Chapter 1 Prologue: A Love Beyond the Pulpit

I never imagined it would happen like this.

I always thought that love, for me, would look more conventional. I imagined it would come with grand gestures, with someone who matched every expectation I'd set for a partner. Someone who could check off all the boxes-wealth, status, security.

But life, as it always does, had a different plan.

I didn't expect to fall in love with my pastor. I didn't expect to fall in love with a man who stood at the pulpit every Sunday, teaching us about God's love, while quietly teaching me about the kind of love that doesn't come with a neat package, but rather, with rawness and depth that only life's struggles can bring.

His name was Daniel. And I had no idea that meeting him would change the course of my life.

He was passionate about his faith. So sure of what he wanted in the world, and yet, when it came to me, he seemed unsure, hesitant, and vulnerable. We didn't just talk about faith-we shared it. We prayed together, laughed together, and, at some point, we loved each other deeply.

But the road wasn't easy. In fact, it was nothing like the fairytale I'd once imagined. There were obstacles-expectations from our families, doubts about the future, and the undeniable pressure of his financial struggles. And in the end, my own fears and family's objections pushed me to make a decision that changed everything.

Now, as I look back on that time, I realize something I didn't back then: love isn't just about who you end up with. It's about what you learn along the way.

This is the story of how I fell in love with my pastor-and how that love taught me the most important lesson of all: that life, in all its messiness and imperfection, has a way of guiding you exactly where you need to be.