It took a while for our first date to happen. Sometimes I wondered if it would ever happen. I think it took about five weeks for it to happen, after I decided that I would meet him.
I knew very little about Stephan going into all of this. Well, I knew a lot more about him than he did about me, which isn't saying much. I knew (from what Jenny and Andrew had told me) that he apparently looked like he could be my brother, was tall, played video games, was recently home from his mission, and he had a motorcycle. So from all this, I imagined a shy, dark-haired, dark-eyed, tall, skinny nerdy guy with glasses who wore a leather jacket.
Boy, was I dead on.
The date finally happened on November 8, 2008. It wound up being a double date with Jenny and Andrew (not the Andrew I dated, mind you), because Stephan had been too shy to call me. I didn't really have high hopes at this point, but for some reason, I was very anxious about my appearance that night. I think I changed clothes three times, and fussed with my hair too much.
Andrew and Stephan were late, but we did manage to get to the De Jong concert hall on time (we went to a BYU Men's and Women's Chorus concert). Before the concert started, I made some conversation with Stephan. I found out that he was born in Logan, was studying Math at UVU, had served a mission in Everett, Washington, and had been back for a year. From that, I assumed that he was about a year older than me.
Then, right as the concert was starting, something in me said, "Guess what? You're marrying this guy!" I was confused, and thought, "What?! I barely know him!" I shrugged it off and went on with the evening.
After the concert, we went in search of ice cream. That was a fun trip because in Provo, just about every place closes at nine. I tried to make more conversation with Stephan, but he wasn't really being conversational, which annoyed me.
We finally found a gelato place on Center Street that was open after nine. We had to park a little far away and walk there. While walking to Maestro's (the gelato place), I think the subject of birthdays came up. His was July 30.
"Oh," I said. "you're 22 then!"
"Actually," he said. "I'm 21." This meant he was younger than me, but not by much.
I tried to do the math. He had been home from his mission a year, and yet he was only 21? Huh?
He then told me that he had come on an honorable medical release for depression, but that he was fine now.
"I like seeing the look on people's faces when they try to figure out the math," he added.
I was thinking, "Oh great, not another Andrew." My opinions on early returned missionaries would drastically change as my relationship with Stephan became serious. In fact, my opinions on missionary service in general.
By the end of the date, I had decided that I never wanted to see Stephan again because he OBVIOUSLY wasn't interested in me, since he didn't speak to me very much. But to my surprise, he asked for my phone number when the date ended. I gave it to him, thinking that he would be too chicken to ever call me.
Jenny and I went inside, where Amy and Jessica were, and they proceeded to ask about the date. I basically said that I didn't like him, didn't want to go on another date with him, and that I was sure he would never call back. Of course, they teased me about it, because Jenny went on about how we were so right for each other and all that.
I went about the next several days, convinced that Stephan would never call and that I didn't like him at all. But just over a week after the date, I was checking my phone as I was leaving orchestra and noticed that I had a voicemail, so I called it.
"Hi Laura, this is Stephan...." said a nervous, but familiar voice in the voicemail.
My thoughts were, "NOOOO!!! He was supposed to chicken out! Maybe he won't leave his number..."
He left his number in the message. This meant I had no excuse to NOT call him back. But I was determined not to.
The date finally happened on November 8, 2008. It wound up being a double date with Jenny and Andrew (not the Andrew I dated, mind you), because Stephan had been too shy to call me. I didn't really have high hopes at this point, but for some reason, I was very anxious about my appearance that night. I think I changed clothes three times, and fussed with my hair too much.
Andrew and Stephan were late, but we did manage to get to the De Jong concert hall on time (we went to a BYU Men's and Women's Chorus concert). Before the concert started, I made some conversation with Stephan. I found out that he was born in Logan, was studying Math at UVU, had served a mission in Everett, Washington, and had been back for a year. From that, I assumed that he was about a year older than me.
Then, right as the concert was starting, something in me said, "Guess what? You're marrying this guy!" I was confused, and thought, "What?! I barely know him!" I shrugged it off and went on with the evening.
After the concert, we went in search of ice cream. That was a fun trip because in Provo, just about every place closes at nine. I tried to make more conversation with Stephan, but he wasn't really being conversational, which annoyed me.
We finally found a gelato place on Center Street that was open after nine. We had to park a little far away and walk there. While walking to Maestro's (the gelato place), I think the subject of birthdays came up. His was July 30.
"Oh," I said. "you're 22 then!"
"Actually," he said. "I'm 21." This meant he was younger than me, but not by much.
I tried to do the math. He had been home from his mission a year, and yet he was only 21? Huh?
He then told me that he had come on an honorable medical release for depression, but that he was fine now.
"I like seeing the look on people's faces when they try to figure out the math," he added.
I was thinking, "Oh great, not another Andrew." My opinions on early returned missionaries would drastically change as my relationship with Stephan became serious. In fact, my opinions on missionary service in general.
By the end of the date, I had decided that I never wanted to see Stephan again because he OBVIOUSLY wasn't interested in me, since he didn't speak to me very much. But to my surprise, he asked for my phone number when the date ended. I gave it to him, thinking that he would be too chicken to ever call me.
Jenny and I went inside, where Amy and Jessica were, and they proceeded to ask about the date. I basically said that I didn't like him, didn't want to go on another date with him, and that I was sure he would never call back. Of course, they teased me about it, because Jenny went on about how we were so right for each other and all that.
I went about the next several days, convinced that Stephan would never call and that I didn't like him at all. But just over a week after the date, I was checking my phone as I was leaving orchestra and noticed that I had a voicemail, so I called it.
"Hi Laura, this is Stephan...." said a nervous, but familiar voice in the voicemail.
My thoughts were, "NOOOO!!! He was supposed to chicken out! Maybe he won't leave his number..."
He left his number in the message. This meant I had no excuse to NOT call him back. But I was determined not to.
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