Our story goes back to our high school days. I was a new student at Octorara High School, the same school that Andy was going to. My first real friend (who turned out to be my very bestest friend in the world from that day forward) was Terri Hershey - now Terri Linnenbaugh. She helped me through the awkwardness of being the newbie - she sat with me on the bus, hung out with me at lunch, invited me to attend and get involved in events and made me feel a lot less nervous. Now she and Andy had been friends pretty much since kindergarten. When I started at Octorara I was beginning 11th grade. It just so happened that Andy and I shared a class, and early on, I had a major crush on him. Now, it just so happens that another friend that was pretty close to me also had a serious crush on Andy, and as good friends do, I kept my feelings to myself pretty much, and played cupid between my other friend and Andy, writing notes to Andy that were speaking on my friends behalf, but were really expressing my hidden feelings for him. Ultimately, there just wasn't a connection for the two of them beyond friendship, and by that time, I was heading out of town to live in Florida with my dad. I finished my junior and senior year in Florida, then came back home to PA. Once home, I needed a job. As luck would have it, I got a job at the local Turkey Hill in Cochranville, working with my besti...Terri. Talk about fate! We had so much fun and made a great team. Since Cochranville is a really small town...the crossroads between no-where and you missed it, that Turkey Hill was a happening spot, and most of all the kids from school and the area came there.
One day I was on shift and who walks in but Andy Jackson! *Be still my beating heart!!* We struck up a conversation, and if memory serves me I think I was forward and pretty much asked him out on a date to go dancing some time. He said he was kinda seeing someone...and I said something to the effect of when he was free, let me know and we could go out sometime. I believe that by Friday that same week, we were headed to Teen Town over in Paradise..lol.. I was happy though - Andy was always such a sweet heart with a awesome smile that just made a day 10 times better...not to mention I thought he was just such a handsome guy. He was a gentlemen always, and a girl couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend. I knew that he loved me, and I loved him. After a few months, I made a bad choice and broke up with him because I had some emotional issues that I felt were too much for a great guy like him to have to be involved with or deal with..and I thought I was doing the fair thing for him..you know the addage - if you love something, set it free - if it comes back to you it is yours, if it doesn't, it never really was?
For the next 20 years, I spent my life searching to find what I already had found in Andy. Despite the bogus "relationships", I did wind up being blessed with my 4 wonderful children.
Fast forward to 2008....Enter - the besty - Terri. Terri was employed at a local bank where Andy and his parents did business. It just so happened that one find day, Mr. Charlie (Andy's dad) was in the bank and talking with Terri about this that and the other. Terri then passed my cell phone to Mr. Charlie and asked him to pass it along to Andy. I was ecstatic to find Andy's message on my voicemail a few days later. Mind you, I had pay-as-you-go back then for cell service, and I must have played Andy's voice message at LEAST 10 times that night...his voice was still the same, and I could hear his smile when he talked. So, I called him back and we talked for quite awhile. I dropped the bomb on him that I was single, with 4 kids. He never skipped a beat and asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner that Friday night. I happily said yes, and we talked a little while longer that evening. The next few days I was in a tizzy - ask the besti - I was emailing her and texting her because I didn't know what to do, say or wear..lol . Andy and I hadn't seen each other in 20 years, so I had no idea how I should greet him, or what to say. Terri's advice - just be yourself.
...now I'm going to keep you in suspense...hahaha..I'll finish this story tonight...4/10/2011....
So here it is, January 18, 2008 - our first date, and I've sent the kids over to mom's for the evening, I'm primping and fussing as I am ready to walk out the door and keep an eye out for Andy to arrive - directions to the house are tough enough in the daytime, to have to do it at night is a real challenge! I'm standing outside, having a cigarette - I see lights in the cul-de-sac...the vehicle seems hesitant as to which drive to enter - my mom's property and here have a shared drive, and it can be confusing if you try to count mailboxes. I don't recall if he called my cell or I called his, but we ended up on our phones, and it turns out the it was Andy at the bottom of the drive, so I wave him on up to the house.
I recall being so nervous - my stomach had like a bazillion butterflies going on as his car came up the driveway. He drove up in a blingy and white ride and parked it. I was standing on the driver's side of the vehicle and wasn't sure if he was going to get out or if I was supposed to hop in on the other side. Before I could take a step, he opened his car door with one hand, and as he got out, presented me with a dozen gorgeous red roses. Our eyes met in that instant, and for me, everything stopped - it was like being frozen in time, and everything about us came flashing back - it was really incredible. I think he was unsure as to how to greet me as much as I was to greet him, and we both hugged each other really tight. After a few seconds, it was time to get the roses into the house - so I invited him in, said to please over look the place (even though I had cleaned it earlier, I am one of those that is always aplogizing for the place..lol) and began my chaotic search for something to put the flowers into..alas, I had to place them in the refrigerator because I didn't have a single vase in the place!
We then headed out to the car, and Andy made sure he was in front of me...opened the door for me, helped me in and then closed the door...I think I almost fainted - I was being treated like a royal queen instead of a royal pain!
Off we went to our dinner - we had a wonderful time at the Red Rose Inn - pretty atmosphere, really delicious food, and not overly crowded where you had to yell at each other to talk - which was a good thing, because I did 95% of the talking for over 2 hours...lol..I ended up getting a to go plate because I hardly touched my meal - not because it was not good - i was just so nervous. meanwhile, Andy was all laid back - Mr. Andy-Cool - didn't break a sweat even once. There was an area downstairs where a live band was playing, so we decided to go check it out and see how good they were. We found a spot for just the two of us even though it was considerably full in the room, and I just snuggled in next to him without even hestating - he made the evening so awesome - we held hands and it was just like we had picked up from where we left off 20 years ago...totally. We had a great time together that night and every day and night after that. We saw each other every night except for when he was on night shift for a week or so - that nearly killed me - I hated not being able to see him, although he called and texted me daily, and hearing his voice and getting his texts made the time apart more bearable.
We have been together over 3 years now, and I have honestly never been so happy in my life except for when we had dated way back when.
Andy shared feelings and thoughts with me that I'm not at liberty to post here, but what I can say is, when he expressed his heart and soul to me our first week as being a couple again, and he told me what he felt back then and through time for me...it broke my heart even more than I ever left him, and I promised that I would never ever hurt him again, and I asked him for a second chance to show him the love I always had for him. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life growing old with him, living, laughing and loving with him, and that no matter how many times a day I say "I Love You", it doesn't scratch the surface of the emotions and feelings of my soul that I have for this wonderful, incredible, loving, understanding, devoted, dedicated, committed, sweetheart of a man.
This is my side of our story...lol. To get Andy's, you'll have to corner him, hog tie him and then ask him personally...but he's a private kind of guy in some departments...and I get that. I think I've painted a pretty good picture of the true love and devotion that he and I share, and I know we have a great connection together in the way we talk, laugh, and just are with each other. I firmly believe that God designed us for each other...
Our love is living proof of that !!!!! !
