Chapter 1

Here I am, holding this wonderful little life in my hands. How blessed my life has been. I married my best friendthree years ago and now we have not just one, but two children. A little boy born just ten months after our marriage and now this little princess who, if she has picked up anything at all from her mothers genetic code, will have me wrapped around her little finger. Not that I mind all that much, it seems that Sam has been a very good match for me since the day we met and I have come a long way from being totally clueless. Totally being the operative word. I found out when Sam fell in love with me. Of course it was the day we first met, that warm summer day. It took me quite a number of years to realize that, but it finally dawned on me.

The planning for our wedding went off without too many hitches. Sam planned, told me what to do and where to be and I obeyed. Well, a couple of things did set me off. Little things like what the wedding cake would be made of (I wanted a light, white cake she wanted chocolate), and just how many would be invited to our wedding. Her guest list was really huge and I really would've liked a smaller, more intimate wedding. In the end though, I ended up capitulating to her desires. I'm an easy guy to get along with and this wedding was so important to her that I waswilling to let her have her way.

We (she) picked the colors, the flowers and the food at the reception. All I had to do was show up at the appointed time. Or so I thought.

My "day of discovery" had finally come to an end. I had "found" my wonderful Sam and had asked her to marry me. Both sets of parents were suitably excited and shamelessly glad that I had overcome my Cranial-Rectal Inversion. (Google it, I dare you.)

Sam had plastered herself to me from the moment I popped the question, secure in our relationship for the very first time. When it came time for the impromptu engagement party to end, Sam proclaimed she was going home with me.

We walked with arms around each other to my house, soon to be our home. Wow, that thought just flew into my mind and the return of all that entailed warmed me. When we reached our destination I felt it the proper time to have the "Big Talk" with Sam.

"Sam", I started, "can we just sit and have a couple of moments to reflect and talk about this day? I know that it's been an exhausting day for you and I'm sure that you can understand the same of me."

There were no arguments from Sam. None. She just let me guide her to the sofa. I went over to my sound system and turned on the local Smooth Jazz station softly. Walking back over to the sofa I reached for her hand and asked her for this dance.

Her eyes flashed with glee as she, still silent, relented to my wishes. I took her into my arms and we danced slowly to the sounds. I believe that she was gliding as though it were all still a dream.

After several songs we relaxed on the sofa and just held each other gently for the next few minutes. She was not going to like the discussion to follow, but it was going to happen.

"Sam, I've poured my heart out to you all day, explaining the thought processes and all. Will you please let me continue with the understanding that you have shown me today?"

Her nod allowed me to continue. "Today has been one that will stay with me for as long as I live. The girl of my dreams has finally been made known to this fool. This heart of mine has been blinded for so long that I am amazed that you gave me the time needed to regain, or better yet, learn to listen with it. I will always be grateful to you for allowing me the space I needed to grow into the man that you have here today."

"Now here is the part that you are not going to like, so brace yourself. There is nothing that I would like greater than to rip your clothes off right now and take you to my bed and make love with you, but that's not gonna happen. We have waited all of these years and a few more weeks are not going to matter. I just feel that we would be doing ourselves a disservice to jump into that until we are married."

There, I said it! I braced, waiting for the storm that was sure to come. I held my breath until finally, I had to try to breathe normally again. She went into the stretch and, looking at all of the signs, she pitched.

"Tommy, I've never had a more emotionally draining day than this. Why should I just sit here and take this proclamation from you? Why should I let you make the decisions for us? OK, those were rhetorical questions and here is the answer. I can wait, but not forever buster. I've set my sights on you for a long time and I'm sure not going to chase you away by being angry, not tonight, not after today.