It’s Not What You Think

I am not sure what I was expecting at the time, certainly there was nothing pre-planned on my part, but as our eyes met we locked onto each other in what seemed to be much more than a just a gaze.

She was young and delightful and I could feel my heart slip away from me as she returned my gaze and I sighed as if my very soul was leaving my body. I can not guess what she might have been thinking at the time but she seemed to return my stare with so much warmth and kindness that I could feel something pulling at me and I was overwhelmed with happiness.

Events like this happen occasionally in one’s life…that feeling of when you know everything is right and “what must be…must be.” The form of her face, her bright eyes, hinting at just a touch of mischievousness all spelled doom for me. I knew at an instant we had to be together and I was sure she was meant for me.

In every perfect love story there must be an obstacle, otherwise love might come too easily and those involved would become complacent and perhaps not fully appreciate each other's company. Our love had just such an obstacle.

I am not an impulsive man and being well past forty years, whim and impulse play less and less of a role on my decisions, but this was different, I had become determined to make things work but as I mentioned, there was an obstacle… so large of an obstacle, in this case, that I began to worry. The obstacle was my wife.

Need is a terrible thing, it can reduce a righteous person to implement drastic measures, it can make liars of us and cause us to turn against those we love. In my infatuation, I had hoped with all my heart that this would not be the case and that somehow I might be able to incorporate my new love into my life without destroying it.

I decided the best approach was one of surprise and honesty, so I arranged a chance meeting. I was sure my wife would somehow come to accept my new love and if I handled it properly this new “arrangement” would benefit all of us and make all of our lives happier. Perhaps I was mad with optimism or perhaps just naive, but I had to take a chance.

I closed my eyes when they met, as if it might be a great train crash. I waited and silently prayed.

“She is adorable” my wife declared as she rushed to her and gathered her up in her arms and kissed her. Although she was little more than a little ball of brown fur and a chocolate-colored wet puppy-nose, she seemed to have the same effect on my wife as she did on me. My heart sang and tears of joy welled up in my eyes. “Do you like her?” I asked. “I love her” came her immediate reply “We’ll have to take her home and introduce her to the cat.”

On second thought…make that two obstacles.