The Wrong Number That Chose Green

It’s funny how one random text can flip your life upside down. Or at least, twist it into something you never saw coming. That’s exactly what happened to me, and it all started at one in the morning.

My phone buzzed at 1:04 AM. I was groggy, half-asleep, and debating if I should even check. But curiosity always wins, right? I opened it, and there it was:

“is the green one better or the gold one?? pls answer fast”

That’s it. No name. No intro. Just a panicked question about colors.

I stared at it, confused and a little amused. Who texts a random number for fashion advice in the middle of the night? But I was already awake, so I typed back: “Green. Always go with the green one.”

Two minutes later, my phone buzzed again.

“OK THANK YOU. i’m freaking out. i think i love him?? and idk if this is a date?? it’s like... a maybe-date.”

Now, a normal person would’ve said, “Sorry, wrong number.” But in that moment, it felt too fun to ruin. So I didn’t. Instead, I replied: “Then wear the green. Look good. Feel better. And maybe-date the hell out of it.”

Her answer made me laugh: “You’re literally a stranger but i love you. thank you. 💚”

I thought that was it. A weird, one-time exchange. But I was wrong.

A week later, another text lit up my phone:

“Green was the right call. It was a date. His name’s Eli. He smelled like cedar and stress.”

Something about that cracked me up. I had no idea who she was, but now I wanted to know how “cedar and stress” turned out. So I replied. And just like that, we started texting.

At first, it was random updates every few days. Then it became every day. She never asked who I was. I never told her. It was like this secret little thread, floating between us. She’d text when things went well, and I’d cheer her on. She’d text when things went bad, and I’d try to hype her up. I was like this ghost friend, hiding behind a phone screen.

Eventually, she gave me a name. She started calling me “Text Goblin.” Don’t ask me why. Maybe because I popped in with advice out of nowhere. Maybe because it felt silly and safe. Either way, it stuck.

By November, she trusted me enough to share big stuff. One night, I got this:

“Okay Goblin. I told him I love him. And he said it back. I’m so scared. I feel like my heart is too big and soft for this world.”

I sat there, staring at the message. This girl I’d never met was pouring her heart out to me, a stranger. I didn’t know what to say, so I wrote the first thing that came to mind: “He’s lucky to have you. And green was still the right choice.”

She didn’t reply. Not that night. Not the next. Two months passed. Nothing. I thought it was over. Maybe Eli didn’t work out. Maybe she decided she didn’t need a random “Text Goblin” anymore.

Then, in January, my phone buzzed. Her message made my stomach drop.

“I found out who you are.”

I froze. She’d never asked, and I’d never offered. Now she knew?

She followed up quick: “You used your real Spotify once. That’s how I found your playlist. Then your profile.”

I was sure it was done. I thought she’d be angry. But then she said: “I’m not mad. I actually have a question.”

I didn’t breathe until the next text came.

“Will you come to my wedding? As my Text Goblin.”

I read it three times. She wasn’t joking. She was getting married, and she wanted me there.

So, I got on a plane to Arizona. I didn’t know anyone there. I didn’t even know her real name. She was still “Possibly Chaos” in my phone. But I went.

I stood in a room full of strangers, watching her walk down the aisle. She had a green ribbon tied in her hair. She looked over, spotted me in the crowd, and winked.

Later, after the ceremony, we hugged for the first time. She whispered in my ear: “Thank you for picking green.”

I whispered back: “It was always green.”

That’s the thing about life. Sometimes it throws chaos at you. Sometimes it gives you weird moments that make no sense. But every once in a while, those moments turn into something beautiful.

And all it took was one random text at one in the morning.