He was sure that he was going to marry someone who just wanted a comfortable life and be stuck in a loveless marriage.

A blind date brought them together, but love kept them together.

He couldn’t help but fall for her.

Their first date was at a restaurant. A posh restaurant. He was early and properly groomed. A true gentleman, just as his parents have raised him to be. This was the 50^th blind date his parents have told him to attend. He went for every blind date his parents told him to, but when his parents asked him how did he find the lady. His answer would never change. “She’s not the one I’m looking for.”.

More than half the ladies he met were more interested in his wallet and paycheck than anything else. Others were just like him, doing what their parents asked of them. None of them were genuinely trying to find a life partner, a soul mate, but he had the same mindset.

He checked his watch and it was exactly 7pm. His blind date should be arriving in the next 5 minutes. The waitress came and filled the empty glass across the table. The blind dates would take place in the same restaurant, at the same table, at the same time, on the same day of the week. The waiters and waitresses all knew him by his 10^th blind date. He was the famous Mr. Jung, either because he always left a big tip or he would always arrive 20 minutes early and would always admire the scenery from his table which was next to the giant window.

As he admired the sunset, a lady ran up to his table, sat down and gulped down the glass of water. He just stared at this lady before him, like as if she was an albino black sheep. She then started apologizing and explaining why she was late. So many things could’ve run through his head but only one person went through his head.

He accepted her apology and introduced himself. They ordered dinner and sat in silence. He observed her from his seat. Her hair was slightly messed up, most probably from the running. However, she didn’t bother excusing herself to go to the washroom. Maybe she wasn’t aware of it. He found it very intriguing.

Being a gentleman, he broke the silence and started engaging her in some small talk. He found out that she was an accountant at a small company, still lives with her family and adores the color pink. This was her first blind date, because she believed in finding love herself. But due to a bet she lost with her dad, she had to come for this blind date.

The night went well, and he sent her home. He insisted on walking her to her doorstep and after many rejections, she allowed him to walk her to the doorstep.

This was his first time walking a girl home and to her doorstep. The usual practice was to hail a cab for the lady and pay the driver for the ride. After that was just a trip down to the local bar and down a glass of beer before heading back home.

Upon arriving at her doorstep, he stood there while trying to find the perfect words to say. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at him. She thanked him for the wonderful night and searched for her keys in her handbag.

He cursed himself for not being able to find the perfect words fast enough. She had already found her keys and was unlocking the door. For a man like him, words were easy to find but not today. He grabbed her wrist and stared at her, which was replied with a puzzled look.

“Can I have your number?”

She smiled and motioned for him to pass her his phone. After receiving the phone, she entered in her number and returned it back to him.

She bid him farewell and entered into her home. He stood outside her door and stared at his phone.

Save number?

Yes

Name of contact: Tiffany

He skipped the usual glass of beer that night and headed home immediately. The blind dates stopped as well.

He found out about her uncle’s debts and her father was the guarantor, on the 3^rd date by accident. He sent her home after the date, found door broken down and everything inside was wrecked. Luckily her family was unharmed.

4 months later, they got married.

It might have appeared to be a rash decision but he knew what he was doing. Protecting the woman he loves.

Things didn’t work out as planned, debts started to pile up, his father was involved in a car accident and slipped into a coma. It was a stressful time for him and his wife. He insisted that everything was fine and she didn’t need to go work.

Problems snowballed. Hospital bills were getting harder to pay. He also had to finance his little sister for college and still had to pay off the debt of Tiffany’s uncle. He decided to sell their house.

Tiffany never questioned her husband. He was doing the best for her and everyone. She decided to go to work the next day.

“Darling, could you get me some aspirin and a glass of water?”

“Sure, honey.”, Tiffany went off to get two items asked.

Her husband took the medicine and gulped down the glass of water.

“Jesse. If you’re not feeling well, you should stay at home and rest.”

“I’m fine, just having a slight headache.”

He changed and left the house.

He reached home early, but his wife was not home yet. Feeling exhausted, he changed into his pajamas and went to bed first.

Jesse woke up to his wife’s arrival in the room. His eyes remained closed as he felt his wife caressing his face and planting a kiss on his cheek. He slept once Tiffany was asleep on their bed.

He rushed to the hospital after hearing that his wife broke her arm at work, while she was trying to help the cleaner shift some heavy items and a giant carton fell on her. He reprimanded her while making sure she didn’t have any other injuries.

After a year, Jesse finally paid off Tiffany’s uncle’s debt. His father woke up that day, only to say his last words. Jesse cried for the first time in his adult life that night.

Their shoulders felt lighter as months went by. On their 2^nd wedding anniversary, they went for a walk by the beach after dinner. He laid his jacket on the sand and motioned his wife to sit on it. She replied by pushing him to sit on it and she sat in between his legs.

It was a habit for him to give her and back hug while smelling the fragrance of her shampoo. He rested his chin on her shoulder and she leaned back into his embrace.

“I would never imagine myself being so happily married.”, Jesse confessed.

“Why?”

“I always thought I would marry someone my parents set me up with.”

“But you married someone you met on a blind date, right?”

“Yea. Honestly, I thought I would be stuck in a loveless marriage.”, Jesse laughed.

“I didn’t expect that I would be marrying someone 4 months after my first blind date either.”, Tiffany chuckled.

“Thanks for everything.”

She replied by intertwining their fingers together.