text: Time does fly. Sometimes it seems like it was yesterday and sometimes it feels like it was ages ago. I met my wife when I was 15 years old. In high school. When I saw her the first time, I was in awe. I cannot explain the feeling. It is like my heart stopped beating. Time stopped. It felt like the world slowed down around me. All in slow motion. I remember, it was my first day of class of the year. Summer about to end. It was Tuesday after Labor Day. I was always and even today, a very punctual person. For some reason, that day, I was late. It was the first class of the year, and it was math. My favorite subject. I enjoyed it and I exceled at it. As I enter the class, I explain to the teacher that the bus was involved in an accident. That I had to get off from it and wait for another one. That was not a made-up story. I did not have a proof but the teacher believed me. ‘’I will excuse you this time young man,’’ said the math teacher. ‘’I can maybe call the bus company’s customer service line and get them a letter to be sent to the school if you wish Sir,’’ I replied. Everyone started laughing. I don’t think it was funny. I was just being honest. I was raised in a very strict environment. My mom always told me to respect time and to be punctual. I started wearing a watch since I was ten. A digital watch. It was the trend among kids and teens. I had a Casio watch. At this point I was still standing in front of the class and the teacher was not laughing. It felt like he was going to let it out. Laugh out loud with the class. He refrained from doing it. I guess he wanted to stay professional. If we had a smartphone with the bus company’s app on it back then, no one would be laughing. ‘’Well, well, well, calm down class! This is not funny. Can you sit there at your right?’’ Mr. Durand pointing to the desk. ‘’Yes Sir. Apologies’’ As I head to that direction, that girl...oh boy. I mean, she was a girl, not a boy. As I was walking to my desk, our eyes crossed each other, and she smiled at me. That smile. I will never forget. Later on, I will discover that she laughed at my silly comment about calling the customer service of the public bus. The first thing that made me fall in love instantly were her eyes. If she smiled, and laughed, then I was enslaved to her beauty. For me, she was the one! Okay, I was only 15 and life is just starting. But...I felt that she would be my soulmate for the rest of my life. It took me many years to have the guts to ask her out. We did have a few classes together each year till the end of high school. In the last year, we had several classes. I think more than 70% of my classes were with her. We had many classes where we needed to partner up. For physics and chemistry labs. Now that we had many classes together and needed to work in teams, the attraction was mutual and also, I liked her for her values and her personality. I would say, she was in extremely pretty but she never really showed arrogance that she was better than others. A very humble, modest young woman. Honestly, I don’t think I had a chance with her. She saw something in me that maybe other girls did not see. Maybe also, I did not want to meet other girls after I saw her the first time. We started dating in the last year of high school. I was talking about movies, and how good Stephen King was to get his art on tv or on the big screen. Gabriella kept arguing that King writes only horror and nothing else. He is not a respectable author. That really got me upset. I told her that he can write any genre but the public wants horror from him. The supernatural side. I told her, to read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption . She would not. She was stubborn. And still is. When she makes up her mind, then that is it. In September 1994, the movie from that Stephen King novel was released. I ask her if she wanted to go see a movie. The Shawshank Redemption . She had forgotten that it was from the novel of King. I told her it is drama and that she would enjoy it. I had read the book. Not her. I knew the main plot of the film. Also, I never told her this. I saw the movie a week before. And I loved it! I was gambling on this great date and impress her. I told her I could pick her up. I promised her no touching, no kissing, no cuddling or hugging. I loved her so much that I think I would have waited till I was thirty to kiss her. When the movie ended. She grabbed my hand, squeeze it, and kissed me. Right on the lips. Then she smiled. My heart melted. ‘’Thank you! I loved it! Now I remember, this is a movie based on the novel of King, right?’’ ‘’Yes Gabriella. Now, promise me you won’t bash the great Stephen King. He is not any author of only horror.’’ “I won’t. I apologize Stevie. ‘’ ‘’Apology accepted My Lady.’’ She giggled. That made me lose my heart and give it to her. My eyes would always be on her. That last year of high school was special. I thought I had met the woman of my life. The one I will spend my life together. Was she? Yes!!! We are now together. Married. Two kids. We are in our forties. My wife looks beautiful. Ageless. Young heart. Still the Gabriella I knew from the early 90’s. I know my love is beautiful but it is the combination of her inner and outer beauty that makes her so special. I can say also, she is a great mother. A beautiful mom. A beautiful wife. Anyone that can get to know her, will appreciate her. Tonight, we are together, all alone. Our kids our at my parents for the weekend. I decided to clean up the house, cook, do the dishes, and give a good massage to my lovely wife. Then, we will watch a good movie. I let her choose. Tonight, Mickey Blue Eyes. She will laugh and smile, giggle, the way I always loved to see.