00:00When I packed up my things and moved to a new city, I wasn't looking for love.
00:04I had just turned 28, recently ended a long-term relationship, and was emotionally drained.
00:11I accepted a new job opportunity in Portland, Oregon, leaving behind everything familiar in Chicago.
00:18All I needed was a quiet space, some peace, and a fresh start.
00:23I found an ad online for a cozy guest house behind a charming craftsman-style home in a quiet neighborhood near Mount Tabor Park.
00:31The pictures looked perfect. Exposed beams, a small patio, lots of light, and best of all, within my budget.
00:38The listing had been posted by someone named Daniel Harper, and though there weren't many personal details in the description, the tone was warm and welcoming.
00:47When I arrived for the viewing, I was nervous but hopeful.
00:51I knocked on the main house door, and when it opened, I came face-to-face with Daniel himself.
00:57He was in his mid-30s, probably 35 or 36 tall, with deep brown eyes and a calm smile that immediately put me at ease.
01:06He was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, and his dog, a golden retriever named Max, stood by his side, wagging his tail.
01:14You must be Olivia, he said, extending his hand.
01:18I'm Daniel. Welcome.
01:19Welcome. I smiled, shook his hand, and stepped inside as he guided me through the main house to the backyard.
01:26This way, he said. The guest house is back here.
01:30It's fully detached, with its own entrance and kitchen, so you'll have total privacy.
01:35The moment I walked into the guest house, I knew it was where I wanted to live.
01:39It had a peaceful, almost magical atmosphere, with hardwood floors, white curtains swaying gently in the breeze, and the scent of fresh cedar lingering in the air.
01:50I looked around, nodded, and said,
01:53I'll take it.
01:54He seemed surprised.
01:56Just like that.
01:57I laughed.
01:58Just like that.
02:00I moved in a week later with only a few suitcases, a coffee maker, and my record player.
02:06Daniel lived in the main house with Max, and though we only shared a backyard, we bumped into each other often.
02:12Sometimes we'd chat while he watered his plants or played fetch with Max.
02:16Other times, I'd see him through the kitchen window, cooking dinner or reading a book on his porch swing.
02:23At first, I kept my distance.
02:25I was still healing.
02:26But slowly, the conversations grew longer.
02:29One evening, I found myself sitting on the steps of my patio while Daniel grilled burgers nearby.
02:35He looked over and asked,
02:37You hungry?
02:38I was, and I nodded.
02:40Sure, if you don't mind sharing.
02:41That night, we sat under string lights he'd hung between the trees, sharing food and laughter.
02:48We talked about everything, our favorite movies, our families, and the odd twists life had taken to bring us where we were.
02:56He told me he used to be an architect, but had recently switched to landscape design to work closer to home.
03:02I shared that I was working in community outreach and trying to rebuild my confidence after a bad breakup.
03:07He listened without judgment, and I found myself relaxing in his presence.
03:13It wasn't long before these casual meals became routine.
03:16Sometimes we'd drink tea together on rainy nights or share a beer on the weekends.
03:21We developed a rhythm.
03:23Easy, natural, and comforting.
03:26I began to look forward to seeing him, to the way he smiled when I told a bad joke,
03:31or how he always remembered how I liked my coffee.
03:33I'd catch myself staring when he wasn't looking, wondering if he noticed me in the same way I noticed him.
03:40But I never said anything.
03:42I didn't want to risk ruining the friendship we had.
03:45One Saturday in November, the city was blanketed in fog.
03:49I was curled up on the patio with a blanket and a book when Max came bounding up the steps and dropped a slobbery tennis ball at my feet.
03:57Daniel followed behind him, holding two mugs of hot cocoa.
04:00You looked like you could use this, he said, handing me one.
04:04Thanks, I replied, smiling as I took it.
04:08You always seem to show up at the right time.
04:10He sat beside me, and for a few minutes, we listened to the quiet sounds of the neighborhood.
04:16Then he turned to me and asked,
04:18Can I be honest with you, Olivia?
04:20My heart skipped a beat.
04:22Of course.
04:23I didn't expect this, he said.
04:25Any of this.
04:26When I posted that ad, I just wanted a tenant.
04:29I wasn't expecting to meet someone like you.
04:32I felt the warmth of the mug in my hands, but my cheeks were warmer.
04:36I wasn't expecting this either, I whispered.
04:39He looked into my eyes, and everything around us seemed to fade.
04:43I like you, Olivia.
04:44More than a landlord should like his renter.
04:47I laughed nervously.
04:49I like you too, Daniel.
04:50More than a renter should like her landlord.
04:53And just like that, something shifted.
04:55From that day on, things changed between us.
04:59We didn't rush anything.
05:01We were careful, thoughtful.
05:03He was respectful, and I was cautious, afraid of getting hurt again.
05:08But he showed me day after day that he was genuine, kind, and patient.
05:13We began spending more intentional time together.
05:16We go on hikes with Max, cook meals side by side, and stay up late talking about our pasts and our hopes for the future.
05:22There was a quiet intimacy in the way he'd touch my hand, or how he'd bring me coffee on early mornings before work.
05:30Eventually, one snowy night in December, we kissed.
05:34It wasn't planned or dramatic.
05:36We were decorating the tree in his living room, listening to old Christmas records, when he leaned in and kissed me softly.
05:43It felt natural, like something we had been building toward all along.
05:48That kiss was the start of something beautiful.
05:50Months passed, spring came, and the trees in the backyard bloomed in full color.
05:56By then, we were no longer tiptoeing around our feelings.
06:00We were officially together, and the lines between landlord and tenant had blurred into something far more meaningful.
06:08But not everything was simple.
06:10Some friends questioned our relationship, wondering if it was wise to get involved with someone I rented from.
06:15My mother, ever the skeptic, warned me to be careful.
06:20But I trusted Daniel.
06:22He respected my independence and never tried to control me.
06:26Eventually, he offered to stop charging me rent if I wanted to move into the main house.
06:31I said no at first.
06:33I liked my space and didn't want to feel like I owed him anything.
06:37He smiled and said,
06:38That's one of the reasons I love you.
06:40You stand on your own.
06:42Love.
06:43That word.
06:44He said it easily, but sincerely.
06:47I hadn't said it yet.
06:49Not because I didn't feel it, but because the last time I had said, I love you, it ended with heartbreak.
06:54But Daniel was different.
06:56Slowly.
06:57He had pieced me back together without even knowing it.
07:00It was a sunny June afternoon, and we were having a picnic in the park near the reservoir.
07:05Max lay beside us, panting in the shade.
07:08I was lying back on the blanket, eyes closed, when I turned to him and said,
07:13Daniel?
07:14Yeah.
07:15I love you.
07:17He didn't say anything for a moment.
07:19Then he leaned over, kissed me on the forehead, and whispered,
07:23You have no idea how long I've waited to hear that.
07:26That summer was one of the happiest of my life.
07:28We traveled to the coast, adopted a second dog, and began designing a shared garden in the backyard.
07:35The guest house no longer felt like a separate unit.
07:38It was part of a home we were slowly building together.
07:41Eventually, we talked about the future.
07:44We didn't rush into anything, but we knew we wanted the same things.
07:48Love, honesty, and a life built on shared values.
07:52A year after I first moved in, he proposed in the backyard under those same string lights
07:57where we had our first meal together.
08:00Now, as I sit on the patio of what's become out.
