And now, about that cute girl. (in his own words!)

Several years ago, I started telling you our story here, and then a few weeks ago I told you a bit more here. Today I am so privileged to post that promised bit of our story in Stephen's own words. Enjoy.

Guest post by the one who always comes out looking better than I deserve due to the love and hard work of my wife. Thanks for this opportunity to look back.

As L*Joy mentioned, she had stopped in the co-op for lunch with her parents.

I remember I had gone into the co-op for a smoothie and got caught in a conversation with a friend about a show. Then, outside the glass doors of the entrance I saw a goddess. Bright blue eyes, long sun-kissed curly hair, deliciously tan legs topped with the cutest, shortest jean shorts I had ever set eyes on. I was mesmerized. My conversation with my friend was stopped mid-sentence. I asked him, “dude, who is that?!?!” He said, “Who? Oh that’s L*Joy, you know the girl that works in the kitchen.” I couldn’t believe it. The L*Joy I knew from the kitchen was all covered up in chef clothes, big hat, big shirt, big pants. I had no idea that was what she looked like underneath! I guess I should have though, right? She did practice yoga next to me on the vernal equinox. Oh what I missed for being too yogic to notice a hot girl beside me! I now know that not checking out girls is Godly and right, but at that point it was merely tragic!

So here I am, mouth open, staring at this beautiful woman as she walks right up to me. It was like a dream, a really good dream. I was shocked, stunned, and turning red. The beautiful girl I was just staring at had walked right up to me. Then to make it even more dreamlike, she started talking to me. I was totally caught off my game. No time to gain composure, no time to think about anything other than how beautiful she was. She said, "Hi! What are you doing here?" Then I turned red and stuttered something like “duh, huh, who me, who, duh home for the summer.” Then she says what I had been thinking all along, "Well, we should hang out!" Then I just froze, I am not sure if I even responded. That was exactly what I was thinking, “WE SHOULD HANG OUT”, only her thoughts of hanging out, I am sure, were much different than mine! As I am awkwardly stuttering, she said, “Well, get my number before you leave if you want.” I couldn’t believe it. I really thought I was dreaming. I set my eyes on a beautiful girl, she walked right up to me, then offers to give me her number. I just stared as she walked away.

After a few moments, my inner coach kicked in. “Put your game face on and get back in there.” Right! I thought. I have to figure out how to get her number. While I was standing there she had gone back outside to have lunch with her parents, and I wasn’t sure I was up for “meeting the parents” and all. So, I just waited, hoping for a chance. The next thing I knew she came back inside, and alone! Once again, I thought I was dreaming, but I didn’t let that stop me this time. I cut her off at the pass and I think I shocked her a little with the drastic difference in my demeanor.

I asked her to a yoga class and to watch the sunset on the beach with some friends. She said yes, and thus began the rest of the summer.

That first summer together was beyond wonderful. We picked blueberries every Wednesday and made vegan blueberry pie. We’d read poetry in the back seat of my Volkswagen van. Spent hours at the beach… I wasn’t really working that summer, just teaching some swim lessons, so I would wait for L*Joy to get out of work everyday and then we would just spend time together. I didn’t care what we did, as long as I got to be with her.

But as L*Joy alluded to in her post, we both had some things to decipher about life. After the summer ended, L*Joy went across the country and I went back to school. I shudder when I think about how close I came to losing her completely. It took very nearly losing her to realize how much I didn’t want to live without her.

She did come back from California after all, and the story goes through another little valley before it peaks… L*Joy can finish the story. She does such a great job telling it.

Comments

[Dad]

Those are beautiful photos of you two. Stephen and you are a striking pair. So glad it was meant to be.

[L*Joy]

Oh thank you! I am so grateful for this man beside me.

[Emily]

Yay Stephen! Thanks for sharing your part of the story!

[Rebecca Simon]

Nawwwww!