How I met him the second time around

One day in 1st grade I was sick with the flu and stayed home from school. My mom worked as a writer for a local newspaper and needed to go in to the office for a while, so she dropped me off at her friend's house. It happened that her friend's son, Stephen, almost 4 years older than me, was sick with the flu as well. I was a little shy and nervous in their house, my mom's friend intimidated me, although very nice. She sat us down next to each other on the couch and handed each of us a large saucepan, just in case we needed to puke. There we sat, side by side, big, black pans on our laps. I have a snapshot in my brain of that very moment. The first memory I have of my husband.

Our mothers have been best friends since I can remember. Stephen's older sisters were my favorite babysitters, and I especially idolized his sister Ami. She could drive a car, and she listened to such a cool radio staion: "Kissin' 97". And Gina. She drove a bullet bike! Rad. Occasionally, Stephen and his brother Mike would co-babysit me and my younger siblings. I remember playing tag in our house and generally being a nine year old pain in the butt to them. I was the most precocious thing at that age. I would get teased in the neighborhood for being the biggest liar, and I deserved it. I made up such stories. Told the neighbor I was adopted. When she said that's not possible because I look just like my dad, I told her, "well my dad's my real dad, but my mom's not my real mom".

So you can see why, many years later, I didn't go up to Steve and say "hi" when I spotted him at the gym. I didn't want him to remember that annoying nine year old. I hadn't seen him in a decade. Not a glimpse, not even a picture. And there he was on the elliptical, big and burly like a teddy bear.

And the next day, I saw him at the pizza house during lunch.

And the next day I spotted him at the mall, then came home to tell my mom, who was still regularly in touch with Steve's mom.

"Mom, I have run into Steve G. the last three days in a row. Weird! And. He's cute. And. Maybe he would like to be my friend or maybe ask me out. You should call his mom and tell her to tell him to call me!"

After ten minutes of utter protest, I finally convinced her to call Steve's mom. Fast-forward several days and my phone rings. It's Steve. He's on a business trip in Tuscon and his mom gave him my number just before he left. Originally he refused to call. Too weird, right? "I used to babysit her." But something told him to just pick up the phone and get re-acquainted. We talked for several hours and I don't remember a more enjoyable conversation. He came home a few days later and took me to the playhouse and to dinner, where I incidentally managed to break my fork.

He was different from other guys. Other guys opened doors for me. Fine. This guy pushed in my chair at dinner. He held my coat open for me to slide my arms in. He turned the heater in his car on full blast to keep me from shivering, even though it made him sweat. He deeply respected me. He wasn't too cool to be goofy. He didn't kiss me until Thanksgiving, four dates later.

And by Christmas, we knew we were forever.
And by New Years, he had picked out a ring.
And by Spring, we had tied the knot.
And today he still makes me laugh every day. He makes my soul smile.