she smiled quickly though it seemed fraught with something
got
hungup asif snagged hooked bittersweet
she closed her eyes from behind them she said It was love at first sight.
Truly
Yes. Truly.
Youll have to explain it to me Ive not experienced itlust at first
sight yah Not love
You’ve been in love.
Yes Three times
Three times? her eyes openedbulged
a bit
Hey Im older than you
But three times? You’ve been married three times?
Why would anyone marry three
times
No
Youre cute
Although I could imagine circumstances that might provideencourage three marriages Though overall no
How then have you fallen in love
three times?
Ill assume youre forgetting your
puppy loveyour first love School days
love
Ah, yes. But that was immature.
It was love no matterYoure heart
leaptyou grinned like a hyena You felt
like you walked on air
Yes.
Now, now that I remember.
Excuse me How can you forget
It was childish.
No matter Our childhood dictates who we become We should remember history My story His
story Your story Her story We come from stories
Yes Ive fallen in love three times
Not once though love at first sight
Obviously youre obliged now to
say how it was love at first sight
Again Never happening to me It sounds preposterous
I thought when my heart flipped I
was being preposterous too; I thought I was having a heart attack, my breath
seized, my hand went to my chest.
Better love, don’t you think,
than a heart attack at twentysix?
he smiled Infinitely better
she smiled this time joyfully clean as a whistle deeply
remembering the moment It was wondrous.
And where did this wondrous happen
Church.
OhChrist
Really
Arent you supposed to be
lovingcherishing someone else at church when youre there
Yes. Yes. I
. . I was swept away. I fell in love when I saw him, I was struck.
Shannon said
it was the same for him.
I have no recollection what the
priest celebrated that day. I was outside his affect, his words, the sermon. I felt love; I saw love embodied
in a single man.
You didnt have relationships in
schoolhigh school
No.
Did you go to collegeno relationships
in college
I went to college. I didn’t have relationships,
no. I went to college for my studies.
Ill tell ya had I been at school with you I would have
made a play for you.
Play. I suppose I’m not one who has ever played.
Thats remarkable I have other words but Ill spare
you
We can agree Different strokes for different folks
Yes.
So no relationships until you
fell in love at first sight
Yes. None.
Twentysix years
Twentysix years.
It was worth the wait.
You believe think know know it was worth the wait
Yes. I know it was worth the
wait.
Was it worth Shannons wait
Are you asking if Shannon was
a virgin too?
Yes
You’re very brazen.
I am
Our nuptial bed was our first
time making love.
Ah I prefer making ordinary sex
Yet you say you had three loves.
Yes Dont mistake me I dig making lovemaking love to have children But sex is beautiful tooalbeit never on your
horizon
Different strokes
Three times you were in love.
Yes
Love one was my first real
girlfriend puppy love if you will
My second love was my wife She died
My third lovemy most unexpected love is Hallie
I’m sorry.
Theres no reason to be sorry Life Life is life Until death do you part With that vow one will die before the other
Its no brainer
When did you, as you say
unexpectedly, meet Hallie?
Six years later
Six years?
Six years
I wasnt looking for anyone
Hallie wasnt either
Then we met a second time
I was awed
Hallie concurredI love that she concurred She was awed too
Awed is not in love at first sight
I know know your
experience is rare Maria
I am happyelated to have heard it
from your mouth
Thank you.
Youre a rare bird
unlike
birds who let their passions have free rein
not sublimated by sterile culling dogma
1143, Twosday,
27 8. 19
1336, Sunday, 15 9.
19
