Levi and I married each other in June of 2012 after only six months of
head-over-heels, foolish-about-each-other love. Our story, like every love
story, has its own unique and sweet moments and timings. We continue to marvel
at the way God orchestrated our lives to bring us together, and though it
included pain and trials for both of us, we wouldn't change anything about it.
Everything that happened and every way that we grew led us to this moment.
Levi had just told me he was interested in talking on the phone. And boy, was I ever interested!
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Chapter 9: Digits
Here's what had been going on up in Minnesota about the same time I was whining into my pillow about how much I wanted to talk to Levi on the phone.
Levi was in a dilemma. He had a phone, but it still had a TX number. When he began e-mailing me he had a feeling that this was a lady he'd be taking pretty seriously soon. So he ordered a new phone online with a MN number. He wanted to talk to me more and more with each letter, but he didn't want to give me an old number only to change it right away.
So he waited and watched the mail each day. When his new phone arrived, he put the sweet note in his letter to me that evening telling me he was interested in talking on the phone.
As you already know, I was ecstatic when I got this letter, and I immediately began writing him back. Butterflies were already beginning to form in my stomach.
I don't know about any of you, but before that I'd never actually given out my phone number to someone interested in me that way. Whatever the dating scene was, I wasn't just new to it, I was completely foreign to it. Turns out, Levi was too. That'll probably become clear to y'all as you see us break nearly ever dating "rule" and just go for it. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The butterflies had slowly morphed into a small stampede of wildebeest (which, incidentally, is not spelled "beast" and also makes me think of one of the saddest movie moments from my childhood). Levi had asked me a small question about poetry (for which I have a deep-rooted affection), and, in my nervousness, I wrote him a small book about my favorite poets and favorite kinds of poetry and favorite videos of slam poetry.
Then it came time to send him the letter. Fingers shaking ever-so-slightly, I gave him my phone number. I went ahead and told him that I had butterflies as well. Why not, right? Then I hit send.
Then I almost puked.
I know, I know. Gross. Sorry. But a terrible screen had suddenly popped up. You see, eHarmony has this thing, this annoying thing where your session will go inactive if you've been on one screen for more than an hour. And I'd been writing my e-mail for more than an hour... And it was only on one screen for that amount of time.... And it doesn't save e-mail drafts....
All that work, and the letter was gone. I slumped forward, feeling defeated.
Then I sat up. Frustrated and determined, I opened up a new e-mail window. eHarmony's stupid safety precautions weren't going to prevent me from giving my phone number to Levi. I shook my fist at the computer screen (surely looking like a crazy lady to anyone who could have seen me) and rewrote my letter. This time, I saved a copy on Word. Just in case.
I got back to the end of the letter and found that I was still incredibly nervous writing out my phone number. I told him, "I said this in the first letter, and it's happening again! My heart is racing. I don't give out my number, so this is a first for me. But it's a good thing because I am genuinely interested, too. :) So, I look forward to your next letter! And perhaps a phone call in the near future. Got to admit, I'll be waiting with a few butterflies! :)"
I sent it off and fell into bed, exhausted, even though I didn't have school the next day.
The next day I headed over to Ann's house to spend the day with her. We spent a lazy day chatting and spending time together. I told her about Levi's letter and giving him my number. She was excited for me, but taken aback at how quickly it had already happened. I reassured her that I was just as startled, albeit pleasantly so.
She and her family were having a Bible study at their home that evening, and they asked me if I wanted to stay with them, but I had a feeling I might be getting a call, so I declined and headed out to my car. I was driving home on the highway when my phone lit up.
I'll go ahead and admit it. I shrieked. Just a little bit, but a definite, audible, squeak came out of my lips.
I glanced quickly at my phone and saw an unknown number was calling me. It had a Minnesota area code. Unless someone had a wrong number, it was Levi.
I found myself in a hard place. I didn't like talking on the phone on that highway (I'd hit a deer earlier that year in that same spot), but this was my first call ever from Levi, and how rough would it be for him if his first try went straight to voicemail?
I answered.
"Hello?" I said, trying to contain my nerves.
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Oh, snap! You thought you were going to get the whole conversation, didn't you? Well, don't worry, faithful readers. Click on through to see what happens!
Seriously Mary Beth! This is an incredible story and you are such a gifted writer, I am just flying through all these chapters!
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