Happy Anniversary, Ross!! Thank You For Loving Me!!!

I feel it only fitting to recap that night four years ago when Ross finally broke down and uttered to me those three little words. At this point, we were apart because I was off-track from school and was working down in Orem. Ross had come down to visit for the weekend and was staying with his Uncle Ron. That morning started off with Dana’s birthday party. I was called in to help with all of the little girl games, and Ross sat by and watched while enjoying some heart shaped pizza. After the party, we went and walked around the mall- typical being-with-Ross-kind-of-activity.

Later that night we were planning on going to a nice dinner at the Olive Garden. As we were driving off, a pizza delivery guy stopped at my parent’s house. Ross decided that spending some quality time with my family would be nice if it came with free pizza. After we enjoyed the pizza, I gave Ross my gift. I was very nervous about this because it was the first Valentine’s gift I had ever really given. He had told me earlier that year that his favorite movie was the Count of Monte Cristo. I told him that that was one of my favorite books and that he should really read it some time. For his gift I got him the movie and the book. After this he took me to his uncle’s house which was huge and empty as all of the occupants were off on their own Valentine’s shin digs. He took me up to a little computer nook and showed me my present. He had burned a bunch of MP3’s onto a CD for me. He played some music from the CD- Bon Jovi- and we danced for a little bit to 'Thank You For Loving Me', and then he gave me a very long kiss and a very tight hug. Then he said, “This is very hard for me- I think you know that. However, it is much harder to go on feeling this way without being able to say it. Amanda, I love you.”

And that was that. We were officially in love. We officially had a song- a pretty good one if you ask me! We were officially embarking on the hardest and most painful time of our relationship up to that point. (I think it is still only topped by him leaving me for 9 months.) I have to admit that I was a little upset that he chose do say it on Valentine’s Day because of my dislike for the rotten holiday, and because of how cliché it is. I am hoping that at some point Ross is going to do something that will change my mind about it. Until then, I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, I celebrate The First Time Ross Said He Loved Me Day. It’s a little longer and doesn’t roll off the tongue as well- but it sure does mean so much more to me!

Ross- feel free to record your own version of events. I always love to see the little discrepencies of memory between couples. It is funny how two people can see so many different things in the same events.