Our Third Anniversary

Today is special, it is the 3rd anniversary of the day Rob and I met. I haven't come up with a way to celebrate the day yet, but it did get me thinking back on that day.

The guy at the Post Office told me about a singles dance for the over 30 crowd, when I asked him where I could find the night life in this rinky-dinky town. (It really isn't so small, but it seems small to me, coming from Toronto.) So Post Office guy gives me directions, and I remember passing the building many times, thinking it was a business that had closed years ago, since I never saw it open.

I decided to go that Friday night, determined that I was tired of being alone, a single parent of 3 boys. I had been on my own since my youngest was conceived, my ex-husband abandoning me while I was in the midst of thinking I would lose the baby. Didn't think I needed a man for a very long time after that!

So it was Friday night, and I get ready to go. Head to the door, and rush back to the bathroom. Head to the door, even made it to my truck, rush back to the bathroom. Tell my son I will probably be back in half an hour and I was on the road. Telling myself, that I didn't have to go in, I didn't have to stay. Giving myself permission to back out!

It was a long drive, down a country road, and I was convinced Post Office guy's directions were wrong. Finally I found the place, and yes, it is open. I walked in and paid my $5, and the cashier asks if it's my first time? He goes off to find someone for me to sit with, saying they never leave their ladies to sit alone.

He sits me in with two older ladies, and I look around thinking that I've gone back in time. This feels like something my mom would have gone to! But the ladies are nice, telling me who to avoid and how the evening usually goes. Being the new girl, I got asked to dance several times.

Although the ladies told me they often refuse dances, I felt that I hadn't come all this way to just sit. If the man was brave enough to come over to ask for a dance, I would be happy to dance with him. It's not like I was committing myself to him! I was having a great time.

The ladies asked if there was any of the men I danced with that I liked? I looked around the room, and pointed out this one man, sitting near us, who I had been watching. He looked kind of English to me, and when I danced with him, it felt like I was dancing with an old friend. It felt so comfortable to be in his arms.

So the ladies told me to ask him to dance, but I was much too embarrassed to do that! After trying to convince me and giving up, they tried calling to him, but the music was too loud. So they started tossing hickory snack sticks at him. At first he didn't respond, and I was just dying from embarrassment!

Then he finally looked over our way, and the ladies motioned to him to come sit with us. He smiled, a most beautiful smile, and came to sit next to me. We talked, we danced, we were the last ones to leave.

He asked for my email address - oh, how trendy! LOL He walked me to my truck, and we said goodbye. Then he kissed me! I felt like a silly school-girl and turned and stumbled into my truck, blushing and thrilled!

I watched in my rear-view mirror, and he followed me back to town. I tried to convince myself that he was only following me because it was a lonely country road, it probably was the only way back to town, and even maybe it wasn't even him - I was just obsessing. But when we reached town, he turned off, and I went the rest of the way home.

I was too excited to sleep, so I was checking emails while I told my son about my evening. There in my email was a one from Rob. He wanted to see me again...