Patrick - On the way home from Summit, I was debating whether or not I should text or call Dara. However, I did not get her number the “right” way. I already had her number due to the group texts for the praise team. So I decided to give her the space she needed. Well, soon thereafter, she messaged me to tell me that they had just sung my favorite worship song ever and it was one of the songs we did at Summit - “I Lift Up My Hands...” There was my in! THANK YOU JESUS! Messages go back and forth, then texts, then a FaceTime call... So about that first FaceTime call! I called her and she answered the phone, half asleep, crazy hair, in pajamas and confused. Through all that she still managed a, “Hello?!” She was so beautiful! When she finally realized that she was on a FaceTime call with me, she said, “Umm… Can I call you back?!” She called back a little bit later with her hair up, teeth brushed, face washed, banquet dress on… Okay, maybe not the banquet dress, but this is MY story. It was later in January when I saw her again. We were with some friends recording some tracks for an album. We were talking a little more but nothing too serious. I could tell that there were still a lot of lingering hurts and some understandably high walls built to protect herself.

Dara - Not too long after Summit, we sang the song, "I Lift Up My Hands," at our church for the first time. We had also sang this song at Summit as a worship team, and it was (and still is) one of the most memorable songs at that conference for us. During Summit, Patrick had specifically told me that this was his favorite worship song and that we should do it at our church sometime. So after we did it, I messaged him on Instagram and told him that we had sang it at our church, and I thanked him for the inspiration.

I'm not sure what made me message him on Instagram. Because of recent circumstances, I had no desire to date anyone or be with anyone. I think more than anything I wanted to just thank him for his kindness to me during Summit. Because after the fact, I realized how nice he had been to me, and I wanted him to know I wasn't trying to be rude - I just had a lot going on that was distracting me. And I thought maybe I could somehow thank him and let him know I really wasn't a snob. :p

After that first message, we messaged a bit back and forth on IG. Then he wanted to send me a video that was too long to send through IG, so he had to send it to my phone (so sly.. :p). So then we started communicating some via text. And eventually phone calls/FaceTime.

By the time he had FaceTimed me a couple of times, there was no question in my mind that he was interested. He made known his intentions, which I really respected; but I also knew that I was in no state to nor did I have a desire to date anyone or talk to anyone seriously. I had been through some difficult things in recent months, and I knew it would take a while for me to heal. And in no way did I want to use someone as an emotional “crutch.” Not to mention I was very afraid of hurting someone and of being hurt again. So I was very open and honest with him and let him know I had no desire to be anything more than friends, at least for the time being.

He was so understanding and kind; and he was willing to let me take all the time I needed to heal. In the midst of it all though, he still wasn't afraid to let me know how he felt. I remember the first time that he told me, "As soon as you are ready, I am dating you." I was scared to death. Ha!

Later in January, I got a call from a friend who wanted me to come to Nashville to help lay down some vocal tracks for a project they were working on. Patrick actually was also involved in this project. I was super excited about the opportunity and made the trip. There were several of us there, including Patrick and his sisters; and we all had fun together, singing at the studio, playing games at the hotel, etc. I was still super guarded and trying to figure out whether or not I was even interested in Patrick; but it was a fun time for sure.

As time progressed, we continued to talk; and within a couple months, I knew I liked him, and I was definitely growing in my respect for him. He treated me differently than anyone I'd ever known. I had lost nearly all confidence in myself; and he began helping me see my value again. But I still had high walls built up to protect my heart.

Hampton Inn

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott