She walks into McDonald's with the other girls, all of them matching, penguin-like in their white blouses and black skirts. While they chatter excitedly, this girl hangs back a bit, talking softly with a close friend. She's never been as outgoing as the rest, a trait that some mistake as snobbery. She's just a little shy, and sometimes she still feels like the chubby girl she used to be back in middle school. At 17, she isn't quite used to her new body and the looks of admiration (not disgust) that some boys throw her way.
While she might not speak much, she loves to sing. In fact, that's what she was doing today, on a choir field trip. Now, with the last melody complete, the group is heading home, but not before a lunch on the road. As the girl files into line to order, she notices the boy behind the counter. He doesn't look much older than her, and even with the goofy work uniform and visor, she finds him enchanting. He has a quick grin and charm that draws her like a moth to a flame. When he glances her way, she averts her eyes.
Blushing a little, she makes it to the front of the line and gives him her order. A cheeseburger, nothing too special. Some fries. He smiles at her and she melts just a little. But like usual, she doesn't take the next step. Just pays and heads to a table with the other girls. She tries to eat without thinking about him, but the others are chatting about the cutie at the counter. Then one says, "Hey, I think he is trying to get your attention."
She realizes they are talking to her, and she looks toward the kitchen. He is smiling, and beckons her to come over. Heart thumping, she rises from the table and goes to him.
"I thought you might like a milkshake, on me." he says. "It's chocolate."
She smiles and thanks him. "One condition, though," he adds. "I need your phone number."
She scribbles it down on a fast food bag, thinking about the boyfriend she's just broken up with. She isn't really ready for another go-around this soon... so when he calls her that night she finds herself holding back, despite the attraction. He can hear it in her voice, and he doesn't call again.
A few months pass, and she's heading to a wedding. The bride's a friend of her family. She arrives at the church with her mother, hearing the faint sounds of organ music. But she has no idea what this night holds for her. It plays out like the scene of a movie.
Inside, dressed in a smart tuxedo, is the boy. That boy she brushed off just a few months earlier. In an odd twist of fate, he is in the wedding party... the brother of the groom. He spots her and his whole face lights up.
She doesn't really listen to the ceremony. All she knows is that he is staring at her the whole time, while vows are being recited and promises made. And once the reception begins, he is at her side. He compliments her on how beautiful she looks, how he loves the cream colored dress she is wearing. He is a charmer, for sure, and she is falling for him.
They dance that night, at that wedding, heady from the infatuation. That night, they can't foresee that they will dance at yet another wedding, about six years later. But this time, she will trade the cream dress for a white one. This time, they will dance to celebrate their own marriage. A relationship born years earlier, when they were still too young to know what they had, but thankfully wise enough to hold on to something special.
And that is the story of how we met.
While she might not speak much, she loves to sing. In fact, that's what she was doing today, on a choir field trip. Now, with the last melody complete, the group is heading home, but not before a lunch on the road. As the girl files into line to order, she notices the boy behind the counter. He doesn't look much older than her, and even with the goofy work uniform and visor, she finds him enchanting. He has a quick grin and charm that draws her like a moth to a flame. When he glances her way, she averts her eyes.
Blushing a little, she makes it to the front of the line and gives him her order. A cheeseburger, nothing too special. Some fries. He smiles at her and she melts just a little. But like usual, she doesn't take the next step. Just pays and heads to a table with the other girls. She tries to eat without thinking about him, but the others are chatting about the cutie at the counter. Then one says, "Hey, I think he is trying to get your attention."
She realizes they are talking to her, and she looks toward the kitchen. He is smiling, and beckons her to come over. Heart thumping, she rises from the table and goes to him.
"I thought you might like a milkshake, on me." he says. "It's chocolate."
She smiles and thanks him. "One condition, though," he adds. "I need your phone number."
She scribbles it down on a fast food bag, thinking about the boyfriend she's just broken up with. She isn't really ready for another go-around this soon... so when he calls her that night she finds herself holding back, despite the attraction. He can hear it in her voice, and he doesn't call again.
A few months pass, and she's heading to a wedding. The bride's a friend of her family. She arrives at the church with her mother, hearing the faint sounds of organ music. But she has no idea what this night holds for her. It plays out like the scene of a movie.
Inside, dressed in a smart tuxedo, is the boy. That boy she brushed off just a few months earlier. In an odd twist of fate, he is in the wedding party... the brother of the groom. He spots her and his whole face lights up.
She doesn't really listen to the ceremony. All she knows is that he is staring at her the whole time, while vows are being recited and promises made. And once the reception begins, he is at her side. He compliments her on how beautiful she looks, how he loves the cream colored dress she is wearing. He is a charmer, for sure, and she is falling for him.
They dance that night, at that wedding, heady from the infatuation. That night, they can't foresee that they will dance at yet another wedding, about six years later. But this time, she will trade the cream dress for a white one. This time, they will dance to celebrate their own marriage. A relationship born years earlier, when they were still too young to know what they had, but thankfully wise enough to hold on to something special.
And that is the story of how we met.
