Today marks the first-year anniversary of my relationship and so today, I would really like to talk about how wonderful this last year has been for me – pandemic aside.

I suppose the best place to begin is with our beginning. I’ve known Corey for years; we attended the same schools and he was a grade above me. His sister and mine have also been close friends since elementary; their bond forming over stuffed animals if I recall correctly. Though I knew Corey in passing, I didn’t know him well until about half a year before our relationship began.

My sister’s boyfriend, Michael, developed an interest in learning to ride a motorcycle, but the only people who he knew how to ride and could take him out to learn while he was practicing for his license weren’t able to take him out often enough for his liking. Michael was growing frustrated, eager to feel the power of his new toy as much as possible, and it prompted my sister, Davon, to ask me if I knew of anyone else who rode who might be able to take him out. I followed Corey on Instagram and had seen him post his own motorcycles a number of times, and since Davon and Corey’s sister, Kelsey, were so close, I wondered aloud to her if he would be an option. Davon thought it was a good suggestion and so she contacted Kelsey on behalf of Michael inquiring whether Corey was up to the task. Luckily, (for all of us) Corey agreed, and so my future, unbeknownst to me, was set in motion.

Michael took to Corey keenly and it wasn’t long until they formed a strong friendship of their own. Davon got to know Corey better in that time as he and Michael would often drop by for visits during their rides, but I didn’t see Corey in person for the first time (since school) until Davon’s birthday party, which occurred a few months after Michael and Corey started spending time together.

I’ll confess that the moment Corey arrived at Davon’s party, a nervousness took over me, though I couldn’t at the time place why. Corey was funny, that was my first and most prominent impression. I gravitated to his charisma and as the night carried on, I found myself trying more and more to be a part of his conversations. So, the crush began.

On days where I would visit Davon when Corey and Michael would happen to drop by during one of their adventures, I was elated. I did my best to mask my bashful eyes and my rouge cheeks, playing off our encounters as casual and friendly. I felt it best to keep the butterflies in my stomach a secret, afraid of tampering with and tarnishing the bond Corey had formed with Michael. I didn’t intend on ever confessing my feelings, determined to keep Michael’s well-being a priority.

A few months later, Corey messaged me, inviting me to his birthday party that was planned for the following day. He had naturally invited both Davon and Michael, and so I figured I was invited by proxy. Still, I was over the moon.

I got very, very drunk at Corey’s party. Drunk me is less inclined to follow the rules that sober me sets, and so, of course, I told Corey I had feelings for him that night. That would become, for me, an elephant in the room. I didn’t bring it up in the days after, and neither did anyone else. On the night of the party, my admission of adoration was a whole ordeal. Davon confided in me that she was worried too, about my feelings – and how they might end could affect Corey and Michael’s relationship. I understood completely and found myself feeling guilty for sharing how I felt. I knew that Davon would never try to deter me away from love if what I felt was genuine, but she urged me to know that I was 100% certain first.

Due to her declaration of worry at the party, I expected for her to bring up the events of my confessions in the days that followed and the longer she didn’t, I grew steadily more anxious. Finally, I addressed it to her, and she told me she didn’t even remember it happening! Again, she pleaded with me to be cautious and sure, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

About a week later, I got a message on Instagram from Corey. He had sent me a Nathan W. Pyle Alien comic that were famously trending the internet, and that erupted a conversation between us that carried on through the whole day, and continued onto the next, and the next…

Halloween was approaching and it was tradition for Davon and Michael to host a party. Corey and I were both invited and that would be my next opportunity to see him. I was very excited to be around him in person once again. Corey and I had been talking every day. Most of our conversations were hypothetical scenarios we were making up on the fly, and they always had me keeled over in a roaring laughter. As day turned to night, our conversations would usually become deeper and more personal to the point where we joked that 10pm was intimate sharing time, and soon that joke turned into an expectation, where I would always make sure to have something deep and personal ready to share for him when 10 o’clock rolled around.

Our conversations were stressful too, because I was constantly and determinedly seeking clues from him to see if I could figure out how he felt about me, but he was way too good at wording everything he said in a way that could easily go either way. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and just before the party, (the very night before if I remember correctly,) for the second time, (though the first time sober,) I confessed my big ol’ crush. Corey loves to torment (in a playful way) so even in that moment of my vulnerability, he drug out the time before he gave me a concrete reply for as long as he possibly could, keeping me in a frantic state of nervousness and anxiety. Finally, he told me he had feelings for me too, though, still in a very teasing way. I timidly asked if he would like to see Zombieland 2 with me in theatres the following weekend, and to my delight, he said yes.

At the Halloween party, he persistently asked if he could kiss me and I insistently and continuously told him I wanted to wait until we were both sober. It’s tradition for a costume contest to be held at our annual Halloween parties, and the way it worked last year was that the hosts would decide their favorites in order, and one by one, the person with the lowest score would be asked to join them to narrow the potential winner down one by one until the last person standing was awarded their prize. Corey and I were the last two contestants remaining, and everyone else went into the other room to discuss their final verdict, leaving Corey and I alone together. One last time, Corey pulled me in close to him and I gave into his desires. Let’s be real, I was anticipating sharing a kiss with him as eagerly as he was with me. One kiss led to several and my Halloween make-up plastered on his face gave away our magical moment to the rest of the party.

I had confessed to Corey earlier on that this wasn’t technically the first time I had been attracted to him. In Jr. High, he played the lead role in a Musical at school, and way back then, I had been swooned by his performance on stage. The day after the party, I was house sitting for a family friend in the city. Corey swallowed his pride and confessed to me that he had a copy of a video recording of his time on stage in Jr High in his possession. He brought it over and fought through his embarrassment and watched it with me to allow me to relive that memory. I suppose that was technically our first date; how charming.

In the following weeks, Corey asked me to tag along with him on the errands he always had to run, so most of our time together was spent strolling through Canadian Tire or Wal-Mart, and it was the most fun I’d ever had doing mundane things. He made every trip an adventure, and I was enchanted by it all. Then, a few weeks after the party, we gave our relationship a title.

“So… should we make this official?” He asked.

“I mean, I wouldn’t be against it,” I said.

“Okay,” he said back.

My eyes urged at him.

He sighed.

“Do you want me to actually ask?” He said with a teasing eyeroll.

“Yes!” I insisted.

He sighed again.

“Ugh, will you be my girlfriend?” He asked begrudgingly.

“Yes!” I expressed.

“I’ll allow it,” he said.

Hilarious. A perfect beginning. Impeccable proof that he is exactly my kind of Prince Charming.

Throughout the last year, I’ve repeatedly said that Corey makes every day an adventure. We have had many truly excitable moments. He began teaching me to ride a motorcycle, and in the summer, we travelled together to Calgary, Drumheller, Canmore and Banff, but what I mean is even in the simplest days, he fills the time I share with him with life, energy, and joy. He keeps me on my toes at every turn and the playful torment is endless. My face ended up covered in whipped cream during my first experience attending one of his family dinners. Once, he locked me outside in the backyard and drenched me through the kitchen window with the extendable tap on the sink. He has a way of making every day feel full, and since I’ve been with him, he gives me more and more reasons in every moment to love being alive.

Corey has given me an incredible freedom in my ability to be my truest self that has never been provided to me in this way before. For a long while in the beginning, I felt like, and I truly don’t know how else to properly explain it, but like shucks – like from a corn cob – metaphorical shucks were being peeled away from my soul inside that they once protected, and as each one fell, I was discovering more colorful and vibrant pieces of myself that I’d forgotten long ago. I truly don’t know how else to put it. For me, that feels accurate. He sees me for who I am, and he doesn’t try to make sense of it when I provide him with more insight into myself, he just accepts it as another part of my whole. He’s empowered me by gifting me the ability to trust him effortlessly, and he’s provided me with endless safety in knowing that he loves me because I’m me, instead of alternatively being infatuated with an idea of who he wanted me to be. Furthermore, because he’s given me this security, I’ve also been given this comfort I didn’t know I needed in embracing who I am, and with him, I don’t feel vulnerable when the next shuck falls. I’m elated and grateful and warm in the space I’ve been given to grow, and he encourages me to blossom. Without even really being aware of it, all the time, he drives me and motivates me to fill the shoes of my full potential. I’ve always believed that a partner should be an extension of personal happiness and not a reason for it, but I had no idea how far my happiness could extend – with the right person.

Corey listens to me – because he wants to. The context of my words doesn’t waver how intently he absorbs my every thought. He’s interested in knowing me in every way he’s able, and my appreciation for that is immeasurable. He pays attention to me in such careful detail. He knows more of what appeals to me and what fuels me than I realize. He surprises me still; in all the tiny ways he shows me he’s been attentive to me. Waltzing through a store, he’ll point out something to me that he thinks I might like, and even if it’s something that’s never come up beforehand, he’s always right. I’m astonished by how in tune he is with me, and it genuinely feels magical.

He listens to me – no matter what; he listens to what I need and he wants to do all he can to meet me and find a conclusion that is satisfying for us both. I am a person who cares intensely about the feelings of the people around me, often to a fault. I will shy away from expressing how I feel for the sake of others happiness often, and I have a deprecating tendency to keep things bottled up. In the few instances where I have expressed to him something I have felt I needed within our relationship, (after battling with my instinct to keep my emotions swallowed,) he has listened compassionately and he always sets aside his ego and allows himself time to take a few steps in my shoes. I am continuously surprised by how easy it is to confide in him, and by how much space he allows me to speak and feel freely. All my life, I’ve been so caught up in worrying about how what I feel might affect others that I am still getting accustomed to the safety he provides me with to share. I felt it very important to share this detail because I am enormously grateful and delighted by this trait he owns. I am well aware of how silly it is for me to be so surprised by these gestures of his, but it is and has been one of the most prominent components in allowing me to feel so at peace and loved in his wake.

It seems he’s always thinking ahead about ways to make my every day a little brighter. Once, while I was showering, he warmed a towel for me in the dryer and brought it to me to wrap myself in the moment I turned off the tap. A month or so ago, I mentioned I missed the taste (experience) of Sloppy Joe’s, and so, that’s what we had for dinner last Friday. Last month, I sent a Tik Tok in the group chat I have with my friends, of a tiny pumpkin with an adorable smiley face drawn on it, and I wrote that I needed a pumpkin friend. In the weeks that followed, he gave me a whole pumpkin family! Each with that identical, adorable face drawn on them, and each one smaller than the last. They were gifted to me individually over several days, each given in a different fun and creative way. Last year, my birthday party was Vegas themed. I mentioned in a post on the Facebook event that while it wasn’t mandatory, I thought it would be fun for all of us to dress up. Behind the scenes, Corey made sure that everyone did. All this to say, Corey is really good at the small things. The detail he puts into those tiny treasures warms my heart. Everything he does feels tailored to me specifically. He doesn’t do anything because he feels like he’s supposed to; he does it because he wants to. He’s decorated our time together with little moments of sunshine like that, to remind me of the value I hold to him.

I love watching Corey interact with other people. He’s humble, confident, well spoken, and likeable. He always gives credit and recognition to those who deserve it, whether it be for a small joke they’ve made, or an accomplishment Corey recalled them doing however long ago before. Corey makes everyone around him feel equally as welcomed and important in conversation and activity, and I love to witness the people that surround him feel inclined to look to him for direction and talk about him with absolute respect and fondness.

All along, Corey has been teaching me what it truly means to be in love. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have found such a genuine, true, and great man. He is my best friend, my equal partner, my motivator, and my cheerleader. He keeps me grounded; he also propels me to soar. He would be the first to call me out if I acted unjustly or compromised my integrity, but he would also be the first to help me find my way again. He knows what moves me and he knows how to heal my sadness. He makes me laugh until my stomach hurts every single day. He’s playful, hardworking, creative, honest and smart, and I greatly admire and respect the man that he is. He’s given me a quality of life I couldn’t fathom before; I didn’t know falling in love could be so good. I’m so glad and proud to be celebrating one trip around the sun with him and I truly hope that there is yet many more to come.

I love you, Corey. Thank you for everything. Happy anniversary. ♡