The Beginning of David and Tia

September 1998
I had finally become strong enough to tell my Ex-husband that I wanted a divorce, after many years of wanting one. I could finally make it happen financially and raise my children on my own with my RN degree. It took me a while to reach that point, so I wasn't going to pass it up. I finally began to feel like myself again.

October 1-98
I had only recently gone on-line (I was an anti-Internet person before this). I began to meet people from my area, and had some fun getting back into flirting. On a whim one night I went to a personals web site: Match.com. I am not really the kind of person who would do a personals add, so don't ask me what compelled me to give this one a try. As a coincidence, a female pen pal of David's, in Southern California, had recommended the same web site to him. He placed the ad the same night, 5 months after his Ex-wife ran off with the money and their three Daughters. I placed a profile named: "VampireRN", and looked over the matches the computer picked for me.

David's profile "Acura Legend" was the first to pop up. He was quite blunt on it: 'Sluts need not apply', and he was honest in saying he believed in monogamy and was not into casual sex. His profile so intrigued me that I sent him an e-mail in regards to it. He responded late that same evening.

We corresponded almost every day from then on. Sending up to a dozen e-mails a day back and forth, not including the humor we forwarded on to each other. I would find myself starting my day by checking my e-mail to see if David had written yet. I would then re-check it every couple hours to see what else he had sent me. Of course he was doing the same. It became clear early on that we had much to say to each other, and found the other person extremely interest. When he first sent me his picture I definitely went weak in the knees, so by October 6th we had to speak on the phone. At his urgings I finally was the one to call him, because I was very wary of on-line relationships, at the time. You know all of those horror stories, so a girl can't be too very careful. Much to my shock, David answered the phone "Hi Tia". Oh great I'd forgotten about Caller ID. Well, so much for playing it safe. Luckily it was always easy to talk to each other whether through e-mail, or on the phone right from the start.

October 6-98
Normally David never forwards chain mail, but just this once he decided to send out a humorous one about cute condom slogans that ordinary people had come up with for National Condom Week. I had just joined his joke list. I found it funny, and forwarded it on to 7 people. Well according to the luck factor on the chain mail, I was to get a date on Friday. When we talked that night I told him this jokingly and he realized that he also had 7 people on his humor list, "so when are we going out" he said. This joking back and forth led to our first date.

October 9-98
That Friday was our first date where my Ex was going to pick up our 2 kids for a couple hours which allowed us to have some privacy and go out to dinner. I work night shift as a Nurse, and had worked the night before our date. When I got home I was too nervous to get any rest. This led to an embarrassing situation for me. David was running a little late due to traffic over the 90 mile drive, and I was at home alone waiting. I sat down on the couch and was listening to music until exhaustion over came me and I fell fast asleep just before David arrived. He received no answer to his knock on the door, and heard the dog barking, it was dark inside, so it seemed clear that no one was home, and I had led him astray. He was about to leave when he noticed candles burning on the mantle through the front window. He figured that no rational person would leave burning candles, and not wanting to drive all the way back to Portland without making sure, he decided to crawl through the bushes and look through the front window (such the expert Peeping-Tom he is). It was dark inside, but he thought he saw someone on the couch. I finally awoke to him rapping on the window with his ring. Seeing my date staring in at me through the window, I leapt up to greet him at the door. What a way to start a first date.

We had a pleasant dinner, but no tremendous sparks. More like re-experiencing teenage nervousness for me. Back at my house we sat on the couch talking and that's were it started. I found myself just wanting to melt into his arms. He casually had his arm behind me on the couch, with his hand draped on my shoulder. So I casually reached up and touched his hand and stroked his fingers. Well I had just ruined his virtue at this point. You see, David had exclaimed to not have so much as touched another women's hand romantically since he had met his Ex. Our date ended quietly, without either a hug or kiss. God, was I hot at this point, but I knew neither of us should move to fast, and the kids would be returning soon. I found myself feeling as though I was missing a part of myself with his departure. I wanted so much to hear his voice once again that evening, so I called him on his cell phone, and spoke for a short time. He had taken a wrong turn to go home, and went 20 miles out of his way, in his 90 mile drive.

Not to long after that, while I was climbing into bed, my phone rang. It was David calling me back. He thought it was so sweet of me to call him that he was unable to stop thinking about me and just had to risk waking my kids and hear my voice again. That's when the fireworks really began to blaze. We proceeded to talk for the next hour while he drove home.

October 10 to 13-98
After that night, we would try to correspond over the ICQ chat program, but we ended up into the early mornings having marathon phone conversations until the sun rose. We talked about anything and everything, even the feeling that we are Soulmates. A romantic concept, but not something that either of us expected to find. There was no question that we had to continue seeing each other, and began to discover how powerful our newfound relationship was. By this time we knew we were not only hot for each other, but we were deeply in love.

October 14-98
I drove up to Portland to see David's place. That morning before I left, David called to request that when I arrive at his house, to stay in the car, honk my horn, and he would come out to greet me. When I arrived I did just that. David came out and presented me with a typed sheet of paper. Without telling me what it was about, he instructed me to read it silently, if I agreed, to read it aloud, and he would read his. It was vows he had written to commit our love. With out hesitation, after reading it to myself, I read it aloud and he read his. He then produced a pair of gold rings to exchange. At that moment when we spoke those vows to each other, we became man and wife in our hearts. A hand-fasting if you will. Our souls had reunited with each other. Keep in mind that we had not yet even kissed each other.

In an earlier phone conversation, we decided that perhaps we were ready to begin with foreplay in our relationship when we meet on the 14th. David left the initiation of any sex up to me, if and when I felt comfortable with it. We shared a passionate two days together, that didn't allow me to see much of Portland other than the view from David's bedroom window, if you know what I mean.

October 16th to Dec. 6-98
As time went on we found that we were such a good match, mentally, emotionally, and physically that we knew that it was meant to be, and had to work out logistics as soon as possible. I had much opposition from friends who felt I was going way too fast. Well I could only say to them that this was the man of my dreams, and that words just could not explain how much I was a part of him, and he was a part of me. "SOULMATES" the only word that truly said it all. Of course they thought I was just deeply infatuated.

Neither one of us were doing well with the distance between us. We couldn't eat, sleep, or work well. Trying to arrange time together was not easy. It became evident that we had to be living together. I began plans to move to Portland, since David's business was based there and his moving was not as feasible.

December 7-98
My 2 children and I moved into David's house. It may have been only two months to get to this point, but to us it felt like a long wait. Finally I was living with my Soulmate.

January 1-99
We moved into a nicer larger house in a better area of town, to forge our lives together and raise my 2 children. Each day continues to bring wonder and amazement at the depth of our love for each other. We reaffirm our love daily, and thank whatever sources may have helped guide our souls together again, using a modern source like the Internet, so what better medium to share our story.

September 11-99
We arranged to have our official wedding ceremony held our way. We reserved space at the local Renaissance Faire called Shrewsbury to hold our ceremony in full costume, conducted by a Druid and a Druidess. We had them do a full Pagan Ritual of casting the circle of protection, and honoring the 5 Elements. There was the bloodletting into the goblets, and of course the jumping of the broom, that you may see perched over our doorway.

September 12th to 15-99
We had our honeymoon up in Seattle at an old B&B. I had lived in the NW for the last decade, but this was my first trip to Seattle. We took some pictures, like the one with the butterfly, and in the Space Needle. We went to their Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art in Bellevue, Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, the Down Town Aquarium, Pikes Place the Hard Rock Cafe (before it closed), Broadway Street was a cool place to see some wild fetish ware, and of course the FAO Schwarz Toy Store in Down Town Seattle was on our agenda, but we did not make it for another 4 years. Seattle holds a special place in our hearts now, and we enjoy getting up there for business and pleasure every so often.

Oct. 31-2000
Our love produced a healthy baby boy we named Torrin Alex Zander Evan Rxxx on Samhain day of all days. A magical child no doubt. David's 3 daughters are with his Ex-wife's Sister, and she has little contact with them? We would have them living with us, but through the immaturity and mental illness of his Ex-wife, and the meddling of her Sister, we have been allowed little contact, and they are not allowed to watch their little brother grow up. Even though it had nothing to do with me, our faith, or our lifestyle, and we are still fighting to resolve it. That is the one painful aspect of our life together. Fortunately my Ex has maintained a good relationship with my 2 children, and we are pleasant to each other.

October 31-00 to Feb. 2003
David and I are still happy together and as deeply in love as ever. Our child is doing well. Our businesses are doing better than ever. We are still not allowed much contact with David's Daughters due to a Public School Teacher's unhealthy obsession with his oldest Daughter, and the new obstacles she has put in place, even though their Mother has little involvement in their lives? But this should iron out in time.