My love story PART 1 (it's too long for one post, opps)

My family started going to a Methodist church in May 2016. We knew of the Pastor through a friend and my uncle got married there in 2014. We fell in love with the pastor and the people. In May 2016, my uncle tragically passed away and we felt relief and peace going back to the last place we had memories with him. It was May 27th, 2016. That was the day I was introduced to my future husband I just didnt know it yet. At that point, I never thought I would be getting married and certainly not to him! My parents should never have gotten married. Their childhoods growing up were hard and messed up. They didn't know how to raise a normal functioning family. My mom sheltered us too much. We didn't have any freedom. We couldn't wear what we wanted, and we couldn't say or do what we wanted. Still at nineteen I was using the home cell phone at school. I'm the middle child of five and still the only one to leave home. See, my dad was bipolar and he had mania and depression. Since 2009 when something clicked in his head and he became abusive, our lives were full of sadness and abuse. We all lost respect for him. I was nine at the time, so that was my life until I moved out. In the year before I left, my mom was so paranoid that us kids were doing something because we'd have the same characteristics he did. For example, I'd get stressed out with school and maybe take it out on my little brother and sister. Nothing abusive like my dad but if they were being annoying I'd tell them to go away. Little things like that are what had my mom convinced I was going to end up like my dad. Back to the story, we were all home schooled and went to the local community college, which plays a big role in my love story. As we grew more in love with our new church we began to meet the congregation and get to know them better. Everyone was nice and fun to be around. They had the best VBS all around. The only one for miles that welcomed teenagers. Now to add some names and start the story: it was October 2017, the church was hosting their annual Harvest Dinner put on by Chris a single man who loved doing anything and everything for anybody. He had a heart for the Lord. Chris was one of the first people to introduce himself to us. He had a great personality and made us all feel welcome. Everyone in the church knew if they ever needed anything to ask him. That was our second year helping at the Harvest Dinner. In 2016, Chris gave me a special job. I was to watch over the big steam table and keep it filled with food. The next year I got the same job. It was fun but kind of stressful. After more than a year at the church my family got more comfortable with the people. Chris being one of our favorites. Well just two days after the harvest dinner in 2017 I was at the college and during a class I received a text from Chris telling me thank you for all our help at the dinner. Which I replied and the conversation blossomed. He'd say things like, "Hey beautiful, you know you're my favorite person at church." Or "if you ever need anything at all I'm your guy." Texts like that that made me feel all warm inside and know that I was loved by someone. Next I get the text, "I have something I really want to tell you but I'm not sure." After going round with him he finally told me "OMG I'm so in love with you!" That completely blew me away. That was the last thing I thought he'd say. I was in complete shock because from that moment on I had someone who loved me! So after that, the conversation turned sexy and until I had to get home we spoke about how much we loved each other. Remember it wasn't technically my phone I was using. It practically was because no one else used it. Well that night, my mom was checking our phone carrier website and looking at each line. She came across a number she didnt recognize and seen we had been texting all after noon. She couldn't see what we said but could just see that a message had been sent or received and of course I had deleted all the messeges. I was scared to death when she called for me. I didn't know what to say. After tearing into me with questions I told her what we said briefly though I blamed it on him that he was pursuing me and i wasn't interested so that i didn't get in as much trouble. If we ever got in trouble at home it was mention and we're yelled at for about a week. I only seen him at church after that. My mom notified the Pastor and he spoke with Chris though his story was different because he told the truth. He wasn't allowed back at church for a while and if he came my family didnt. Well time pasted, and it was six months later in April 2018. I hadn't gained my moms trust back. She checked my line too often so I could never text Chris again. However at this time I worked at the college and where I work I had an office with a phone and computer. Though most of the time my sister sat with me between classes and would watch me. One day in the beginning of April, I was calling a bunch of people telling them about an event the college was hosting and I called Chris but made it seem like it was the wrong number. He knew right away it wasn't and that I had meant to call him. I could finally explain what had happened. At that time, we made a time to meet. My family lived a half hour away and my sisters were either working or in class. Chris would drive from work to the college and we would kiss in the parking lot. So many times I wanted to go home with him but he said it wasn't the right time. We met about six or seven times that month. Well May came and college ended for the summer. I turned twenty one on the 28th. I couldn't talk to Chris. He started coming back to church regularly but was mandated to the other side of the building. We'd silently mingle when ever I laid eyes on him without my family seeing. July came and it was time for VBS again. On Wednesday of that week my mom didn't go that day and it was just my two older sisters. I was watched like a hawk making sure I was nowhere near him. Chris taught the teen group and I helped with the preschool. We'd pass by each other several times. I had a chance to get away and I knew my sisters were busy. Hoping to catch Chris, I ran to the main entrance and there he was walking in the front doors. I called for him and we got into the single bathrooms neat by and locked the door. My heart melted as I gave him a hug and we kissed. It was all over too soon as I knew my sisters would be looking for me. The thing we didn't know know was if there someone outside the bathrooms with 150 people crawling around a small church. We opened the door and thankfully no one was in site! We both snuck back to our positions and no one noticed we were gone. Thursday was the last day and it came and went so fast. All day Thursday and Friday all I could think about was wanting to get to Chris. I didnt know where he lived. I knew he was near the church so he was still thirty minutes away. That was too far to walk. Finally Saturday, July 15th 2018 came and I just had this feel that today was the day. I had had enough of life at home. My neighbor had a farm we helped on occasionally and that night I chose to go down. It was a good ten minute walk from my house. Once I got there I helped her some and made an excuse to get away. I ran inside and called Chris. He answered on a whim not knowing the number and was shocked to hear my voice. I told him to pull over on the side of the free way as our road dead ended into it. After I hung up, I grabbed my coat and started my trek to get to where we would meet. I had to cross a large ditch, climb a fence and make it through weeds. I reached the freeway and waited ducked in the grass to see a little red truck pull over by me.

Find my part 2 post to read the test of the story 😁