But, Lauren Glass Ledford has never been average in any
way.
“I’ve never done that,” said Lauren Glass Ledford.
“I didn’t plan, dream about … what my wedding would look
like until Clyde and I really started getting serious.”
Lauren and Clyde went to the same Aledo Middle School,
but oddly enough their paths never really crossed. They were
both sophomores at Aledo High School when they met in math
class. But, when they did finally meet, they both felt an unusual,
but instant connection.
“I knew, somehow that I was going to be with Clyde,”
Lauren said. “I knew we would be together in some form or
fashion. He’d either be my best friend or my husband.” She was
really thinking they’d likely be best friends for life.
Almost a year after they first met, they were having a conver-
sation with friends about a 16th birthday celebration that was
happening the next weekend, talking about who was going to
be at the party. Clyde managed to persuade Lauren to get out of
her comfort zone and go to the party. There they danced togeth-
er for the first time.
“From that day we were best friends,” Lauren said. “We
went through our ups and downs, but for the most part, we
spent every possible moment together.” They became insepa-
rable.
Even though they spent so much time together, technically
they were not dating. Clyde kept asking Lauren out. She wasn’t
ready for their relationship to progress to that level, not yet.
Clyde began telling Lauren, “I love you.” She didn’t say it
back.
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Then, during spring break of their senior year, Clyde trav-
eled to New York with his family. He was gone for a week,
but to Lauren it seemed like an eternity. She couldn’t wait
for his return. While he was gone, she decided that when he
came back, if he asked her out again, her answer would be
very different. She planned to surprise him at the airport when
returned.
She was hiding in the back seat of his dad’s truck at
midnight waiting for him to open the door.
To say Clyde was surprised would be an understatement.
Later that night after they made it back to her house, before he
said, goodnight, Clyde asked her, if she would be his girlfriend.
This time she said, “Yes.”
It was 2:00 in the morning. He was exhausted and a little
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