A Year Ago This Day

His eyes caught hers across the street. She immediately knew it was him. She whispered his name in her mind. As he approached her, she froze - the nervousness had bubbled in her all day and she couldn't feel a thing!

As they awkwardly shuffled into the cafe, he handed her a birthday present. Her mind finally decided to kick in and she began to analyze the gift as he continually apologized for not wrapping it. She brushed him off by saying it was the thought that counts, all while she puzzled over the puzzles he had brought her. Almost as if he had heard her thoughts, he asked her if she liked crosswords. Feeling like a deer caught in headlights, she quickly responded with a polite smile and explained how she had never really done crosswords, but this was a good chance to try it..

He seemed pleased with her answer and turned to order tea. She was lost in her thoughts of how he hadn't held the door open for her, had rushed ahead to order first, and now had his back to her while ordering. As she was getting entangled in this web she herself had woven, he turned to her to see what would like have. She fell deeper into the web in an effort to avoid the "paying" issue by telling him she was a tad bit undecisive and didn't know what to get yet.

Now that his wallet was put away, she safely ordered a hot coffee and pulled out her own wallet. He murmured something about "you should have told me" and inadvertently caused her to fall even further into that awful web. That's when the awkward set in; they stoof watchin the coffee being made and decided to head out once she picker up her steaming cup from the counter.

Together they started walking up the street towards the university. They were making small talk and all of five seconds had elapsed when she realized the web was gone! An odd sensation came over - she was comfortable. This stranger next to her didn't feel like much of a stranger; she was actually enjoying the walk next to this tall man and found a small smile slowly form across her face. That's all it had taken : five seconds walking next to him. The feeling she felt - it was an unknown one - but she knew it was good.

The evening moved along as they found a nice outdoor spot on campus to sit and indulge in conversation. She found him glancing her way even when the conversation took a pause. Everything felt so nice. It wasn't exciting, not creepy, nor awkward.. simply nice. A wave of calm streamed through her as she sat there with him. And when they walked side by side, as the end of the evening came near, she knew that there was a connection. He had come into her life on her twentieth birthday, and she knew he was here to stay.