How It Began

   
     As all fairy tales start, this girl right here was waiting for her prince. She had been through a lot in her 28 years and just wanted to feel whole. Then she met Triton**. He was a red-haired fair-skinned man that as just the sweetest ever. I was going through a rough time. I had just gone through a break-up after being with my ex for 8 and a half years and was going through some horrible depression. This is where Johnny comes in. I was posting some less than happy things on a social networking platform and Johnny's ex and I were friends. She actually ended up pairing us up. I know it sounds weird, but I'm really glad it happened.


     So we began talking through Facebook chat. Then talking and talking led to him asking me out on a friend date. Uh huh. This date was to a movie. A movie I had never actually heard of (I'm always out of the loop with movies). The movie I had never heard of was an animated kids movie that had a pair of princess sisters. Sound familiar yet? One sister may have oopsied and froze her kingdom and the other sister came to the rescue. Okay, so it was Frozen. We saw Frozen on our first date. haha. That happened.


     Anyways, we fell in love almost instantly. Seriously, we hit it off so well, he ended up asking me out and then a few months later, felt that the way things were going, I'd be a huge part of his life, and so he had me meet the pride and joy of HIS life. His daughter. She was two at the time (February 2014) and his ex (a friend of mine too) actually took me to meet little Ariel.

Ariel, not long after I met her. The Timehop is old.

     Siren** took me to her house (he was still living there too, because of Ariel) because Johnny was at work, and introduced us. "Ariel, this is Erika." Ariel gave me a big ol' hug. Siren was immediately surprised because usually Ariel is stand-offish upon meeting a stranger. (This has actually changed. She is the most outgoing toddler ever.)


     Fast-forward to a year and a half later, and I love that little girl like she was my own. She calls me Reeka. It started out because she couldn't say my name and it was like "Rah-kuh" and then changed to "Ree-kuh." I wouldn't have it any other way. I took her to her first play, she wanted to start dance because I'm a dancer and dance instructor, and I spend oodles of time with her because I love her to death.


     I not only found my Prince Charming, I gained a family. Though she is not mine biologically (I eventually want to give her siblings), I love her and have been titled a stepmommy. I couldn't be happier.  




**name changed

Me and Ariel after her second dance recital June 2015