Leap Day's Leap of Faith

Four years ago today was an important day in history.  It was the day that I decided to tell Robyn that I wanted to date her and only her.  For me, it was a giant leap of faith.  I was terrified that Robyn would run away with great haste.

You may be thinking that it wasn't that great of a leap.  People are getting together every day.  You are forgetting a few important facts.
1. I was a frightened little child. (a 27 year old frightened little child.)
2. Robyn was also a frightened little child.
3. Due to Robyn's extreme awesomeness I would have lost a great thing if she ran away and probably would have cried myself to sleep.

I tried to make it a fancy date.   I bought her flowers. I made her dinner.  I took her to see a play because she loves the theater.   I even dressed up.  (For those who know me well, any time I am not wearing shorts is a special occasion.)

Afterward, I took her back to my place where we had delicious smoothies.  My plan was to have a nice little chat on the couch and I would casually and smoothly transition into "the talk" where I would explain how much I liked her.

Unfortunately, I am not particularly smooth.  When I say, "not particularly smooth" I mean, "not remotely smooth, not even in the same universe as smooth."  So that smooth, natural moment never really showed up.  The night got later and later.  Robyn was getting tired but I wouldn't take her home.  I was not going to let the night pass without telling her how I felt.

So I came up with a brilliant strategy.  I just blurted out that I had something really important to say.  Then I froze.  And I did something super macho.  I started biting my thumb.  I'm not sure why this occurred.  It's not something I normally do.   I just reserve it for moments of true brilliance and clarity like this one.

This is a reenactment.  At the time I didn't think to take a picture of myself.  Also, I had more hair.

At this point Robyn was pretty confused.  In her view, the really important thing I had to say consisted of nothing.  (With a side of thumb chewing.)

Eventually I was able to get something out.   I don't remember exactly how I put it.  But it was not the brilliant rehearsed speech I had worked on for the previous week.  I said something about how she was great and I wanted to only date her.

This is when she almost ran away for good.  You see, we had been going on a couple dates a week and talking on a daily basis for 6 weeks or so.  I thought that the behavior of constantly asking her out would be a hint that this moment was coming.  She thought that I took every girl I knew on several dates a week, bought them flowers, wore things besides shorts on dates and bit my thumb in pure terror.   Therefore she didn't see it coming.  Her response consisted of "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know..."

Needless to say I wasn't encouraged by her response.  I thought I might have been defeated.  I took her home so that she could sleep on it.  You can probably guess she decided to date me later on.

Today, four years later we are married and living happily ever after.  We went out to a steak house to celebrate the first anniversary of that day.  It was way less awkward, and way more awesome.  I look forward to many more leaps, and leap days, in our future.