How did you know

If this is it, I want to remember it.

Every small detail about our life together,

whether good or bad.

After that, for lack of a better term,

simple conversation,

I placed a cigarette between my teeth

and I could see his teeth shining

in the moonlight.

I was sad

or disappointed

or incomplete

whatever it is that I was.

Whatever it was I felt,

it was that our first kiss

wasn't what I had expected.

I know that for him, it was everything.

The perfect rom-com moment of being

“caught in the rain”, kissing each other like

it was the only thing you could do.

And when I drove away, I felt

like maybe it just wasn’t meant to be

no matter how terribly I want it to be.

It took me a few days to confess that I

felt that I was missing something.

His playful smile took me by surprise

as he took my

head between his hands

he leaned in

not caring that I just smoked.

I'll never understand how he

does that.

And that kiss, those three little kisses

were so easy to melt into.

That's how I knew.

I realized that we have to learn each other,

our likes and dislikes,

the quirks,

everything.

I felt like everything was going to be

okay.

So when our kids ask,

"Mom, how did you know Dad was the one?"

I'll tell them about how when

I want to talk,

when I feel like I'm

slipping through reality,

before I can even say

a word,

their father knows

what's eating me up.

I’ll tell them how their father stood by me

when I was at my lowest,

and pushed me to be the best version of myself.

I'll tell them about that kiss.

And that's how I knew.