December 28, 2007
�I love you.I love you.
I love you.�
�As though once weren�t enough.
I wonder who he was talking about when he wrote that. I wonder who he loved so much to say it over and over. I wonder what she was like � intelligent, faithful, pretty, adventurous, funny� All those things worthy of �I love you� written three times, unabashedly, in big bold letters.
He must have felt so free and real, so happy and safe. Like a brand new world greeting him each day with another reason to smile. He must have felt that way. Rich in his bounty, fulfilled in his desire, matched in his heart. As though looking beyond her would have been a crime.
And there he was � looking right at her. His belief, his hope, his future � The One.
In the distance, he could see their house. The simplicity of the design humbled in his mind. The windows he would see her looking out of as he went to work on a new project in the garage. �Small house, big garage,� they had always said and always agreed on. The extra room not quite ready but waiting just the same. One name on the mailbox which never closed all the way.
The dirt in the yard churned up from yesterday�s off-road run, the sun setting on the spot where they enjoyed a couple cold ones after a good long ride, the bonfire ready to be lit once their friends had gathered. Another reason to celebrate the day.
When they went camping, he�d finally remember to park closer to the bathrooms. When she turned on the radio, she�d remember the station he preferred. She would say, �gimme your paw� and he would concede with rapture. �One more kiss,� �Another lap,� �Ten more minutes, work be hanged.�
That must have been the girl he was referring to. The one who didn�t lie, trip over her heart or forget the beauty of the beginning. The one who never gave reason for him to question a thing. The one that didn�t get away.
I wonder if he ever really knew�
�I love you.
I love you.
I love you, too.�