Pink Toothpick

It all started with a pink toothpick. The day I finally spotted it in Tyler's truck, I knew he loved me. We had only been dating for a short time but I loved Tyler more than I had ever loved anyone before. He was so easy to love. Our relationship wasn't complicated.

He had begun working at City Hall next door to my office in April of 2005. In late June I noticed him. I know I had seen him a few times but I had never been introduced to him and I didn't know that he was working at the City. Then, one afternoon, I was outside with some of the City Hall girls and I saw him walking in. I really noticed the back of him walking in to the building. So sorry if this is embarrassing to Tyler or his family for me to say but I had never really cared about a man's backside until I saw Tyler's that day and I remarked to one of the ladies I was visiting with what a nice one he had. She said, "Oh, that's Tyler, our new accountant. Come on, I'll introduce you." I followed Ann to the front door and Tyler was still standing in the lobby. She said- "Tyler, are you married?" He said no. She said, "Then this is Allie, Allie, this is Tyler. I'm done." He was so friendly and warm. My face was hot. I told him that I wasn't usually that color (bright red) but that it was very nice to meet him and then I think I ran away.

The weekend that followed after our brief meeting was the fourth of July weekend. Tyler called me. He was going to the lake with some friends but wanted to come back in to town to take me out on a date. We decided to go to Fourth fest together and spend the afternoon together with my family! We had a great time. I adored him. There was nothing not to like about Tyler.

Our love for one another came easily. No drama, no big fights. The only time I remember him getting mad at me early in our relationship was for taking too long to get to his house (it took me so long because I was crafting a "happy 3 week anniversary" gift for him).

At some point in this early stage I remember teasing Tyler for always having a toothpick stuck in the moulding around the door frame of his truck. He said he always kept one there in case he needed it- it was handy. I laughed and said that when he had a special pink toothpick in the moulding on my side of the truck that I would know that he really loved me. It was like when Bud put the "BUD" and "SISSY" miniature license plates in the rear window of his truck...it was a proclamation that I was his girl. The only other girl that was going to be riding in his truck. That was my spot and my toothpick.

I finally noticed the pink toothpick one evening. I was so surprised that he really went to the trouble of finding a pink toothpick! It is so silly but I really did know in that moment that he loved me. I love little things. And the fact that this was such an outrageous and silly thing was wonderful. We got one anothers sense of humor. We made each other laugh. He said it had been there for a while.

A short while later we were married.