Tim and I went to the same small and country high school for three years with one another. He was a year older than me. We had three years to pass one another in the hallway, get to know one another, have a class together, run into one another at a game or pep rally…and never did this happen. Everyone that knows us says, “How did you manage to go to Poolesville High School and never know each other”? It’s weird...everyone knows everyone in Poolesville. You can’t skip class or be in the bathroom for more than five minutes before your parents are alerted. That’s just Poolesville. The parents love it, the kids hate it. You don’t appreciate how wonderful this is, until you grow up. I was very used to this because my mom was well known in the community.
Tim’s mom was our school nurse, also very well known. I only remember going to the nurse like maybe twice, and that’s stretching it. Never knew the nurse had a son, or that her son went to my school. The nurse was always nice, and I wish she would have a told me that she had a cute, tall and athletic son. However, we probably would have looked at one another and both of us walk the other way. He was what you called, “a wild child”. A star football player, but always in trouble; getting caught with cigarettes, skipping class, getting sent to the principal’s office and going to bars with fake ID’s. I, on the other hand, was in the band…yes, I know geek, right?! I was on the basketball team, did well in school, worked part-time at my Mom’s Day Care Center and babysat almost every weekend, saving money! We were opposites, to say the least. Tim was in the fire academy through his junior and senior year of high school so he only went to school part-time. I still wonder just how many times we passed one another in the hall during those three years though. If someone would have stopped me and said that I was going to fall in love, marry and have this boy be the father of my children, I would have laughed and said that my standards must become very low. Haha, we just would not have liked one another. Only did I know how wonderful of a companion and my very best friend, this boy would become. Tim graduated in 2003 and then I graduated in 2004. He tried to get a job as a Firefighter but in Montgomery County that posed to be quite challenging because he was not female or a race/ethnicity other than white. When I graduated I went to Community College and soon thereafter discovered my inner “wild child” too! I still am surprised that Tim and I never came across one another at a party or bar. We ran in the same circles, without ever knowing one another.
Now onto the other part of the story…since my mom owned her own business, she did a lot of banking at the bank in our town, and she would always come home and say how sweet the girl at the bank was and that I would really have a lot in common with her. I met “the girl at the bank” a few times but nothing more than talking while I deposit or withdrawal through the drive through. She was nice, but that was the extent of us knowing one another. I had no idea that this girl would later become my sister…
When I started attending UMBC in 2006, I still had to take a gym class at my community college. My best friend and I decided to take Water Aerobics. When we walked in, it was a geriatrics class practically and then one other girl our age. As I walked closer, I noticed it was the nice girl that works at the bank in our town. So, my time getting to know “the girl who works at the bank” or Megan, was throughout our Water Aerobics class. Never did this girl ever say that she had a brother, that her brother went to Poolesville High School, or that her Mom was the Nurse at the school. Those things just never crossed her mind. We become good friends, really good friends. And then one day, almost a year later, I got a phone call from Megan. I was at home painting, on a Saturday night with my parents…boring, I know…but Megan changed my whole world that night, without even knowing it. She said, “Hey Holly…Are you dating anyone right now?” I said, “Well, it’s complicated… why?” She said, “Well my brother saw a photo of you on Facebook and wanted to know if you would go out with him.” I said, “Wait, you have a brother?” She said, “Yes, I do. So is that a yes?” I was like, “Umm yeah, like how about tonight?” She stated that she would give her brother my phone number and I would have to wait until he called. Blah. Patience is not something I was blessed with.
By Tuesday, with no phone call, I was going crazy. I thought, I am not going to just wait around for this guy to call me and jump to…no way! I called Megan, begging her to have her brother call me. Finally he did. I was babysitting and waiting anxiously. I remember having my Crest Whitestrips in my mouth and when he called, I asked him to hold on because I couldn’t talk with them in…HAHAHA! So funny, but that’s just me! We chatted for a little bit and set up a date for Friday night at Red Rock in Gaithersburg, MD. It was forever until Friday, I thought.
The next day I called him and asked if he wanted to get coffee that evening. He said ok and we met at Starbucks in Germantown. I called Megan on my way, asking what he looked like and what kind of car he drove. I searched the parking lot and found his car. It was nice and clean. Point. He was early…that was a good sign. Point. I walked in and there he was. Little did I know that would be my future husband. We talked and talked and talked. Finally, Starbucks was closing. We went next door and got some food at Chicken Out. He paid. Points, again! We awkwardly said good-bye in the parking-lot, quickly because it was raining. Just a hug and said see you in two days.
On the way home I thought about our mini-date. We had a lot in common but I just didn’t feel those bells and whistles you think you’ll see and hear when God’s trying to tell you “he’s the one!” I thought well since he’s my friend’s brother, I at least have to give him a real date, so that was the plan. Friday night came and I was not anxious at all, I just thought, ah, whatever, it’s a free meal. I remember what I wearing and what he was wearing. We waited for our seat and sat down and started the night. I went expensive…to see if he cared…so two glasses of wine and prime rib for me, please! He didn’t bat an eye! Points!! We talked and laughed and then walked around the lake after dinner. I thought, this guy isn’t so bad after all. He actually is quite a sweetheart. Now, if you asked Tim and I both what happened next, we would tell you different stories. He would say that I begged him to take me back to his house (to meet his cute puppy, of course) but I would say it was more like we had nothing else to do and it was getting cold…so where else would we go! He finally said ok and we went to his condo. I thought, hmm, this guy is 21 and has a nice car, owns his own house, has a puppy..hmm, the only thing he’s missing is , well…ME! We kissed, sitting there on his couch and I’ll never forget that moment. I’ll never forget him looking me in the eye and I thought, oh my gosh, he’s going to kiss me..LOL, so cheesy I know!!
A few weeks later I met his family and he met mine. I still was a little weary but we were in-separatable. When we came back to his house one evening after meeting his family, he looked at me and said…exactly these words…”So are you like my girlfriend, cause everyone wants to know?” I kid you not; sometimes what comes out of Tim’s mouth is, well…interesting. All the well, I said, “Well, I guess so”. And that was it.
I moved in almost immediately and became a Mommy to “our” 7-month old yellow lab, Audrey. We got a cat, Georgie and then another a year later, Charlie. A year after that we got Tobie, at just one week old. They are our little fur family for now. We moved in 2007 from our condo in Gaithersburg to a beautiful townhouse in Poolesville, where we still currently live. We hope to buy a plot of land and build a beautiful house right here in town. We would love our children to go to the same high school and live that country life, where we know if they skip class even before they get home for the day. Tim and I will secretly smile and high-five in the next room, because we know it sucks to live here as a kid..but one day they’ll appreciate it too!
