Ben Owen

But we ended up hiking around Shelby Forest. And this is weird because I've lived in Memphis for almost— Jess, what's going on here?

Did you hear that? Yeah, she was, and it worked. It worked. I never knew Shelby Forest existed. I've been in Memphis 10 years, and I never saw this place. As much as I love the outdoors, it was mind-blowing to me. It's this huge, like hundreds of acres of woods and hills and mountains and lakes, and it's on the Mississippi.

Did you hear that? Yeah, she was, and it worked. It worked. I never knew Shelby Forest existed. I've been in Memphis 10 years, and I never saw this place. As much as I love the outdoors, it was mind-blowing to me. It's this huge, like hundreds of acres of woods and hills and mountains and lakes, and it's on the Mississippi.

Did you hear that? Yeah, she was, and it worked. It worked. I never knew Shelby Forest existed. I've been in Memphis 10 years, and I never saw this place. As much as I love the outdoors, it was mind-blowing to me. It's this huge, like hundreds of acres of woods and hills and mountains and lakes, and it's on the Mississippi.

So me, Jess, and her daughter, who is 10, I'm meeting for the first time, are out there hiking for the entire day, hours, catching – I caught a – A cottonmouth water moccasin, like blew her mind, you know, catching turtles. Like it was just, we had a fucking blast out there. And I didn't want it to stop. I didn't want it to stop.

So me, Jess, and her daughter, who is 10, I'm meeting for the first time, are out there hiking for the entire day, hours, catching – I caught a – A cottonmouth water moccasin, like blew her mind, you know, catching turtles. Like it was just, we had a fucking blast out there. And I didn't want it to stop. I didn't want it to stop.

So me, Jess, and her daughter, who is 10, I'm meeting for the first time, are out there hiking for the entire day, hours, catching – I caught a – A cottonmouth water moccasin, like blew her mind, you know, catching turtles. Like it was just, we had a fucking blast out there. And I didn't want it to stop. I didn't want it to stop.

I had not been that happy in the company of another human being in as long as I could remember. Like I finally felt the connection with somebody. And this was just as purely as friends. But from that day forward, and that was, I do remember the date. It was April 20th of 2015. Jess and I became inseparable. Wherever I went, she went. Wherever she went, I went.

I had not been that happy in the company of another human being in as long as I could remember. Like I finally felt the connection with somebody. And this was just as purely as friends. But from that day forward, and that was, I do remember the date. It was April 20th of 2015. Jess and I became inseparable. Wherever I went, she went. Wherever she went, I went.

I had not been that happy in the company of another human being in as long as I could remember. Like I finally felt the connection with somebody. And this was just as purely as friends. But from that day forward, and that was, I do remember the date. It was April 20th of 2015. Jess and I became inseparable. Wherever I went, she went. Wherever she went, I went.

And, like, it just, people started calling us the NA Power Couple. We're not even together. I'm still married, you know. But I realized because of the way I felt around her that my biggest fear leaving Erin, will I ever have anybody that I can be comfortable around again? Will anybody put up with me because, well, we've been talking for several hours.

And, like, it just, people started calling us the NA Power Couple. We're not even together. I'm still married, you know. But I realized because of the way I felt around her that my biggest fear leaving Erin, will I ever have anybody that I can be comfortable around again? Will anybody put up with me because, well, we've been talking for several hours.

And, like, it just, people started calling us the NA Power Couple. We're not even together. I'm still married, you know. But I realized because of the way I felt around her that my biggest fear leaving Erin, will I ever have anybody that I can be comfortable around again? Will anybody put up with me because, well, we've been talking for several hours.

You know I'm kind of a lot to deal with, right? So I had this fear that I wouldn't find love again, and I've got a terrifying fear of being alone too. So I wasn't convinced that Jess is who I'm going to go be in love with. It just convinced me that I am able to be happy in the presence of somebody else.

You know I'm kind of a lot to deal with, right? So I had this fear that I wouldn't find love again, and I've got a terrifying fear of being alone too. So I wasn't convinced that Jess is who I'm going to go be in love with. It just convinced me that I am able to be happy in the presence of somebody else.

You know I'm kind of a lot to deal with, right? So I had this fear that I wouldn't find love again, and I've got a terrifying fear of being alone too. So I wasn't convinced that Jess is who I'm going to go be in love with. It just convinced me that I am able to be happy in the presence of somebody else.

And so when I decided I was going to move out and move in with Thomas and take him up on that offer, Jess went with me. Now, we're still just friends. We're literally sleeping in the same bed and still just friends, which I know sounds crazy. I tried to kiss her one time. She cried. That was interesting. The next day, she kissed me. And then, you know, from there on, things were physical.

And so when I decided I was going to move out and move in with Thomas and take him up on that offer, Jess went with me. Now, we're still just friends. We're literally sleeping in the same bed and still just friends, which I know sounds crazy. I tried to kiss her one time. She cried. That was interesting. The next day, she kissed me. And then, you know, from there on, things were physical.

And so when I decided I was going to move out and move in with Thomas and take him up on that offer, Jess went with me. Now, we're still just friends. We're literally sleeping in the same bed and still just friends, which I know sounds crazy. I tried to kiss her one time. She cried. That was interesting. The next day, she kissed me. And then, you know, from there on, things were physical.

But this is like months went in that gap. So then, you know, I told Erin, like, let's go ahead and do this divorce. I'm moving on, which is what she had told me to do to begin with. And so she was like, OK, neither of us wanted it, but it's what needs to happen, that kind of thing. And, um, Jess and I pretty much moved into Thomas's house and started building the life together.