I remember the first time I met Liz. It was on the 6th floor of the psych hospital in the resident lounge. She was a visiting 4th-year medical student, and I was an intern, probably wearing my white coat. I was immediately drawn to her. I was jealous that my best friend, Shaan, was getting to show her around and answering her questions. I wished it were me. The best I could do was hope that I would see her again and she would match at our program.

Luckily for me, she did. However, it wasn’t until early 2023 that we found ourselves at the right place and time. I found out through the grapevine that she was single. We hadn’t worked together, and I didn’t really know her well, so I asked her on a low-stakes outing with other friends. She said that she couldn’t because she needed to study for a big test. I patiently waited another month until after her test, all the while sending her study materials and words of encouragement. Finally, in March, she said yes to my invitation, and we went to the climbing gym with a couple of our co-residents. It was a lot of fun, and I was impressed with Liz’s adventurousness. Our friends happened to leave after climbing, which opened the door for me to ask her out for a drink alone. We got to know each other better over drinks, and I asked her when I would get to see her again. For our second date, we went climbing again, but ended up at one of her favorite breweries, where we spent hours talking and laughing. It wasn’t until the third date that I really sealed the deal. I took her hiking at a state park, where we took photos together in the bluebonnets. We spent the rest of the day and late into the evening together. I walked her to her car and finally kissed her goodnight. The rest is history, as they say.

We continued to date and go on adventures, and eventually professed our love for each other. But truthfully, I was only sharing half of my world with her. It wasn’t until August that Liz met my son Jameson for the first time. She embraced him fully and developed a loving and nurturing relationship with him. Seeing that relationship blossom is what gave me confidence that Liz was the woman I wanted to marry.

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