Our Second Date
- sarahwilk24
- Feb 19, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
Bouncing Toward Love
241 pieces | LEGO: 41372 (retired)
Assembled by Kristy Williams, June 2025
Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)
February 19, 2022
Sarah and Hunter's second date involved the unconventional trifecta of trampoline park, their first of many dinners at Jason's Deli, a magic trick, and an evening walk at Forest Hill Park.
They began at Sky Zone, an interesting date choice due to the sheer number of screaming children present. They found their semi-private corner to bounce around in and tried to stick to it. This was still during the COVID era, so they attempted to wear masks since they were indoors, but soon found that they couldn't hear each other (or breathe while bouncing) when they had them on. So they braved the germy world for each other. Sarah impressed Hunter with the remnants of her childhood cheerleading skills, throwing front and back flips (when she was confident she wouldn't squish a small child in the process). Hunter shared with Sarah his family's experience with goat farming when he was a kid. When their bouncing time elapsed, they weren't ready to say goodbye, so they transitioned to Hunter's blue Honda Civic to drive to dinner.
Want a Third Date? Show Her a Magic Trick
90 pieces | LEGO: 41001 (retired)
Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, January 2025
Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)
As Sarah climbed into Hunter's car, her first thought was that he seriously needed to update his expired tags, repair the s-shaped crack in his windshield, and give the interior a good vacuuming (oddly enough, a series of thoughts she would have again about his car exactly three years later). Her second thought, after Hunter asked her if she wanted to see a magic trick, was: Excuse me? The thought after that was something like, Is it too late to get out of this car? He grabbed what looked like an ordinary deck of cards, held them up, shuffled through them, and had her pick a card from the top of the deck after she told him when to stop shuffling. He then correctly guessed what her card was and threw it into the back of the car. He repeated the steps, and Sarah ended up with the same card again, which he correctly guessed...again. As it turns out, the deck was rigged to make sure she could only pull the Queen of Clubs, despite Hunter showing her that other cards existed in the deck. They laughed before driving to dinner, and surprisingly enough, Hunter has never tried to show her another magic trick. Why he thought pulling one out of the second date was a good idea is anyone's guess, but in the end, it didn't hurt his chances. (To be clear, it also didn't help them.)
Potatoes as Big as Your Head
346 pieces | LEGO: 41728 (retired)
Assembled by Andrew Deese, December 2024
Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)
After surviving Hunter's distracted driving (the main distraction being the beautiful woman in his passenger seat), the couple arrived for one of many future dinners at Jason's Deli. Sarah has a health condition that limits the foods she can safely eat, and Jason's Deli is one of the few restaurants she can eat at. Her order? A baked potato as big as your head, with extra butter. Sarah was already well-known by the staff at this particular Jason's Deli, and when she showed up with Hunter in tow, Hunter received a kind but firm threat from one of the staff members, Dorsey. It was something to the effect of, "You better not hurt her." Hunter was impressed by that, and by the massive potato that came out soon after. They chose a booth and sat across from each other. Sarah remembers struggling to figure out where to look, since looking directly at him felt very intimate for their second date. She also went into overdrive with telling stories from her college years as a way to ensure no awkward silences, because let's face it, they were both super awkward. Hunter was impressed again when Sarah finished off her whole big-as-your-head potato. As dinner wrapped up, they still weren't ready to call it a night. So they climbed back into the car and headed to Hunter's favorite park in Richmond.
First Kiss at Forest Hill Park
432 pieces | LEGO: 41447 (retired)
Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, December 2024
Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)
In retrospect, it was probably not wise for Sarah to wander off into an empty park after dark with a man she barely knew, but fortunately, Hunter didn't turn out to be a murderer. It was February, after dark, and cold outside, so there was no one around, which made it both a little eerie and very cool. As they walked with their cold hands in their separate pockets, Sarah eventually got up the courage to tell Hunter that if he took his hand out of his pocket, she would hold it. Their hearts pounded as their hands clasped for the first time, feeling the way Sarah's hand fit perfectly in his. Not three minutes later, Hunter got up his courage and, without slowing down, burst out the question, "Can I kiss you?" It seemed a matter of urgency, and Sarah paused only a beat before saying, "Yes." They stopped dead in the middle of the path, turning to each other awkwardly. He cupped Sarah's face and brought her closer to him until their lips met. It was not their best kiss, but it imbued the rest of their walk—lit by the street lamps—with a hint of magic. The park's pond felt like a secret hideaway only for them. It was all the more special knowing that Forest Hill Park is one of Hunter’s favorite places in Richmond. By night's end, they both knew there would be another date.
Photos from Forest Hill Park over the years.
Photos from Jason's Deli visits over the years, including Sarah's miraculous accidental run-in with the famous Big Idaho Potato Truck as it was parked outside Jason's Deli one day when she stopped to grab a spud on her way to a lunch meeting. She had to get a selfie to prove it happened!