AAAAHHHH..., THE STORY....
I don't know if this should be written in first, second, or third person, but we all know who's writing this!
Our story is both rare and something so very unexpected.
Jerol and Katy met for the first time in the year 1996. Jerol lived in Tampa at the time and was in the same friend circle as Katy's High School friends. Anybody that knew Jerol remembers all the fun they had at his house over the weekends. Katy and Jerol always had a little spark, but their timing was not to be at that moment.
As everyone started living out their lives, so did Katy & Jerol. As the years went on, Katy was busy raising her son as a single mom, and Jerol was raising his son and daughter as a single dad. Both of them throughout their journeys, trying to make relationships work with the wrong people.
To make a long story very short... in 2019, they reconnected in of all places, through LinkedIn, when Katy started a new job. Jerol would text novels and although he was very thorough, Katy was tired of all the texting and decided to just pick up the phone and call him.
As one could guess, Katy did 95% of all the talking while Jerol just listened intently. (One of Jerol's ongoing jokes to this day is that if Katy was a doll, she would be named "Katy-talks-a-lot"). From that first phone call, it was the start of a very special reuniting.
Every night they talked and laughed as they got to know each other and rekindle their spark from years ago. Amongst all the chatter and amusement there was a love that was forming between them that neither one of them had experienced before... TRUE LOVE!
Life is not a fairy tale, but, if Katy and Jerol's story were, Katy at last found her prince that takes her for all of her craziness and lets her be exactly who she is, and Jerol finally got his princess who loves him and takes care of him with all of her heart, and gives him the loyalty he truly deserves. And when Katy loses her slipper every night at the stroke of midnight, Jerol always finds it for her.
Jerol and Katy who both had their own past relationship trauma, learned how to help unpack each other's baggage side by side, while loving and growing together. Weeding out the Wicked Witches and Evil Sorcerers along the way, it is now finally time for their Happily Ever After!!!
Jerol asked for Katy's hand in marriage on April 23, 2022, 25 years from when they first met. Of course, Katy said yes after twenty minutes of being in shock and sobbing covered in tears of joy. The time had come for these two soulmates to become one.
Marriage has been instilled in both Katy and Jerol by their parents with their unwavering love and enduring commitment to each other. Jerol's parents will be celebrating 50 years of marriage in January of 2023, and Katy's parents will also be celebrating 50 years of marriage in March of 2023. We will be taking our wedding vows in February, between two monumental anniversaries of our parents, the two greatest examples of what marriage stands for, and the proof that love will always conquer all.
As single parents, we couldn't have raised our children without them, and their incredible support and unconditional love. Our parents are the reason that we believe in marriage!
So, if you are reading this story right now, please know that you have been carefully selected to take part in this extraordinary day with us. Each and every one of you is very special to both Jerol and me and have played a huge part in our lives together.
We can't wait to see all of you and celebrate LOVE!