(2 out of 3 doctors recommend reading parts 1 and 2 first).

So we were official. And something was very wrong with me. I could not stop smiling. People were commenting left and right about this sudden beaming grin on my face, a face that prior to falling in love usually wore a more refined and serious expression.

Four days later Chris and I had still not had our first kiss. We were sitting in the car outside my dorm late at night and Chris turned to me and said, “I hope this doesn’t freak you out- but I really hope I marry you.” This should have freaked me out, really it should have, but it didn’t, not at all. I said, “I hope I marry you too.” I really, really like this guy, I thought as I said goodnight.

Two nights later we were watching a movie in front of a roaring fire at Chris’ grandparent’s house when one thing led to another and he kissed me. You would think that this would be some monumental romantic oh-we-are-so-made-for-each-other moment, but it wasn’t. It was tainted. The moment our lips locked one, and only one, thought ran through my mind in boldfaced type. Chris’ kissing conversation frm a few weeks prior was at the front of my brain and all I could hear was him saying: I’M NOT KISSING ANYONE UNTIL I KNOW SHE’S GOING TO BE AROUND FOR AWHILE. Here I am, locked in a passionate embrace and all I can think is, “I’m going to be around for awhile? WHOA! This is serious!”

The next week followed in a bit of a daze. I knew this was it. I was totally overwhelmed by the fact that this was it and here I was at the ripe old age of nineteen, with plans and goals and suddenly, they just weren’t quite as important because This was the THIS that was IT.

Chris’ mother was coming into town. Now this is a woman who in my adult life is one of the people who I treasure most. I had no idea that we would become such close friends at the time. I just knew that I was about to meet my future mother in-law and it scared the pants off me. Her parents had filled her in on her son and his new girlfriend and also the seriousness of the matter. (Remember, they had already had us married the first time we met- at this point visions of 2.5 kids and a cocker spaniel were probably going through their heads). So she had flown out from California to meet me.

Like I said, I was scared silly. During the time that Chris and I had been dating I hadn’t made a lot of efforts in the hair and make-up department, and he loved me anyway. But this was different. The day that Chris was supposed to pick me up to go meet his mother I think I went through every article of clothing in my closet. I remember the exact pair of black pants and burgundy sweater I ended up wearing (not too causal, not too formal). I can distinctly recall the moment in the car when Chris took a good look at me and my make up and busted up laughing and said, “You got dressed up to meet my mom!” Yes, dear, I did. The shaking knees are for her too.

So I met the mother. I remember very little about this, except that Grandpa had one of those obnoxious parrots with a microphone that repeated whatever you said, and he made me talk to the bird, in German, and I had no choice but to play along. Then, because that wasn’t embarrassing enough, I tripped over my own glass of cranberry juice and spilled it on the white carpet. Aside from that I stumbled through a few pleasantries and just stared at this woman who I knew was going to be my mother in-law while a voice in my head screamed, “Does she have any idea? Does she know I kissed her son? Is she going to be one of the scary mother in-laws who might try to kill me? Do I look like a complete idiot?”

Because I didn’t say any of those things, and Chris’ mom is actually very kind and welcoming, it went reasonably well. She had a very good idea what was going on between her son and this girl he had dated for all of two weeks, but handled things with grace and finesse. We only visited for a short while and then I was able to go home and drive Chris crazy with endless inquiries as to what he thought his mother thought of me. Then he was able to drive his already neurotic girlfriend crazy by answering with words like “fine”and “ok” rather than detailed information.

But, I had passed the test. I met the mother and things continued to snowball.