In every romantic comedy, you can tell exactly when the two protagonists fell in love with one another. The meeting of the eye, the touch of the hands, the bump in the shoulder, etc. – it’s clear as day. So, naturally, growing up watching these kinds of movies, you’d expect that bigger than life realization moment to happen to you too. In reality, however, love is a little less contrived (hopefully), more real, but every bit as exciting. Every person has its own story about what it is that made them fall in love, and it’s amazing what things can turn someone’s heart. Before you is the story of my greatest love and the moment in which I realized I was madly in love.

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My love story started a few years ago with the love of my life – my current partner. We met while we both in our twenties. After going through a fair amount of unhealthy relationships, this one came completely out of left field. It was everything that I wanted and needed. However, the fact that someone embodies what you need doesn’t mean you automatically love him. Which brings us back to the moment in question.

For me, it was a collection of little moments that led up to the final realization. When he told me that my exes were fools for letting me go. When he promised he’ll never treat me the way they did. When he stooped me from getting out of his car and kissed me for the first time. But, two extremely important factors assured me that this was it – the first was how well he got along with my daughter, who was the most important person in my life, and a deal-breaker to any potential love interest. And the second was how I looked forward to seeing him. Every time we met, I was looking forward to it, and my stomach flipped when he entered the room, and it still does. Everyone can pinpoint the moment in which they fell in love. This was mine, what’s yours?