Happy Ending

Things are not always what they appear and happy endings are open to interpretation...

Samantha could not believe she was doing this. Dating!  

After all, she hadn’t dated in over 20 years and then only the man she married. Still, here she was jittery and nervous; going to dinner with someone she had never met.

Samantha’s mind played tricks on her as she waited and old demons kept trying to join the table.  What was she doing this for? Was she still in love with her ex-husband? Could she offer a relationship anything at all? 

 

The divorce had been difficult and left her uncertain of everything she believed in.  After nearly a year of waiting for an indication her husband wanted to reconcile, it became apparent he was not interested. With a heavy heart she placed her wedding ring in an envelope and mailed it to him; a sign to him, she realized it was over.   

 

She still loved her husband; even though he was tired of her, she longed for his arms to hold her each night and prayed that he would change his mind and return to their marriage. But he did not; and she has been single for six months now without so much as a side glance at another man.   

Her friends teased Samantha about the flowers and cards which randomly appeared on her desk. It amazed them she was not the least bit interested in the mystery man.   

The cards had started out in-frequently with cute phrases like “the thought of you brings a smile to my face and goose bumps to my arms.” But over the last couple of months they had become more frequent and flowers often accompanied them.   

At first she thought it was just a gag, her friends trying to cheer her up; but then, the notes became persistent, more personal and requesting they meet. The admirer suggested a public location, he knew she would be suspicious and if she was not interested he would understand; she could get up and go at any time. 

The last delivery had an email address [email protected] with a note that said “if you are as excited to meet as I am please email yes and meet me at The Corner Bistro 7 p.m Friday night.” 

Fueled by curiosity and the encouragement of her friends she sent a simple “yes” to the email address and now the moment had arrived.   

She arrived early and the waiter seated her; “everything was arranged” he had said. The table held a beautiful bouquet of roses, a bottle of her favorite wine and a message that said “I am glad you could make it, I’ll join you shortly.” 

The waiter poured the wine, waited for her approval and left her alone with the various demons that arrived to wait with her. What would she say? Will he think she is pretty enough? How much or little to share?   

After about five minutes she noticed someone walking toward the table. She smiled when he asked if the wine was okay and laughed uneasily as she said “perfect, it’s my favorite.”   

His green eyes twinkled and his easy smile sent the demons tumbling.   

They ordered and talked, about life, kids, marriage, struggles, hurts. The conversation went on for hours, through appetizers, dinner, coffee and dessert. She was so comfortable with him; he seemed honestly interested and shared openly. The evening was a pure delight and she did not want it to end. 

 Finally at 11:00 p.m. she glanced at her watch and grimaced at the thought of leaving this magical evening. She had promised to let her children know how the evening had gone and knew they would be anxious to hear from her. Samantha solemnly explained that she had a curfew and guessed she had better call it a night.   

Her “mystery man” held out his hand and said; “don’t worry about it, I talked to our boys and they know you are with me. Oh, and by the way, I hope you will put this ring back on your hand and agree to work with me on making the next 20 years far better than the first. We have both made mistakes and I trust we will work together to have a stronger relationship and one that is bound in truth and love.”  

She agreed and he placed the ring on her finger.  

Samantha silently thanked God for the happy ending as she left the restaurant with the love of her life. 

Reviews

[Leah]

I really like this story. It was so sweet and it made me smile.