Time Trial

aybe it was only my imagination ... Perhaps the silent digital clock next to my bed actually did start to tick (in that ominous way that grandfather clocks tick in horror movies!) ... Perhaps time could actually stand still ... Melody lay there staring into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity, in subjective time, but was probably, at most, a few seconds in real time.

“Oh Nate!” And she closed her beautiful eyes for a moment, “Oh of course I will marry you...” and I let out a breath I hadn’t totally realized I was holding, then she touched her finger to my lips with a smile... “Let me say my part, and then you can respond”. “I will marry you when we are truly settled into our lives together ... when we are marrying for love and to be together as husband and wife forever. And, I will marry you when you’ve taken the time to talk to the other women in our lives!” And I suddenly remembered Beth, and Jane, and Joy, and Monica, and my eyes startled open in sheer panic! “Shhhhhh”, she said as she stroked my forehead just before kissing it, like you would try to calm a suddenly startled child. “We’ve already spoken about this possibility, so don’t totally panic out on me! But until we’ve all spoken and decided how we want to proceed, I will give you this placeholder for now. I love you with all my heart, and I want nothing more than to be married to you!”.

With my heart still hammering in my chest, as though I had just climbed a high pass in the Alps, I flashed through a seemingly long list of emotions, and finally settled on relieved! And incredibly happy!