There's your husband...

Back in my single gal days, I had lots of girlfriends that I hung out with on a regular basis. I'm talking practically daily. We'd get together, have coffee or a meal, shop, chat, catch up on the last 24 hours of each others lives, cry, laugh, and more. But one of the games we giggled uncontrollably at without fail was "there's your husband". In the middle of some profound conversation about lip gloss and purses, one of us would silently scan the room and come up with the...shall we say, best ne'er do well chap we could find and then casually interrupt and say to the friend "there's your husband". We'd all look and burst into a fit of giggles. Sometimes, on a good day - you'd find some gorgeous man in the room and take pity on your friend. So you'd throw her a bone and say "there's your husband" to which she would reply "Gawd, I WISH!". Ah, the single life.

When I was 25 years old, I attended a school function with my Mom for my little sister - who was then, only in the 5th grade. As the audience filed in, my mom and I had already found our seats and were doing some of our best "girlfriend" chatter while we watched people take their seats ahead of us. (we're back row Sally's) I didn't know my mom knew this game, but suddenly she said "whoo...hottie 2:00" and something that resembled a comment of "there's your husband". My eyes scanned the room and when my eye-clock hit 2:00, I saw what she saw. And something flip flopped inside of me. I think I made a slight sigh and said something like "gawd...I wish..."

Turns out he was the new teacher on campus. For three months I pined silently over him. Not really, but just seeing him around the school when I would pick my sister up, etc. set my little heart aflutter. One day, I saw him coaching Volleyball and I thought..."why not me? It has to be someone?" I knew he was single - but didn't know if he had a girlfriend. One could dare to dream...

One month after that, I got up the nerve to call him and invite him out. Over coffee - I stared across a tiny Starbucks table at my 2:00. He was charming, dead freaking attractive, and marvelously funny. We laughed and connected and had some weird chemistry (yeah, chemistry...).

One year, four months, and 20 days later - I stood in white and he stood in a gorgeous tux and we promised to love each other forever. To take care of each other, laugh together, and cry together. And we didn't know it then, but to share in parenting our sweet little Quint and Keira.

I sometimes look back on all the weird ways that we ended up together. The nerve it took to call him - he didn't know I was alive (by the by). The trip we took to LA where he says he officially fell in love with me while I held court with his some 50 relatives. The confrontation we had two months into our dating relationship where it was sink or swim. Lots of little pieces that could have gone differently. Lots of little ways the road could have shifted another direction and led us to other people.

I wish I could go back to that night my sweet mom pointed him out and said "there's your husband!"...

I could say "I know...isn't he spectacular?"