elias and called my mother. We told her we were engaged, and she yelled at us. She said that we wouldn’t last, and he only wanted one thing out of me. Then, she hung up on us. However, we proceeded with the wedding plans. I texted my Mom and told her that they were still welcomed to come to the wedding, but I wouldn’t get a reply from them until two weeks before our wedding in April. During that time Elias and I went through premarital counseling and answered some really hard questions about how we saw marriage, each other, whether divorce was an option, biblical grounds for divorce, how to deal with problems, and many other topics. We grew so much from those things being discussed that it set a very important foundation for our marriage. To this day we don’t argue for longer than an hour and during our whole marriage, we’ve risen our voices at each other twice. But for the most part, we’ve vowed to always speak kindly and discuss things thoroughly.

The Wedding Day

Fortunately, our wedding day was just like any other wedding. I walked down the aisle, we said our “I Do’s,” and we were wed. We had a morning wedding with a breakfast theme, and we decided to make it a small event. Many of my friends were there to celebrate, and they wished us well and wrote us cards. My mother and younger siblings did show up but they only stayed for the ceremony, took a few pictures, and immediately left. Fortunately, my Dad was able to fly from Philadelphia to walk his daughter down the aisle. We had cake, bagels, fruit, and coffee. Then we went to a small Irish inn located in town that was fun and affordable. Our plan was to go to Japan in 2020 but…well, that didn’t happen (pandemic).

Marriage

Our marriage today is strong and loving. I never thought that being married could be this wonderful in my life. Today, I work as a freelancer and a writer. He works as a teacher and makes leather wallets on the side. We love God, each other, our cat, and two ferrets. As for my relationship with my family, it got complicated. My father and I are closer than we ever were before. Much of 2018 and 2019 was spent with him telling me the truth of my birth, their divorce, and the mental abuse that he went through. My father left because he knew if he stayed, he would have died from the depression. We realized that my mother needs help, and I’ve tried to help her. However, she still does not respect our marriage and currently is no longer talking to us. She did, however, decide to move up to Pennsylvania and start a farm and potentially a church. She has caused my siblings to believe that I abandoned them, and they are no longer speaking to me either.

Elias and I rarely ever get attacked for being an interracial couple. However, people have made comments about how evil white people are that I shouldn’t be with him. One woman said that interracial relationships were on the same level of evil as bestiality and pedophilia. But, we don’t let those things bother us because we know it’s not true and that we’re happy. Elias and I are hoping to add a little bundle of joy to our family this year as well, so wish us luck. And that’s our story.

If you liked this love story, check out other real life love stories and fictional romance stories. If you have a story to share, real or fictional, please consider doing so here. Please share on social media using the buttons below, and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice and stories straight in your inbox.

Finding genuine and pure love is not the easiest thing on this planet. When I was a teen, TV shows and movies made me feel that dating happens naturally. We meet someone in a random place, feel some spark, and then go to a date. Everything just seemed so effortless.

When I was single, I was not in actual search of the true love of my life. However, I made an account on Tinder just for fun. That’s where my fairytale started.

In the beginning, I was so fascinated about the Tinder algorithm and how people can connect. Some days passed, and I found this handsome guy in a stylish jacket and curly hair. I swiped right immediately and found some magical words on my mobile’s screen: “It’s a match.”

We then started talking, and I found that he has an excellent sense of humor. When we met in-person for the very first time, he was shy and nervous. The date went well, but I was not quite ready to declare him my dream guy. But that feeling changed right after 3 hours as he texted me and told me exactly how he felt about the date and how he enjoyed being in my company.

I was hooked after that conversation because I haven’t met any guy who is so forthright about his feelings just after the first date. That’s when I started to fall in love with him.

We have been together for five years, and whenever someone says the word “love”, his face now shows up in front of me. We have seen numerous ups and downs in our relationship, but we’re still together and will always be together because we give each other space. We respect each other’s perspective. When things get pretty ugly, we give time to ourselves to recover and heal.

Everyone wants to be loved, but it’s essential to show love too. The primary key of our healthy and happy relationship is that we regularly “appreciate” each other. Never forget how you used to put efforts to impress your partner when you first started dating. Put in those efforts regularly to have a fulfilling relationship, and that’s how love and romance never fade away!

There was a point in my life when I was fired from my job. For some time, I thought of myself as a low-energy person. But soon I realized that my fatigue and demotivation was a sign of depression. My boyfriend is very supportive, so he suggested a therapist, but I resisted because I thought that my mental illness is not something that needs to be “treated”!

Things started to crumble when we moved in together after this incident. I wanted to sleep all day and had no interest in things that I used to love. One day my boyfriend took me to the park because I hadn’t left home for two weeks. He talked to me for 5 hours straight. He made me realize that depression is not something to be ashamed of. I resisted seeing the therapist, so he went to a therapist, discussed my condition, and started helping me. We did meditation, worked out, and some mental health exercises, and then I began to recover because I knew I was not alone in this battle. The best partner is not someone who supports you when you are already the best version of yourself but the one who holds you when you are at your worst!

Besides that, never let the fun part of your relationship go away. My boyfriend and I have made countless fun memories together, and we do silly things every next day. We turn on the music on super high volumes and one of us dance in the kitchen while the other one makes the meal. We write cheesy and romantic letters to each other in an old fashioned way. We always surprise each other; he gets me some flowers and chocolates and ends up eating all by himself.

One of the best things about my relationship is that we strive to accomplish our relationship goals together. We have accepted our imperfections, and we trust each other’s judgment. We believe that chains never holds the relationship, but the partners have to sew many threads to keep them attached for a whole life. Just remember, stay sincere and true to yourself first. Never hide your light or dark side. Because if you have a genuine partner who knows your worth, they will never go anywhere.

If you liked this love story, check out other real life love stories and fictional romance stories. If you have a story to share, real or fictional, please consider doing so here. Please share on social media using the buttons below, and sign-up for our newsletter to receive advice and stories straight in your inbox.