Highway to Happy

Because today is August 8, I will permit myself to shamelessly spill to the universe what happened exactly 7 years ago that brought, and still is showering, my life with the most amount of joy.

I was 15 then. And even though Taylor Swift hadn’t written that song about a boy who will tell you he loves you, do everything for you to believe him and later on change his mind, I was well aware of the risks and instability, along with the almost- impossibility, of falling in love at a tender age of 15. But, as soppy as it sounds, there was one soul who made me question my firmest reservations in life and in love.

Here goes my story:

It was like any given Friday for most people. But for me and him, it offers a ray of possibility for the day to turn into our lives’ most important, so far. The night before, we agreed on setting everything straight. I couldn’t have a boyfriend just yet but I was, based on my juvenile yet sincere view of emotions, certainly in love with him. He said he would wait for as long as I want him to and seeing me wear the bracelet he gave two years ago would be the signal. I said I would give my answer the next day.

And so came August 8.

I saw him first thing that morning. He looked at me, and the next second, he was staring at my empty wrist. I didn’t wear the bracelet and my heart broke into pieces when I gazed at his puffy dog eyes. But just to make it clear, I wasn’t in any way unsure of my feelings. It was just that the night we agreed on my mentioned terms, I was taken over by awe, realizing, ‘here comes my life’s turning point’.

Granted, I was in 3rd year high school, with so much ahead of me, including so much male options, how could I be already considering about forever, right? Believe it or not, I was. I earnestly considered that moment to be the story I would tell my children and my children's children about, so it might as well be epic.

Going back to that fateful day, I intended not to wear the bracelet- YET. I endured hours of avoiding his worrisome looks, pretending not to care when deep inside I was dying to just put on the bracelet and end his suffering. But that would ruin the plan. So I waited, until it was time to leave school and make that 360 degree turn.

Every cell in body was shaking. Knees wobbly and all, I acted cool and approached him. He was looking so defeated, as if expecting me to break the bad news. But before I said anything, I took the bracelet from my pocket, handed it to him and asked if he could put in on my wrist. He flashed me his happiest smile and in my heart, I vowed to keep him that happy forever.

The rest, as opposed to what others say, is now.

You might ask how I figured out he’s the right one, when I was, without argument, so naïve and young and hadn’t seriously been with any other guy, after all. Well, that’s the thing.

His love never made me wonder if there will be other loves greater than what he offers me. The way he treats me, the way he makes me laugh, I am filled with overflowing love and affection that I never had to consider something else, someone else. He makes me feel loved and wanted and secured every second of every day. And I knew head-on that’s the state I would forever want to be in.

I guess, all I’m saying is, he said “I love you” when we were fifteen. And that sealed my heart.