I first met Reece when we were both around 10. I'd moved to a new primary school and he came a year later. I was awkward with long, straggly hair, glasses and a penchant for long books like Lord of the Rings. He was a little on the big side, but his sweet nature always shone through.
While we were never real friends, I had an amazing imagination and found myself with a sizeable crush on him, among a few other boys in the year. I blame a strong and steady diet of Disney and soppy books. He was my Kris Kringle, I believe he gave me a pink ruler and hair ties. I still have the card somewhere.
Fast forward seven years or so and we found ourselves in the same English class with a few mutual friends who formed a larger group. We sat next to each other and found we both loved the British show Skins and had a similar, quirky sense of humour.
At the local fair (called Yakerboo of all things) he confessed he liked me. A balloon still sits in the pocket of the overalls I wore that day. The next day he asked me out. Can you guess the answer?
Nearly four years on and we live together, are trying to save for our first home and love each other more everyday. I find myself nearly in tears as I sit and try and recall those first sparks and the raging bushfire they created. There have been tough moments. Not fights as such, but a tenseness that could have swung either way. Thankfully we grew together in the same direction and I have every faith that we will continue to do so. Marriage and kids are a long way in the distance, after all we are only twenty. But I know in my heart we are the high school sweet hearts who will be together at every re-uninon - if anyone from our class has the skills to organise one.
