We stayed up until 6 in the morning just talking and decided to get Burger King breakfast. He didn’t judge when I ordered hash browns, a Croissan’Wich, french toast sticks and an orange juice.

—Yvette

Postscript: I’ve gained 10 pounds since being with him, but he still makes me the happiest I’ve ever been.

1

I decided that I would wear a zebra cowboy hat and bring 20 balloons with me to my friend’s 21st birthday party. As I was walking to the party, she yelled from her fifth-story window “Hey, you with the balloons! Can I have one?” I told her she could have one only if she came down and talked to me.

—Balloon Boy

Postscript: I got her to come to the party with me, and we have been dating ever since.

1

She brought me M&M’s while I was building my brother’s house. They fell down into the unfinished basement onto a pile of rocks, and I jumped down to pick them up. I had to get a ladder to climb back out.

—Alex

Postscript: Married for 26 years.

2

He had to pull me out of a pool because I got too drunk. Then he sat beside me on the couch while I slept and checked my breathing and pulse every five minutes until the early morning.

—Monica

Postscript: We’ve been dating for over two years now!

0

He gave me his less-than-hygienic habit of blowing one’s nose on a dirty T-shirt from the laundry pile. One day he was blowing his nose into an old gray tee when I felt my nose starting to run, and I grabbed the same shirt and started blowing, too. When I realized we were both standing in his room, unshowered, sick and blowing into the same snotty T-shirt, I knew.

—Brittney

Postscript: Nine months in!

0

I went for very minor surgery and was accompanied only by my mom and dad. I have a horrible fear of needles and anesthesia where I believe I will not wake from it. Surgery went without incident, and I was put in the recovery room. The first thing I screamed when I came to was, “WHERE ARE YOU?!” It was in this drug-induced state that I really did want him there, every moment of every day.

—Katie

Postscript: I was lucky that he felt the same way, and he spent the following days of my recovery, and the past four years, by my side. We’re getting married this summer.

1

I fell in love drunkenly dancing with a guy to cocaine blues at my birthday party.

—Jessica

Postscript: I barfed, and we dated for two years.

0