That's the Glory of, That's the Story of Love

I first saw my husband at the tender age of 12.
I was at Kelly's house. We were probably talking about how much we missed Sara N. and when, if ever, we'd need a bra.
Kelly's brothers and sisters had friends over, too. Presumably with better topics of conversation.
I was perched quietly in corner when a boy walked through the room. A teenage boy. The most beautiful teenage boy. Ever.
He didn't notice me. I didn't make a peep and away he went. I never saw him again.
But attractiveness like his is powerful and must be discussed.
And that's what Kelly and I did.

For 7 years.

"So, ummm, where's that Bryan guy? You know. The really cute one."
I don't remember how often I asked that question over the years. Often enough to get answers like, "Singapore" and "Switzerland".
He sort of became that dream guy in my mind.  When I fantasized about falling in love, he'd magically appear. When I wondered who the doctor would hand my brand new, fresh-from-me baby to, he was the stand in until I had a real love. Because we no impactful interaction, it didn't take long for his features to blurr.
As much as I imagined him, I couldn't describe his eyes or smile if you'd have asked me to. But that never stopped the wondering.

Flash forward to 1993. Imagine my surprise when Kelly called and said, "Guess who wants to go out with you?"
"Me? I don't know. Who?"
"Bryan (Insert fake last name except I can't think of one cool enough to match his real last name)", she said.

"THEE Bryan ( insert fake last name except...)" I squealed.

"Yes!"

Skip ahead a few days when I met Bryan.

He didn't look familiar. At all.

But he felt familiar.

Our first date was in San Fransisco. The first thing we did on our date was walk in Cartiers. To this day, neither one of us know how we ended up there. He asked me what I liked. I passed out.

We saw each other everyday for the next week and then he left to go back to school.

Two weeks later, he showed up on my doorstep- very early in the morning. He had driven all night long, making the most of a 3day weekend.

Before he left Sunday night, he told me he loved me and I was the one he wanted to marry.

I'd know him for about 3 weeks.

7 years and 3 weeks.

I find it funny, all these years later, how our story came together.

Kelly is still in it. There are a few other characters, too.

Mostly they look like me, but they have his sense of humor and love of peanut butter.

I've thought about all the little connections and intersections that brought us together.

What if I hadn't been at Kelly's that day?

What if he hadn't walked through the room I happened to be sitting in?

What if Kelly hadn't shown him a picture of me while they were hanging out at school?

I've asked how it came to be that he asked Kelly to set us up. He saw my picture and says, still, "I just wanted to kiss you. As soon as I saw your picture, I just wanted to kiss you."

15 years, 5 children, several jobs and countless moves later, I still daydream about him. And now, like that day he told me he wanted to marry me, he makes good on those dreams.

Happy Valentine's Day to THEE Bryan.