Boxes and shrimp cocktail, part 2.

When I got that phone call from Addy, telling us she had met a boy, I was concerned. She had only been back in school for like three months, and her friends had another year of college behind them.

Addy was clearly head-over-heels for this new boy, and I was secretly praying he was the right one.

We found the answer soon enough.

Addy was turning 21, and her new boyfriend had decided to host a party. As my husband and I drove to Oxford, we talked about what this new boy might be like.

Walking into the party, it was obvious that this new boy wanted Addy’s birthday to be something special. There were decorations, appetizers, and cake. I will always remember there was shrimp cocktail, which seemed so out of place in the living room of a college apartment shared by three messy boys.

Then, the boy did something that I truly respect in new people—he walked right up to us, shook our hands, and introduced himself as Jarrett. Not waiting for Addy to make the introduction, he knew we were close friends, and he wanted to make sure we were welcomed.

I loved that moment, but not as much as the moment that followed. As Addy and I settled in with two glasses of wine, catching up on the time we had missed, Jarrett waited for a lull in the conversation to come over. As he approached, he placed his hand onto the small of Addy’s back, leaned in close, and asked if there was anything he could get her.

Not to be mushy, but it was one of the most genuinely affectionate gestures I have witnessed. It was so simple, but I could see in that moment that Jarrett was absolutely the one for my Addy.

It was in the way he looked at her, but it was also in the way that he was already taking care of her, just a few short months into this college relationship.

Now, more than four years later, Chuck and I will have the honor of standing in their wedding on May 14.

Many blessings to you both as you do what is undeniably the best decision in the world—spend forever together, being our friends. We love you.