Sometimes, when you realize you've found "the one" in your life, it's a moment that can stay with you for an entire lifetime.
U/KingKerttula recently asked the people of Reddit, "What was your 'Yep she/he is the one' moment?" What follows are some tales that are bound to warm your heart:
1. "We'd been dating less than a year when my job transferred me across the country. I went to talk to her, figuring it was going to be a breakup, but instead, she nonchalantly asked, 'When do we leave?'"
2. "A week or so into dating, we were sitting on my living room floor, discussing our food likes and dislikes. At some point, one of us brought up green bell peppers, and we both said, 'God, I hate green bell peppers!' at the same time. For the both us, we have pinpointed that stupid little moment as the exact second that both 'knew.' We have been married 25 years this past February."
—u/youngyeoman
3. "We weren't having sex yet, but we were sleeping in the same bed. I was cuddled up with my head on his shirtless chest. I woke up in a huge pool of my own drool. Mortified, I grabbed a towel that was thankfully right by the bed, and started to try to sneakily dab it up. I finally look up at his face, to check that he hasn't stirred, and he is very awake, and watching me clean up my drool with an amused look on his face. He wasn't grossed out. He didn't mock me. He slept with me the next night. I knew he was a keeper."
—u/thesammae
4. "For my (now) wife, it was her smile. She looked at me in our first few dates, and her smile was utterly hypnotic — like, Medusa-level hypnotic. I thought, 'This is the most beautiful thing I have ever set eyes on in my life,' and four days into going out together, I said, 'I think I’m falling in love with you.' She absolutely shit herself. That was 1993, 30 years ago. Her smile is still as beautiful now as it was then."
5. "On our second date, he busted out his ukulele and played a couple of Beatles songs to impress the lady (me). But instead of anything classic or romantic, he chose 'Honey Pie' and 'Rocky Raccoon.' Not only totally weird song choices, but also two of my absolute favorites. Really, I knew right then, but a second date is a precarious time to decide to marry someone."
6. "He made me phò from scratch. I still swear he puts some kind of drug in it because the way he makes it is incredible."
—u/Brit_J
7. "We were cooking in the kitchen. It just happened. There are no words I know to describe the clarity and joy and peace and comfort that I felt — maybe just 'home.' It was a moment I won't forget."
8. "The second or third time I stayed at his place, I had a massive poo and blocked the toilet. I tried to deal with it, but it wasn't going anywhere, so I had to admit it. He never batted an eye, just went and got a kettle and unblocked it. If I hadn't already known he was a keeper, I certainly did then."
9. "She admitted the reason we were having so many problems with our scanner at work, despite the fact we rarely even used it, is because she was working up the courage to ask me out and thought that bending over in front of my desk on a regular basis would encourage me to do it instead. Which it would have done, had I not been deliberately averting my eyes every time she did so she couldn't catch me staring and think I was a pervert."
—u/strangeismed
10. "I was having a mental breakdown, and he consoled me. That’s never happened before in my life. I always got in trouble if I showed much emotion with my parents, and I never really showed much emotion in front of friends. But with him, the troubles seemed less…troublesome. It felt okay that mistakes were made, and knowing I had someone on my side made it easier to handle the emotions. Also, his matzo ball soup is baller."
—u/mrpoteete
11. "We came out of a show, and she was hungry AF. Here, they sell street sausages wrapped in bacon like they’re hot dogs, and throw fried onions and peppers on top. I watched that woman DESTROY that hot dog like it was the last hot dog before an apocalypse, while we stood on a very crowded sidewalk. There was onions and peppers all over the sidewalk and her coat, she had many different condiments on her face, and she just smiled while demolishing that thing. I had 'Take My Breath Away' blaring in my head while watching this unfold, and that’s when I knew. ❤️"
12. "I had recently quit my job and moved to another city where my work prospects didn’t really line up properly. We’d been living together a while, and things were getting difficult financially. One night, she says, 'I have this gold bangle that we can sell to get rent for the next five months.' I knew, right then and there, that she was the one. We never sold the bangle, and I was extra motivated to go out and make something of myself. We’re getting married in November."
13. "I was mad at him. I watched him walking away. I didn’t care. But then, it hit me. I felt like I got punched in the gut. My heart sank. That’s when I knew. Now, over 20 years later, and we’re still together. He was and still is the one and only."
14. "I was financially in a deficit when we met. I work in an industry that relies on your passion before you make any kind of decent money. It was January, and it's cold where we live. I did not have a proper winter coat. I would layer, and with a little Canadian gumption, it was enough to get through the winters. He showed up with an older coat of his, really warm and lined, and was like, 'I hate to see you so cold.' Now, there have been countless moments when I knew he was the one, but the care for my person so early on really hit a note in my soul. We moved in together after six months, have been together 10 years, and married for six. We have two little girls."
—u/roadfries
15. "We were maybe two or three months into dating. He made a non-offensive joke during dinner that unknowingly triggered a very specific memory for me that caused me to have a panic attack. I completely shut down and told him I had to leave. He walked me to my car, and then, I know he followed me home in his own car from a distance to make sure I got home safely because I was almost unresponsive to him. He opened up the conversation gently the next time we saw each other and asked me if I had seen a therapist lately. He told me he didn’t know my specific circumstance, but he knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by thoughts. Over the next year, I went to therapy and worked through my issues, and he supported me all the way. He always made sure (and still does) that I know being with him is a safe space, even if I cannot express my feelings all the time."
16. "She had a brain injury days before my birthday. She woke up from a coma, and the first thing she did was ask nurses and doctors about me and my birthday even though they had no idea who I was. I’ve never had someone care so much about me, where I'm the first thing they think of when waking up after brain surgery."
17. "I always enjoyed taking a trip by myself while in a relationship. The last trip alone, I found myself thinking, 'This would be more fun if she was here' for the first time. I knew then that she was the one."
—u/Wisebutt98
18. "We were fostering a stray cat who had kittens that had homes lined up with people we knew. The poor mother cat just had health problem after health problem; we were at the vet with her so many times. She wasn't in pain, but I knew she was un-adoptable and would need significant care. I told my then-girlfriend that I had to keep the mother cat, even though we both had special needs animals already, and adding more would delay us moving in together. She was like, 'Yeah, of course. I love her.' She'd never even considered any other options. She was so kind and loving to that cat, who randomly attacked us and peed on the floor throughout her first year and a half with us. Our passions and values are the same, and my partner is still the most compassionate person I know. We still have the kitty, too, who we adore."
19. "It was the last night before I had to head back to school. He fell asleep beside me, and I was just staring. I was trying to memorize his face, and the thought of leaving made me feel sad. At that moment, I knew."
—u/ladync
20. "One day, when we were spending time together, I farted. I had gotten some kind of gut biome issue since I had COVID the first time. He laughed at the fart itself — then, when the smell hit him, with all its post-COVID-y goodness, it got his attention, but he didn't leave the room. We ended up laughing like fucking hyenas, and from that moment on, no fart was ever withheld. It's been a year now, and we're still waging biological warfare on each other."
—u/strykazoid
Have your own stories of true love? See you in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.