Majority of my lifetime I have always had my best friend Cass. When we were freshmen in high school she got a serious boyfriend. Naturally I was around him and his friends often because Cass and I hung out pretty often. I never really paid attention to any of them because we were normally talking girl stuff and the boys were always playing video games. Cass and I were and still are like sisters, so we were always there when one of us needed the other. So a year after graduating I moved back from Jefferson City and she was there for me through the huge life change I was experiencing. 

We ended up living together and spending every single day by each others side. So naturally it was like back in school all over again, we would go hang out with the guys for days at a time and I slowly started to get to know them for the first time since high school. I became social media friends with majority of them and found I had similar music interests as one of his friends, Andrew. One day i saw he had made a post about losing one of his guages at the beginning of a concert and finding it later in the evening. I commented about how crazy lucky that is considering it's small size and the amount of people there moving around. We began talking more about music and just learning who eachother was for the first time, even though we had been around eachother for years. 

Since I was still struggling to find my place again with my life Cass knew I needed to let my hair down and relieve myself of my past. We went to her boyfriends house and threw a get together, everyone showed up and it got late fast. We decided to stay there that night but with limited number of beds I set my sites on the couch. As I went to lay down Andrew offered to share the bed with me. I grabbed a separate blanket and he was very respectful in making sure I had enough space. We fell asleep.

The next day we stayed there again the whole day into the night, hanging out, playing games and just enjoying the lazy day. We stayed again that night and Andrew and I had the same situatioN. Same bed, separate blankets, and we fell asleep. That next morning I woke up freezing cold. Andrew woke up and saw me shivering. In one swift move he said "let me help you with that" as he threw his blanket covered arm around me. I froze up trying not to give away the fact that I had developed a bit of an interest in him as well as not overthink why he did it. He was a good guy and was probably just trying to be nice. 

We spent the the day with the boys again and again it got late fast. That night felt different though, instead of just laying down and going back to sleep Andrew and I stayed up for hours just laying there talking. We got into the deeper conversations about the meaning of life and the universe and all its possibilities. All the while unknowingly gravitating closer to one another in the pitch black room. Around 3 in the morning rolled around and he took the chance. He swooped in and kissed me, quickly pulling away in fear I would slap him. In that moment I knew I was in trouble. That kiss stole my heart. 

The man I was meant to love had been in front of me for 5 years.

He was nothing I expected but absolutely everything I needed. 

I am so lucky to have him. He's an amazing dad to our daughter, my best friend, and soon he will be my forever. 

When I think back about my 23 year old self, it's usually to laugh at something stupid I did, or to scold myself for some of the mistakes I made because I was an idiot. Even though I did a lot of stupid things when I was younger, I know I made one good decision. 

Sometimes you can be around a person for years before you actually notice them, that's what happened with Amber and I, we had mutual friends and saw each other many times over the years, but never spoke more than a few words to one another. One day, we had an actual conversation, and it's one that I hope to continue for the rest of my life. 

She was living in Jefferson City, but was down visiting, and I remember her saying that she was thinking about moving back down, and I remember telling her to do what makes her happy. When she went back home we talked a few times, but I thought I'd just made a friend, little did I know that she would become much more than that for me. 

When she did move back down, we continued to spend more time together, first off with friends, and as time went on, just the two of us. We talked about everything; our fears, our hopes, our dreams, our beliefs, and pretty much anything we could think of to get to know one another better. Because of that, I can say that she knows me better than anyone else ever has, and I believe I know more about her than anyone else has ever learned either. 

To this day, we still talk all the time, about everything. In the past we've had our ups, and we've had our downs, just like I think any couple does. We've laughed together, we've cried together, we've been sad together, and we've also been happier than ever before together. Looking back, I am baffled by how lucky I've gotten to spend these last 5 years with her, and I am even more in awe when I think about the fact that I get to be this lucky forever. 

And now, when I see her with our daughter, I marvel at how incredible my life has become. I found the woman of my dreams, and together, we made a family that is constantly growing, changing, and learning how to exist amidst our crazy lives, but I can't think of one decision I could have made differently that would've made me as happy as I am today. I can't think of one thing I'd change, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. 

I love you Amber,

Away We Go.