Falling in Love: This May Be Real

The first time we saw each other was a warm April night last year. I had seen him over the course of months when I attended church. During that time period, I was on again off again with my church attendance. On this particular night, one of the young ministers was speaking and the 'collegiate' choir sang so it made sense for him to be there. Ironically, I don't think my friend, Tammy, and I had ever stayed for the evening service so our presence was a little less expected. We were standing outside talking, lingering if you will. They were all going to the home of one of the girls who lived nearby. Tammy and I had an hour drive back to my apartment.

The group was laughing and joking about purchasing alcohol, which of course no one was going to do on a Sunday night after getting out of service. During this conversation, we made eye contact, he and I did. I've read about time seeming to stop, but I had never experienced it. When I looked into his eyes, he drew me in to him. I couldn't quite shake the feeling. I wanted to stay and be near him, but I wasn't driving, and we had to get back to reality. There was something about his eyes. They were wise beyond his years, and when he looked into my eyes he saw me beyond just physical appearance.

We finally broke away from that trance, and the conversation moved on. Tammy and I left, and the group did whatever they always do. I stopped coming to church for about eight months. In Christian circles, that's known as running from your calling. I didn't return until November. By then, I was broken and sorrowful. He was still there, but he was sick. I didn't know the nature of his illness when I initially returned. I just knew he was incredibly attractive, and I wondered about him.

Our contact was slight early on. My pastor spoke of me frequently, and the more I attended, the more people got to know me. I started playing trombone again with the band. I was glad to be back home. My pastor started a campaign for my husband, which has been ongoing. The next time I truly was able to interact with him was the single's retreat, and since then there have been interactions here and there. His parents hosted a Super Bowl party that I attended.