How I Met My Husband - Chapter Three

***Here is where the story turns pretty personal. I've been wondering what I've started here because I don't want to put this in anyway that would distract from the amazing story that I feel it is. I've been trying to decide how to write this and preserve the special miracle this was for me... but I can't think of any way to put this than the way that it really happened.

So time went by and I continued to date my then boyfriend. I actually liked him a lot, and liked him more and more as the days went on. It got to the point where I felt like I really could see my self being married to this guy. So I started doing what I thought I was suppose to do, I started praying. I would pray every day to know if this was the boy I was to marry. And day after day..... no response. Not a yes, not a no, nothing.

This boyfriend of mine was going to be having major surgery the Friday before Easter. So I actually made a quilt for him because I lived pretty far away (it was a long distance thing) and thought that would almost be like me being there while he had this surgery. I drove home with my friend Julie for the Easter break from school, the whole while talking about our futures and our "boyfriends" as little 18 year old girls do. When I got home that night I started unpacking my things as my mom came in and we had our little "catching up chat". Somewhere during the chat she said, "Remember that guy Trent that you went out with, did you know his mom had cancer?" What? It took me a minute to remember who Trent was to be honest with you. It had been about two months since our last date and I had not seen him or really talked to him since. My mom is an "obituary reader" and had seen his mom's obituary in the paper that day. She had passed away from lung cancer at the age of 50, leaving behind a husband and 11 kids. She never smoked a day in her life.

I went into the living room and found the paper with the obituary and read through it. As I read through the beautiful words that her family had written for her I noticed that the viewing was being held right then, at the closest funeral home to my house, and there was about 30 minutes left. I felt this sudden urgency to go to the viewing.

I had been packing and driving all day, I looked horrible. I had no makeup on, my hair back in a braid. But I threw on a dress, slipped on my shoes, and was out the door. The whole ride to the funeral home so many thoughts were racing through my mind.... "Why am I doing this? Why am I going there? I never met his mother.... He never mentioned that she was sick.... I don't even like this boy.... Is he going to think that I like him when I show up tonight???" I was pretty confused as to why I felt so strongly to be there that night.

As these thoughts were swimming though my head, I had a very strong impression...

"This is your future mother in laws viewing. You need to be there."

What?????? No way!!! I was in shock. I remember that when those words came to my mind my legs started shaking as I was trying to push the peddles on the car. I realized that I had just received an answer to my prayer... and this was NOT the answer that I was looking for. At all....

I was probably there a total of one minute. I walked in the door, walked into the viewing room. There were not a lot of visitors, by now they were winding down and there was only about 15 minutes left of the viewing. Trent was standing in the middle of the line of his 11 siblings. I walked up to him and gave him a hug. I told him that I was sorry about his mom. He thanked me for coming and said that was really nice of me. I didn't know what to say after that so I..... left. I felt pretty dumb. Here comes this girl who he knows doesn't like him, out of nowhere, gives him a hug and condolences and leaves???? It was insane....

The next day I spent the day calling temples to put my "boyfriends" name on the prayer rolls before his surgery. Trent called me that day after the funeral and left a message on my phone. He said that he really appreciated my support and thought that was very nice of me to come to the viewing. He told me that he wanted to take me out again that weekend while I was still in Salt Lake. Great.... look what I started again!!! I talked to my mom a lot about this. She said that it would be rude if I didn't call him back and that I needed to go out with him. So I did, we set up a date for the next day. I told my mom that this would be our final date, that I did not like Trent, that I did not want to lead him on.... I was going to tell him that he was a nice guy but that I just wasn't interested.

So the next day came. We went on a date with his friend Paul and his girlfriend to a cute little cafe called Bakers of Normandy (if you live in Salt Lake you have to try this place out!!!). It was nice. I had a really good time. Trent was no longer trying to put a move on me, or trying to impress me. He had a pretty bad week.... and I finally got to see Trent. We talked about camping and our favorite songs, and outdoorsy stuff which we both love. He was so laid back with his best friend there, which was a side of Trent that I felt I hadn't seen before. When he dropped me off at my house he said, " I really like being with you. I would like to keep dating you. Will you let me know when you will be in Salt Lake again so that I can take you out?" This is where I was suppose to say the whole... "You know, your a nice guy and all... but...."

Instead I said, "Sure."

The next weekend I came home and this was the day that my "boyfriend" would be receiving the quilt I made him in the mail. So I waited.... and waited.... and waited for him to call me and say something like, "You are the best girlfriend ever, I can't believe that you made me a quilt, you are amazing..." Well, he didn't call... he didn't even call....

I think that I waited a few hours by the phone... waiting for that call. I decided then that I was completely wasting my time. As much as I didn't want to believe it at the time, I had my answer... I was wasting my time with this guy. I picked up the phone and called... Trent.