Summer in the city, and meeting with former teachers

Summer in the city, and meeting with former teachers

It's a summer day in the city, hot and muggy, bright blue skies and puffy white clouds concealing the fact that it rained and stormed all night.

I didn't decide that I was coming, on this trip to fetch my sister from the airport, until 45 minutes before we left. I walked out the door sporting a cute watermelon-coloured skirt and pretty top, fabulous shoes -- and for the first time in a long time, hair that actually did exactly what I wanted it to, with hardly any effort on my part!

As the rest of the family walked on to the pub where we were going to dinner, I took a few minutes and went into my old music school. I hadn't seen my violin teacher or her husband for a couple of years, as I stopped taking lessons in 2003, and have missed them ever since. She became pregnant a few months before I stopped with lessons, had the baby that fall, and they've had another one since then. I talked to her husband today (he's a violin teacher there, as well) - we've been out of touch for so long, so I gave them my e-mail address, because we have so many things to catch up on. He said that they're pregnant again, and due September 23rd. I asked him to please request that she hold the baby in for a few extra days, because my birthday is September 26th.

He was so happy to see me. They were such an odd couple, but worked perfectly together; she had long blonde hair, wasn't skinny, but a comfortable weight, had a heavy German accent, and smoked hand-rolled cigarettes. He was lanky, rather thin, and had glasses, a quiet voice and aura, and patchy, rather messy hair. They balanced each other perfectly. She was the loud one, he was the quiet one. She taught classically; he taught using the Suzuki method. She was a strict teacher; he was a softie. They had one of those relationships that had one main common interest, but completely different personalities -- and yet they didn't have any problems, fitting into each other's lives. Her face lit up every time he came across the hall to her studio and peeked in the window of the door, or came in to say "hi."

I love real-life, true, love stories. Seeing people together who obviously loved each other deeply...for a time, that was what kept me going. There were days when I felt as though I would never meet the man who would light up my days, about whom I found nothing repellent, and who always intrigued me. Nine months ago today, I met him; and within days, I knew that he was the one I would be with - and nothing has been the same since. We've discussed everything under the sun, walked for miles, stayed up late planning and discussing, and there are still some days when I have to pinch myself to make sure this is all real.

But it is! It's real, and it's happening to us, this time. Those beautiful love stories? I still love them and love those people, but this one, this beautiful love story? It's by far the best.

And I'm only a little bit biased. ;)