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Another date for the win! After my jaw surgery, I started talking to Ian. Who also had a type of face surgery. We bonded over that for a while. A few weeks ago, I had planned to meet Ian for an axe-throwing event. Right next to it, there was this room where you could just throw paint around—it sounded like so much fun. I made the reservation, all excited for a Friday night out. But then, a family emergency popped up on his end, and the date had to be canceled. Honestly, though, I wasn’t too upset. After all, I’ve been on enough dates to know guys usually don’t stick around long enough to make a difference.

Take the arcade guy, for example. Couldn't text back to save his life. Or the ginger kid who stopped hanging out altogether. He rejected me so much, I began to get embarrassed. And don't even get me started on how much I miss his house. No one ever really wants to take things further, so canceling dates wasn’t my biggest concern.

But then, a few weeks later, Taylor reached out again. I was a little surprised—mostly because I had already written him off in my head. Could it be he wasn’t mad at me? Were we actually going to try this again? We decided to meet up on Thursday, and we ended up picking a movie. The options were pretty limited—mostly musicals—but hey, I was just excited to hang out.

Here’s the kicker: I was so not ready for this night. I had on a super-tight girdle, white tights, and it was the first day of my period. Worst possible combo for a movie date, right? So, as a joke, I asked him to bring me some comfy clothes. I didn’t actually think he’d do it, but hey, it was worth testing him.

When we met up, he was holding a pair of joggers and a hoodie. I was shocked. “No way he actually did it,” I thought. I grabbed the clothes, practically sprinted to the bathroom to change, and then shoved my old outfit into the car.

Anyway, we bought our tickets. I offered to pay (because as a single mom, I really hate when people pay for me), but he was fine with whatever.

While waiting outside, we chatted. He talked a lot, which at first felt a little one-sided, but soon enough, I was talking his ear off. I even suggested we head inside early. We found our seats—well, he found his. My chair didn’t want to cooperate, so I spent half the time trying to figure out how to recline it to match his. Spoiler: I didn’t figure it out.

During the movie, I couldn’t sit still. I’m just not the type to zone out for hours. And then, to make things more awkward, he wouldn’t hold my hand. So, I had this internal debate: Should I be the one to make the first move? Who even does that anymore? Well, in true me fashion, I shot my hand toward his and boom, first move made. The movie? Actually not bad, despite being a musical. I might even recommend it... but I don't want to get sued.

After the film, we were saying our goodbyes outside, but of course, I lingered. I didn’t want the night to end. So, I threw out the idea of grabbing a bite to eat. We decided to take my car. Let me tell you, my car was a disaster. I mean, I should’ve cleaned it, but, well, who has time?

We googled some spots, but everything was closed—seriously, it was only 9:30 PM! After some failed attempts, we found a Korean place. We pulled up, but it was... well, a weird bar. We weren’t sure if they even had Korean food, so we bolted.

Finally, Applebee’s was still open! It turned out to be the perfect idea. We had a blast laughing the whole time. I hadn’t laughed that much in ages—just joking around, talking about random stuff. The waiter, though? She was a bit of a character. Every few minutes, she’d stop by and be like, “I really want to go home…” Uh, lady, I don't think you should tell us that. We understand. We were not the last ones in the place, but it was almost closing time.

We ended up taking the meal to-go and ate it in my car, continuing our conversation and laughter. It felt so easy and natural, like we could talk forever. Afterward, we stopped for gas, and he pumped it while I went inside to pay. When I dropped him off at his car, I felt that weird mix of excitement and hope.

And guess what? We’re already planning the next date! I think this one might actually be the real deal. Oh, and did I mention? He’s a single dad too, and we both work similar hours, so we actually have a ton in common.

Fingers crossed—this could be the one.