___________________________________________________________________

What If: Vol 2-1

Her Profession of Love 

She’d wanted the words.

She’d expected the words,

but never expected the

deep-felt sincerity witnessed by his tears.

“I love you,” I repeated,

scrubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands.

“That’s why I did what I did today.

I knew it the second I saw you.

I couldn’t just walk out of your life,

or let you walk out of my life.

What I told your mother is true :

I’m not like that!

Actually I’m kind of shy and thought

I’d never go up to a girl like I did,”

I smiled,

“especially if she’s with her mother,

and say, ‘hi, there,  

I just fell in love with your daughter,

so can I have her phone number

so I can call her

so we can get to know each other

so that, maybe…

oh, God,

so that maybe she’ll fall in love with me, too’.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

She did, though.

Susan knew exactly what she wanted to say.

“God, Susan, I’m such a jerk.”

“No, you’re not!

Why would you say such a thing?”

“Why?

First off,

I’m sitting here,”

averting my face,

exaggerating slightly,

“crying like some kind of a baby.”

Turning away as she approached,

“Here you go, kids.”

I turned back when the waitress left.

I don’t think you’re a jerk at all.

Guys always think they’ve got to act like…

‘Guys’ and I think it’s really beautiful.”

“Oh, yeah!

Grown men always cry!”

“What I mean is,

it’s wonderful that you can show your feelings this way.”

Trying to get a hold on her own emotions,

cutting into the pie,

Susan put a piece in her mouth.

“You may think it’s neat for a guy to cry

when he tells you he loves you,

but personally

I think it’s really dumb and I feel like a dope.”

Placing her fork onto the edge of plate,

looking him in eye,

“No, it’s not dopey at all!

Don’t feel that way!

Do you think you’d have

ever gotten my number if I didn’t

want you to have it?

I saw you there too, you know.

And I was wondering how

I was going to meet you,

but a girl can’t just go up to a guy

and introduce herself,

especially,”

smiling,

“if she’s with her mother.”

Stopping, debating with herself,

wondering if she should go on,

and if she did,

how much she should say.

“Then,”

going on,

“when you stood up,”

Susan said,

“I thought you were leaving,”

her throat thickening,

“and when you put your jacket down and came to me…”

 hesitating again,

 thinking,

No, don’t tell him!

But, her emotions at play also,

“it was like God was answering my prayer.”

Quiet a long moment

absorbing her words,

“Praying?”

I asked incredulously.

“You were actually praying to meet me?”

Swallowing, “Yes,”

blinking back tears,

Thinking Don’t say it,

but,

“I feel like you do,”

Susan whispered.

“I love you, too.”

To be continued

©January  24, 2012 / Mark M. Lichterman