Saturday morning sunlight streamed through lace curtains as a 5-year-old early riser stretched and blinked the sleep from her eyes. Instantly she heard singing - loud, wake-the-whole-house baritone singing. That only meant one thing: Dad was cooking breakfast that morning, and he was happy. As she got closer, the girl, realized he was singing a love song to her mom: "Some enchanted eeveniinngg, you will see a straaangeeerr. You will see a straangeerr across a crowded rooomm. And somehow you'll knooww, you'll know even theenn, that somewhere you'll see her again and aaaggaaaiiiinnn..."
The 5 year old giggled. Mom glowed.
Later that afternoon: "Daddy, how did you and mom fall in looooovee?"
"We didn't, Laura. We stepped deliberately into it."
"Oh," disappointedly. "Well that's no fun."
"That's what you think."
~*~
I never get tired of my parents' incredible love story - how he wasn't really looking, but they met at work and my mom suggested lunch (or something). How 4 months later my mom bought a simple dress at a department store (which still fits!), and they married in a small chapel with a few family and friends, and that was that - their married life began. He provided, and she paid the bills, and he kept the house running when migraines hit, and they raised 2 girls and made each other laugh.
It's been 20 years, and still sometimes I catch them slow-dancing in the kitchen as dinner cooks.
It's been 20 years, and still sometimes I catch them slow-dancing in the kitchen as dinner cooks.
Happy 20th anniversary, mom & dad.
