Our second date was probably our first test as a couple and we weren’t even official yet. After not seeing each other for the better part of 6 weeks while Caleb was going through Chief season and I was adjusting to living on my own with the girls for the first time, I almost missed our second date. Which happened to be Caleb’s Khaki Ball. I scrambled to find a last minute babysitter and thankfully made it just in time. We most likely would not have continued to see each other had I not made it that night.

On our first date, Caleb kept saying how nervous he was. He didn’t want to mess things up or sound too country, even though I love his country accent. I asked him, “what’s the worst that could happen?” And he responded, “you could slap me!” I laughed and insisted on the story behind that one. He went on to tell me how a girl had slapped him on a first date for simply being a gentleman. I assured him I was not that kind of girl. He said something to me that night that has stuck with me ever since. When I asked him how he handles conflict in a relationship, his answer proved to me he was well worth making the time for. He said “if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to talk about” and I will never forget it.

Deciding the right time to introduce my kids to a man is a tricky place to be in. By the time we reached Christmas, the girls knew I was seeing Caleb and were insisting on meeting him. They could tell he was different than previous men I’d dated. So the day after Christmas Caleb came over and met my girls. Watching how well he interacted with them gave me the reassurance I needed to prove to myself he was it for me. No man had ever immediately loved my daughters and cared for them the way Caleb did and still does to this day. Kailyn called him “Dad” for the first time on Mother’s Day, and I told him he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere now. That was it for me.