24 Years Ago . . . (pt. 6)

The phone calls continued on a daily basis, as well as walks along the lake, drives around town, just talking about everything and nothing. Everything was going very well, until one evening he asked me to go walk with him, and he just wasn't acting like himself. When I asked was was wrong, he told me that he had lost his job that day, and was very upset; not just about losing his job, but he was sure that I would not want to be seeing someone who was unemployed, and the money just wasn't going to be there to take me out or do anything. He said he would understand if I didn't want him coming around any more.

Well - - he was wrong.

The job he lost? He was a car salesman. The reason they let him go? They told him - - and this is a quote - - he was "too honest" to make a good car salesman.

YES, they DID give that as their reason.

When he told me this, all I could do was laugh! I then told him that it just clinched for me what I saw in him - - that he was a decent, honest man, and that was the kind of person I liked having in my life. I told him he was stuck with me, so he better just get used to the idea.

Yes, he was kind of shocked. And honestly? So was I.

So the walks along the lake and the drives around town and the long talks continued. We grew very close as friends, and as our friendship grew, so did our feelings for each other. I knew I was in trouble when talking to my roommate one day, and mentioned that if I ever DID get married again, it would be to somebody like him. She said, "Why not him?" And, I didn't have an answer to that; but I couldn't help but think, "Yeah, why not him?"

It was hard for me to let him know how I felt about him. I had been hurt so many times in the past, and was so afraid of it happening again. But, eventually I decided it needed to be said, and I did.

He didn't run away. He stayed there, steady as ever. And, he has not wavered a bit, for 24 years now.

He told me he fell in love with me the minute he saw me walk in The Arch that night, and his feelings only grew stronger every time he saw me. He says his feeling grow ever day, even now, all these years later.

As for me, well - - he made me see that even though I went through a lot of pain and heartbreak with others, it was for a good reason - - it was because he was out there, waiting for me. And we finally found each other.

It's been 24 years now, and I'm looking forward to the next 24. It's just going to keep getting better and better!

It's been fun reliving this story as I have been retelling it. I hope you have enjoyed it!