A Love Story
This is one of many reasons I subscribe to the Houston Chronicle. The love story that covered the entire front of the Star section in the Chron hard copy on Saint Valentine’s Day. It was well done with photos. Here is how it starts:
Marquitta Parker and Elisabeth Pabst aren’t exactly high school sweethearts. Though, technically, that’s where their love story began — in the halls of Lamar High School.
Back in 2009, they ran in the same social circles but never really spoke.
Then Pabst, who is two years Parker’s senior, graduated and set off for Baylor University in Waco. Parker received her associate’s degree from Houston Community College. She rarely, if ever, thought about Pabst — until four years ago, when a familiar name popped into her direct messages folder on Instagram.
“I’d posted a picture, and she commented something cheeky, asking if I were in a relationship,” Parker recalls. “I said, ‘No, it didn’t work out.’ But I was very dry because I wasn’t looking for anything. Liz never let the conversation end.”
They exchanged phone numbers and were soon talking all day, every day.
“People who know me would say I’m very persistent,” Pabst explains. “I had a gut feeling. Marquitta was very intriguing to me, there was something special about her.”
The weeks after Thanksgiving 2017, while Pabst lived in Washington, D.C., were spent texting and on FaceTime. When she returned home for the Christmas holidays, Parker made an unexpected move.
“I don’t know what came over me, but I invited Liz to meet my whole family,” Parker says. “Every single person loved her, and that’s saying a lot.”
In many ways, the two young women are opposites. Pabst, 28, is more outgoing, the type to pursue exactly what she wants. And typically, what she wants is dessert. Parker, 26, favors savory foods and is more reserved. It takes a while for her to warm up.
For their first date, the couple saw a movie, then went to House of Pies’ Upper Kirby location. Pabst ordered her favorite slice, Texas fudge pecan pie with ice cream, while Parker ate a late-night breakfast.
“I was so nervous,” Parker says. “Then, after the first 10 minutes, we were talking the entire night.”
When they met each other’s families, Pabst was in for a little surprise — she hadn’t realized that her crush’s parents were former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and former first lady Kathy Hubbard.
“I didn’t even know she had two moms,” Pabst says with a laugh. “But I walked in there cool, calm and collected. Her family really enjoys playing games like UpWords and charades, so we all sat around the table, just playing games.”
Here is the entire read: Former Houston mayor’s daughter marries longtime girlfriend in historic Montrose backyard (houstonchronicle.com).
It is such a lovely story. I have not seen Mayor Parker since the start of the pandemic, over a couple of years ago. She must be so proud.
Royko sent me this on voting on Saint Valentine’s Day:
My lovely and gracious wife and I voted at the Jersey Village location.
Interesting that the US Postal Service delivered your ballots with a single forever stamp, which was insufficient postage.
From what I understand, the Post Office makes some good money during elections with all the mail that campaigns send. The last thing they want to be is Grinches who return your mail ballot over two bits. Just saying.
I must do a two today because I missed out yesterday. My two favorite African American Cabinet members are Vice President Kamala Harris – yes, she counts as a member of the President’s Cabinet, and Eric Holder, Attorney General under President Barack Obama. They were the first African Americans in those positions. They are key positions, and both VP Harris and AG Holder generate so much hate from GOPers – a sign that they are doing a great job.
Spring Training was scheduled to start today. Thanks to the MLB owners and their lockout, it is not happening. Your guess is as good as mine as to when the season will get underway.