Tara
So, it’s high school. My friend has this boyfriend, Drew, who goes to a different school. I’ve met him a few times; he’s cute but he’s my friend’s boyfriend (and seemingly not my type).
Fast forward a few years. It’s college time. I walk into a party where this same dude is standing in the living room in his white button down shirt BELTING Konstantine by Something Corporate, a song I adore but not many of my people know. WHAT?? This guy catches my eye…
Over the years I bump into him here and there. Every time, with no good explanation I could think of, my heart speeds up a bit and I’m pretty nervous. I don’t know much about him but for whatever reason, he always catches and keeps my attention.
Fast forward again to 2017 to a mutual friend’s wedding and who is at the table I’m placed? THIS DUDE. Of course I’m excited. Of course I’m nervous. Of course I drink maybe a little more than I should have but have a GREAT time on the dance floor with him. I’m hoping he makes a move, which he CLAIMS he did, but I’m completely oblivious to these types of things so whatever, we have a great time dancing.
Time goes by. I think about him time to time. I see him pop up on my Facebook and think about him more. Finally Christmas Eve 2018 I’m watching the Flintstone’s Christmas Special, enjoying a Christmas Eve beverage, and for whatever reason (liquid courage?) decide to message him. We talk. And talk. And talk. And finally decide to meet up and talk. And do this again and again. He got me with his intensity of emotion and fervent passion (hello Scorpio), his care, his humor (my goodness, the dad jokes), his intelligence, his weirdness, his ability to get me into things I NEVER thought I’d be into, his open and accepting nature… and here we are.
Guess what? He still has that white button down shirt. He still catches my attention as much-well, even more so-as he did before. I’m still smitten. Only now, that crush from years ago is going to be my husband.
Drew
Picture it: Christmas Eve 2018. I was laying in bed and out of the blue I get a message from this girl who, unbeknownst to me, has been keeping an eye on me since we met sophomore year of high school. That’s right, the girl that has always been way out of this guy’s league had some level of interest and had been letting it build for around a decade. So, on that fateful Christmas Eve she took a chance and reached out. We spent hours messaging back and forth that night so I decided to take a small chance of my own and asked to meet up with her so we could talk and catch up. I was sure I got rejected when she told me she was “really busy” and would have to let me know. Right (eye roll), I can take a hint. Little did I know how true that was. Two jobs, school, dogs that she loves and a few nephews that wanted to share her attention too. Despite all of that, Tara made time for me. After date one I was already on cloud 9. I was at Seth’s house the next day and both him and Tricia noticed me continually breaking off to smile at my phone and furiously type another message. After date two I knew that something truly special was happening. Several dates later and finally a first kiss came that Tara would describe as “Not awkward at all.” Evenings spent together showed me a woman with unreal compassion, was extremely dedicated to those she cared about and had inspiring passions that really grow on you. I could not and will never be able to get enough of that. Over time fondness grew into love but I think the moment I really knew Tara felt the same for me as I did for her was when she invited me to go to Disney with her family. Anyone who knows the Oehler family, know how big of a deal that is. Not too long after that my mind kept floating towards the idea of the day that we are all about to celebrate. Tara surprised me with a ring pop that had her ring size on it just in time for me propose in front of our tree on Christmas Eve 2019. More than a year and a half later, here we are. I still find myself stopping from time to time thinking how lucky I am. Everyone I have worked with can attest to this (Sorry, not sorry). So many amazing things have happened in our lives. We continue to grow and blend our colors together. She has given me a love for theatre that I never knew I would have. I have thrust her into worlds of nerdom such as the Marvel Universe and Star Wars. What’s next? Travel. We both want to see the world (and all of the animals in it). Bring on the next adventure!
