It started with a simple text — “I just ran into your twin at Chick-fil-A,” I jokingly sent to a friend from college, along with a blurry snap I had secretly taken of the back of the random guy’s head.
It was summer break before my sophomore year, and I was missing everyone from campus. My friend’s response surprised me — it turns out, he actually had an identical twin brother. The twin was stationed near Chicago, about 900 miles away from my hometown in Texas, and definitely not the guy I saw ordering waffle fries.
How did I know someone for a year without knowing they had a twin? It was odd — and I never would have realized I would end up married to that twin just a few years later.
I wanted a relationship, but also didn’t want to rush
I had a handful of boyfriends in college, never quite finding the right guy to commit to seriously. I was young and independent for the first time, a sorority girl, and an honors student. I loved life, classes, and Saturday night football games. I wanted love, but I wasn’t in a rush.
A few months after that text, I met the twin — Nick — for the first time, at my friend’s dorm room. He was on a short leave from the Navy, visiting his brother. He seemed nice enough, but I didn’t think that much of it. I saw him off and on throughout the years, including one fateful New Year’s Eve party in 2013 when I jokingly told my friend I was single and needed a kiss if his brother was in town (he didn’t pass on the message).
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Everything changed in February. I was sent to Chicago for a work assignment during an internship I snagged for an airline. Another intern and I were helping with a nonprofit event, but we had one free evening in town. It was a Tuesday night in the middle of winter, and I was nervous to venture out in the city. So, I messaged my friend’s twin.
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He left his base and caught a train after work to meet us downtown, where he took us around to some cool spots and bought us deep-dish pizza.
I really liked my friend’s twin
Maybe it was the snow falling or the lights of the romantic city, but sparks were flying that night. I was smitten. It felt like I was seeing this man for the first time. He was handsome, funny, and sweet. A total gentleman. And my intern friend wouldn’t stop teasing me about him the rest of the night.
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I was a goner, texting him every single day from then on. I like liked him — and I was giddy with excitement. We quickly moved on to FaceTime calls and flirty texts, talking for hours each day. I got free standby flights through work, so a few months later I flew to Chicago again, this time for our first date. It was bold and totally outside my comfort zone, but I already felt like I knew this guy. He picked me up from the airport and we spent the whole weekend exploring the city. We had our first kiss, and neither one of us could stop smiling.
I was just getting to know him for the first time, but thanks to our daily phone calls, our relationship felt much deeper than with any other guy I had known. I was graduating soon and, suddenly, everything felt more serious. This wasn’t a guy you make out with in a crowded fraternity house. This was a guy you brought home to mom, and I had confidence that’s exactly what would happen.
He proposed after 1 year of long-distance
We saw each other every couple of months, which was all the sweeter after the effort it took to coordinate travel and time off. It required waking up at 4 a.m. to drive myself to the airport, waiting for hours on standby lists, catching a train to the city, then packing in as much as we could before I had to get up at 4 a.m. the next day and do it all in reverse. Sometimes we only saw each other over a 24-hour period, but those moments were more precious than gold. Other times, I couldn’t get to Chicago, but I could travel to other cities — like Los Angeles or San Antonio — so we would meet there just to see each other. I wasn’t getting much sleep, but it was so worth it.
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On one trip in February, nearly one year since he showed me around the Windy City, he took me to a garden on Navy Pier and got down on one knee. I said yes — and even though our entire relationship so far was long distance, I somehow knew it was going to work out.
We got married 11 months later
In July, five months after he proposed, I flew up to Chicago to help him move back to Texas, where his family is also from. I couldn’t wait for the mundane, like doing laundry together or sleeping in without worrying about wasting precious time. But my parents were more nervous. My dad wanted us to wait to get married, as this was our first time living in the same state at the same time.
It was solid advice, but I didn’t need it. The way we talked and got to know each other, I knew that I didn’t need more time to decide if this was the right guy for me. I was head over heels for him. The urgency I felt to tie the knot was unlike anything I’d felt before, and I was impatient to be with him forever.
In January, 11 months after he proposed, just 23 months since that fateful night in Chicago, we got married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in a small town called Poetry. I wore a sparkly white Cinderella dress, and he wore his military dress blues. It was everything I dreamed of and more, and to this day, there is nothing I would change about that perfect day.
We’ve been married for a decade
Here we are now, coming up on 10 years married. We have three beautiful boys, a highly energetic golden retriever, and a love that is stronger than ever. It’s survived a pandemic, job losses, two more college degrees (a master’s degree for me, an undergraduate degree for him), and a bout with breast cancer.
However, there were many more positive aspects. For instance, when we went on vacation to Chicago and discovered I was pregnant for the first time, when we bought our first house, or when my dream of becoming a full-time writer finally came true.
My favorite moments are when my husband surprises me with coffee on his way home from work or when we stay up late watching our favorite TV shows. Life can be stressful and chaotic, but I know that I can get through anything with my husband by my side. Love isn’t always predictable or perfect, but I couldn’t dream of anything better.