Chapter 4

The zoo trip was just the first of many Chad invited Jessie to. His boss gave him tickets to a play that were impossible to buy. They discovered a mutual love for football and went to several games at the local college. Whenever Jessie thought they had been everywhere, Chad called with more ideas.

The days turned to weeks and Jessie knew she loved Chad. He made her heart sing. It was as simple as that. She thought about him at work and smiled. His talk show was on every morning while she got ready for her day. Often they discussed the show over dinner, even light-heartedly arguing over the callers. She felt comfortable teasing him about the women that called repeatedly for him.

"I heard that woman propose to you this morning," Jessie told him.

"You must have been hearing things, Jessie. Only men called today."

"Oh, so it was a man that proposed then," she teased him.

"No, no, I didn't hear a proposal at all. Are you sure you had my show on?"

They laughed and embellished on the topics he used for the show until Jessie was in tears. Everywhere they went Chad made her smile and laugh. They walked through the park holding hands and kicking up leaves. Evenings often found them at Jessie's place, cooking dinner together, listening to music and talking.

The year was ending and the snow began to fall. Chad covered for some of the other DJ's when a nasty flu bug went around. Jessie missed seeing him but knew they needed him at the station. One cold snowy Sunday she fixed some hot cocoa and relaxed on the sofa as she listened to his show.

"This is CZ, and tonight I have a question for you. When did you first realize you were in love? What did you feel? Call and tell us how you knew your partner was the right one for you."

Jessie felt her heart skip a beat at the topic. She thought about calling in but Chad was talking again.

"Boy, the phone lines are blinking tonight. Let's go to the first caller now and hear their story."

"The first time I saw my wife she was waiting tables. I saw her walking towards my booth and knew she would be mine. We've been married over twenty years and I love her today more than ever," the man said.

"Congratulations. Let's see what the next caller has to say. Go ahead with your story," Chad went on.

"CZ, it took me a while to admit I loved my boyfriend, but I knew right away. He made me smile just by walking into a room. The first time he told me he loved me I cried. I felt the truth in his words and saw it in his eyes," the caller told him.

"Thanks for sharing with us. Let's hear from another listener. You're on, caller."

"When I met my girlfriend, it was as if she lit up my entire world, just by smiling. I was waiting in line with hundreds of others for concert tickets to go on sale. She was ahead of me. Everyone talked and joked around about how excited they were to see it. She bumped into me and turned to apologize. I felt in the pit of my stomach that she was my soul mate in life. We ended up with seats together and the rest is history."

"Let's take a break and when we come back, more on love. This is CZ and thank you, callers, for sharing."

Jessie still held her cocoa as she debated what to do. So far, it had been just stories from people calling in. Chad hadn't added anything to the conversation that was personal. She sat back and listened to the next segment.