Twenty Years Ago

It's Valentine's Day!

And with the stress of multiple Valentine's Day parties this week, and having to buy all the Valentine's, make the stupid boxes, and remove candy wrappers from every nook and cranny of my house, I have to say... it can't be over soon enough!

Add parent-teacher conference, scout camp drama, orthodontist appointments, volunteer hours, an eye appointment, snow, and kids home from school to the mix, and I'm a bit of a mess. 

But let's pretend I'm fine and that Valentine's Day is wonderful.

And let's rewind to the year 1998, and I'll tell you a love story. It's the Scotty and Brittany love story. And it's the most romantic thing you'll ever hear - far better than any regency romance novel or Hallmark movie. 

When I was 14, I knew who Scotty was, but I'd never paid much attention to him. We went to the same church, but he was older than me, so we didn't really interact. If I'd run into Scotty at the store, I would've known who he was, but I wouldn't have said hello. That was the extend of our relationship. I didn't attend church very often at that time, but I occasionally went to weeknight youth activities, and that is where Scotty eventually caught my eye. 

At one activity, we were playing that human knot game where you stand in a circle and grab random hands. Then you have to untangle the circle of people without letting go. 

To this day, I maintain that Scotty grabbed my hand. He is unsure... "I never would have grabbed a girl's hand!" he says. And though it was very uncharacteristic of young Scotty, he really did grab my hand! And I liked it! And long story short, I went home that night and wrote in my journal that I was going to marry Scotty.

Five years later, I did.

The End.

Oh, but wait! Let me fill you in on a few more details. 

After my journal entry, my little crush grew bigger and bigger. I started going to church every week to see Scotty. I would casually ask people about him. I started conveniently walking by his house (it helped that it was on the way to my best friend's house). 

Scotty was in high school, had a job, and had his own car. I was head over heels in love with him, but I wasn't trying to pursue anything. I assumed he had a girlfriend.* Plus all my aspirations were for the future - I was going to marry him, and I was willing to wait. I figured our romance would take place in young adulthood. In the meantime, I was just having fun doing a lot of daydreaming and practicing my signature with his last name.

The day before Valentine's Day in 1999, I took him a Valentine. It was just a card with a sucker on it that I swiped from my little brother's valentines. It was meant to be funny and was based on an inside joke we had - now that we actually spoke to each other. We had become friends, but I figured he thought of me like a little sister. 

The next morning - Valentine's Day - happened to be a Sunday. I got up and was getting ready for church when my step-dad informed me that there was something on the porch for me. It was a rose. I assumed it was from my dad - he would occasionally bring a treat or balloon for Valentine's Day and leave it on the porch. 

I picked the rose up and turned it around and saw "From Scotty" written on the wrapper. 

I was in complete disbelief and even thought that it might have been from the Scotty who lived next door - who was 10. It couldn't be from 17 year old high school Scotty to whom I had betrothed myself! 

I had a friend do some detective work. She made a phone call, and she found out that the rose really was from him! The Scotty. The one I wanted!

And that's how it all began. 

Twenty years ago!

*Little did I know that Scotty had never even been on a date and that he wanted to grow up and live alone in the mountains. I ruined his life's plan, but he forgives me.