Birdie.

      Spin and core class: "It's just like riding those exercise bikes, but a little more intense," I was told. 

"A little more intense" meaning it would send my fragile and dehydrated body out the door within the first 15 minutes, knees shaking and barely able to tell the instructor what was wrong as she ran out of the classroom after me.

    Okay, strike one in the wellness class department. Time to find a different one last-minute.

    Hip-hop dance class? Oh wow, one spot left! And my roommate is in it! But it doesn't fit in my schedule. Damn.

     Let's see... Beginner's yoga? Why not? 

     The next day, I tentatively entered a room lined with large windows, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and littered with blue yoga mats, right next-door to the dark room from which I had breathlessly stumbled out the day before. As I walked towards the center of the bright and cheery room and saw all of the equipment some students already had piled around them, I realized that I had no idea what was going on. In a hushed tone, I asked the guy next to me if this was indeed beginner's yoga. He looked at me and whispered back, "Yeah, I think so."

Bam.

I just met Kevin.

      We had only just introduced ourselves when the holiday break approached and we saw nothing of each other for over a month. The first class after the break, we ended up sitting next to each other and re-acquainting. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden he was saying "Cool, I'll call you later," like the cute boys do in the Disney Channel movies. 

      We sat in a café over hot chocolate and talked about the basics; likes and dislikes, quirks and talents. It turned out we had little in common. But then I asked him what his favorite movies were.

      He listed one after another, and each time I would shake my head muttering "Never seen it" or "Never heard of it". After a few more misses, he sighed and said "I don't even know why I'm going to mention this one. I know you've never heard of it...but I really love 'The Room'." 

     My heart stopped. I was speechless. I fell limp gasping for air, then sat up to pinch his leg and asked if he was a real human being outside my imagination.

      "The Room" -- a film starring, written, directed, produced, and executively produced by Tommy Wiseau -- is the best worst movie of all time. (Here's the trailer, see for yourself.) My good friend Stephen introduced it to me a few years ago, and since then I had never heard of another individual who liked it, let alone even heard of it. The fact that there was a handsome green-eyed man in front of me who bought me hot chocolate and was actually quoting this amazing movie with me just made me feel like anything was possible. After my initial shock wore off, we headed to my apartment to watch it together. After a night of bonding over Tommy Wiseau, we decided to have another movie couch date, and another. We got to know each other a little better each time, and one evening, our Facebook statuses changed from "single" to "in a relationship".

      Since then, we've watched many more movies and continue to grow closer with every plot twist and dramatically delivered line. We stay up until the wee hours of the morning Googling the weirdest characters and story lines, while talking about everything and nothing. I just feel a connection with him. I love his sense of humor, and his hair. Even all of my friends and family like him. He supports my chocolate and bunny addictions, he helps me with my photo projects, he is smart but not condescending, and he actually cares about how my day was. It's incredible.

     One night, I had a bad cold. I coughed and coughed until my chest hurt. All of a sudden, his arms were around me and instantly everything was okay. He asked me if I felt any better. 

I replied, "Yes. I'm happy." 

      Feeling my lips say that felt strange, and after I thought about it, I realized it was because I hadn't said it since I lost my mom. 

Finally. 

I'm happy. 

Thank you, Kevin. I'm happy I have you.