In the whirlwind of freshman year, among the bright lights and energy of ACU’s Sing Song, we first met. I was choreographing with my friend Ella, teaching moves to a crowd that, let’s be honest, wasn’t always the most attentive. But then there was you, Keith—the one boy who was focused, not glued to the game on his phone, actually paying attention, and, well, undeniably handsome. I noticed you more than once, and those little glances sparked something unspoken between us. But for the next two years, it was all just casual smiles or quiet “hellos” as we passed each other around campus, each absorbed in our own world.
Senior year came, and with it, a tidal wave of responsibilities. I threw myself into being the Senior Representative of Ko Jo Kai, teaming up with MC Gunn, our Junior Representative, and Natalie Shaia, our ghost of homecoming. Between building our homecoming float and choreographing yet another act, my social life went out the window. My days were filled with tasks and commitments, and I barely saw anyone outside of it all.
Finally, after homecoming, I found myself with no plans. I noticed that my housemate Joisset and our friend Myra were at Summer Moon, studying together, and I thought, “Why not?” I hadn’t had any free time in ages, so I went. And who was sitting there with them? You, Keith. The second I saw you, I was hooked. We talked the whole time, just the two of us in this little corner of the coffee shop.
That night, what was supposed to be a quick outing turned into something much more. We took the conversation back to my house for a round of Just Dance. At one point, Myra and I had to dash out for an hour to attend a Potential New Member meeting. I remember hoping so much that you’d still be there when I got back. And you were! We spent the rest of the night outside, talking for hours and playing with my dog Rookie. We laughed, swapped funny stories, and shared snippets of our faith—each word making the world around us disappear.
A few days later, I finally agreed to go on a real date with you. It was meant to be a short, simple date, but it turned into an entire day. We started at Lowe’s, picking out supplies to build a fire pit for my backyard. Then, we grabbed some BBQ at Sharon’s for lunch, made a quick Walmart run to get pumpkins and marshmallows, and spent the evening carving pumpkins, listening to music, and roasting s’mores by the fire we’d built together.
That day wasn’t just a first date—it was a promise, a memory, a start. I love you, honey. It was the beginning of our forever.
It was freshman year, and I had always heard of this “fun thing” called Sing-Song! At the time, I thought there wasn’t much else to do, so why not? I remember feeling frustrated about being drafted into the “wrong” act while all my friends were in the other. I’d love to say that this frustration eventually changed, and everything turned out perfect—but that wasn’t quite the case. I went through Sing-Song, made some friends, and also skipped quite a few practices along the way.
For the practices I did attend, though, I distinctly remember this very demanding girl up front who was adamant that we weren’t doing well enough. Turns out, she was right—we ended up in last place. But something else stuck with me: this demanding girl was beautiful.
Over the next couple of busy years, I’d occasionally see her around. We were always friendly, but nothing more. That changed one day when I decided to grab coffee with two good friends, Myra and Joi. The three of us had formed a squad after working together on the steering committee for Wildcat Week. We hadn’t hung out in a while, so we figured it’d be a good chance to catch up and do some homework.
Our productive hangout quickly shifted when Logan Bourland walked in. I gave my usual “Hey!” along with, “Y’all killed it on the float this year!” I expected a quick “thank you” before she got her coffee and left, but instead, she sat down with us. Total party crasher! Though she interrupted, it was quickly forgiven as she and I started catching up, talking about everything that had happened over the course of college.
The conversation eventually moved to her house, where we played Just Dance, and, of course, I got to meet Logan’s dog, Rookie, who she wouldn’t stop posting about. It was so much fun hanging out and laughing with everyone. The night was briefly interrupted when Myra and Logan had to attend a Greek life meeting, but eventually, they returned, and we picked up right where we left off—talking, laughing, and, yes, more time playing with Rookie. What felt like just ten minutes turned into hours of conversation.
Back in the living room with the group, I immediately realized I wanted to ask this girl on a date. But how? I thought about it and came up with an idea—what if we “built a fire pit”? We’d spend the day having fun, making a spot to enjoy a cozy fire together that night. Romantic, I know.
So that’s what we did. We built the fire pit, made s’mores, and even carved pumpkins. But the part that stands out most was the detour to the Bourland ranch. We could’ve bought $5 firewood at United, but no—Logan insisted we go to her family’s ranch to “borrow” firewood. I still don’t know how you “borrow” firewood, but all I could think was, Wow, this is the first date. I can do this.
When we arrived, I was struck by how humble and kind her family was, and I even got to talk to her dad, who had the baseball game on. That detour was my first glimpse of how important family was to Logan, a value she still holds dear. She loves others so well, and that’s something I know will never change.
That first date was fun but not nearly as fun as what’s ahead.