When did you know it was love?

I’m a sucker for a great story, especially when it involves the way people got together. So, I asked some of my dearest friends (including one extra special couple) how they fell in love, and here’s what they said …

Terrence (left) and Josh (right)
Five years together
Queens, New York

Josh: “We both worked at Disney World. I was performing in a parade and I remember seeing Terrence in the crowd and thinking, ‘Man, that guy is well dressed.’ Then I met him later at a friend’s dinner and I said to him, ‘Oh my God, that’s the guy from the parade!’ I thought he was too cool for me because he was dressed in all vintage, and I was dressed like Nike shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Terrence has always been a very safe space for me. My last relationship was horrible, but I never had to ask questions with Terrence. We went on a trip to Tennessee and it finally took 13 hours. We drove away from the hurricane so the traffic was horrible. Sitting in that car all day and watching him react to the inconvenience, I had a quiet realization: I loved him. “

Terrence: “Josh was my first serious relationship, so I learned how to coexist with another person. The moment I knew it was love was when we once visited New Orleans. I was sick and he was very cute and made sure I was taken care of and kept having fun. He took us to places that served soups, as well as a place to procure bathing supplies so we could bathe in a hotel room. “

Karen (left) and Danna (right)
Together for three years
Portland, Oregon

Karen: “We were in my apartment getting ready for Danna’s holiday work party … she’s smiling right now because she knows the story I’m going to tell.”
Data: “Yes!”
Karen: “Danna, like a very bad queer, didn’t know how to tie a tie.”
Data: “I came out late! It’s not my fault! “
Karen: “So I sit there and tie her tie – I could add professionally – and it was a very close, intimate moment. I thought, ‘God, what if I tied her a tie for our wedding?’ I got butterflies and it seemed to me that it could be something bigger. ”

Data: “It’s two moments for me. Before I could tell her I loved her because it was still early, I would just hold her face or put my hands on her cheeks. I said ‘I love you’ in my head. I ended up telling her something silly like, ‘By the way, when I do that, it means I feel great feelings for you,’ still talking about it. Then I brought her home that Christmas to meet my family. It was the first time I had brought my partner home, so it was a big deal. We were at my brother’s house and I said, ‘My feet are cold.’ And without saying anything, Karen left, put the socks back on, and put them on my feet. It was a “fluttery” time for me. “

Patricia and Charles (my parents!)
Married for 45 years
Owasso, Oklahoma

Patricia: One of my best friends was on a trip to Oklahoma, and before she left, I jokingly said, ‘Find me a husband!’ While she was there, she met him, took a photo of him and mailed it to me.When I got the photo, I jumped out of bed because he was so handsome! After a few weeks we started writing letters to each other.He wrote the most beautiful letters – still I have them all in the attic.We even took professional photos to send to each other and we flew to visit and meet families.I think it was fairer that we loved being close to each other and we loved each other long enough to stay in remote contact. ”

Charles: “I met her friend in Oklahoma and she told me there was someone for me. I asked, ‘What does it look like?’ They showed me a picture of her and I thought, ‘This is a face I could fall in love with.’ She came down to me once and we went to eat at one of my favorite restaurants. The following week, I returned to the restaurant alone and stared at the empty chair across from me. I knew I loved her because I couldn’t imagine going there without her. ”

Mimi i Peter
Married for 11 years
Beacon, New York

Mimi: “We have known each other since we were 13 or 14. Falling in love with him is something that still happens, all the time. Like, when it’s a stressful situation, I’m calm because I’m with a person who feels at home. He is constantly expanding and seems to have more and more self-confidence because he loves me and I think he is wonderful. I thought I fell in love when we were 19 and 20, and now I’m 33 and that’s a lot more than I could have imagined. “

Peter: “Mima’s friends were more fun and athletic than me, so I didn’t think I had a chance with her. We would talk on AIM, which was my way of holding the game. Mimi would burn my CDs and make custom playlists. I thought, ‘Okay, she didn’t just buy this off the shelf, she thought about it a little bit.’ Later in college, our relationship began to go beyond friendship. I opened things to her from real life. I’ve never talked to anyone like that before. Our relationship had a lot of depth. I’ve always loved Mimi, and that relationship where you can really talk to someone and share a life with them is like no other relationship. “

Thanks to all the couples who shared their stories with us. When did you know it was love?

PS A moment I’m still thinking about i how do you know your partner is that?