Love "Socks"

Joyce was running late; she was always running late. It became a joke with her friends, "if you want Joyce to show up on time, tell her we are meeting an hour earlier than we really are, then - maybe, she'll be on time."

Joyce hated that, but she couldn't argue it, she was always late.

She and her girlfriends had been planning this trip since last Valentine's Day, when Joyce's husband of 5 years, gave her a special gift. He informed her that his co-worker was having a baby...oh yeah, and it might be his. Her world fell apart, but her friends were determined to help her through it.

They helped her pack up her things and find a new house. They took her out on the weekends to keep her spirits up. That is when they decided to plan a trip to the Bahamas, to celebrate a year free of tainted love. Everything was set, and tomorrow at 7 AM, she was to meet them at the gate, for their exciting adventure.

So here we are, Joyce is finishing her packing. Everything is going smoothly, except, she can't find one of her socks. You know, you put two in the dryer and inevitably, one gets lost.

The girls had planned a few excursions on the trip, one of them being hiking, and she needed the mate to this sock. She had torn the house apart trying to find it. Frustrated, she decided she would just pick up a pair of new socks when they got to their resort.

She tossed the single sock into her bag, zipped it up, carried it to the car, and climbed into bed, anxiously awaiting her adventure.

She parked her car and grabbed the shuttle to the terminal. Her friends, and everyone at the gate - cheered and even released balloons, celebrating both: she was on time, and it was Valentine's Day!

Sitting in first class, they all shared a glass of champagne, toasting fun and luck over their upcoming escapade.

During the flight, Joyce confided to her closest friend, Trish, about her frustration trying to find her missing sock. She admitted that they were socks that Darrel, her ex, he had gotten them for her on one of their trips.

She hated admitting, she still missed him, but days like Valentine's Day, resurrected emotions that kick your ass, and then laughs, sometimes.

Trish assured her that those feelings were normal, but everything would be ok, life just has its way of sorting things out.

They were greeted at the baggage claim by a pretty eccentric driver. He had beautiful dreadlocks wrapped in ribbons and he was wearing some baggy one-piece bibs. He had a joint and a lighter tucked behind his ear. He had been hired by the resort to get the ladies vacation started in style. Once they boarded the "party van", Eric, the driver, made sure they all had umbrella drinks and "special brownies" he had prepared specially, himself. The ladies all giggled, shrugged their shoulders and devoured the entire pan.

On the way to the resort, Eric suggested that they take the scenic route, it only added about 30 minutes to the drive. Through cackling laughter - they all agreed. Eric made a hard right turn to catch the road, tumbling Joyce's bag onto the floor. It popped open, and all of her belongings toppled out. Crawling over one another, still laughing uncontrollably, they crammed everything back in and refastened it.

They ooo'd and awww'd out the windows at the fantastic views from the hillside.

Eric stopped the van, and told the ladies, that just over the ledge, was a natural spring, and if they were up for the adventure, they could take a dip before heading onto the resort. Before he could finish the statement, they were undressing and pushing their way out of the door. Joyce, as always, was the last one out the door.

Eric stopped her. Holding up a single sock he said, "I believe this is your sign." Joyce did a double take and squinted at Eric.

With her face all squished up in a question, she said: "what did you say?!"

Eric handed her the sock and repeated, "I believe this is your sign." As Joyce grabbed the sock out of his hand, she lost her balance, tumbling headfirst down the hillside, as she rolled, she yelled.

"It's just a stupid sock, it doesn't mean anything to me, I AM FINE!"

Joyce came to rest on a fuzzy red blanket. Dizzy and sore, still holding the single sock. She turned herself over and was face to foot with someone wearing socks that matched hers.

She tried to stand but was still pretty tipsy from the brownies she had eaten earlier. The socks disappeared and she felt a gentle hand under her arm, helping her stand. As she stood, she noticed the red fuzzy blanket was in a heart shape, and all of her friends were gathered around it.

Trish stood across from her, holding her lost sock.

Joyce, confused, took the sock and before she could question what was going on, Darrel was on his knees in front of her, vowing his love and begging for her forgiveness.

Since the day he told her about his infidelity, he knew he would do whatever it took to fix things between them. He had convinced all of her friends that he was a new man, with only the best intentions for Joyce. They had planned this rendezvous with him, in hopes that they could reconcile and start over.

Joyce was dumbfounded. She looked into the faces of each of her friends and then directly at Darrel. She called for Eric, who had also been a part of this reconnection. As Eric approached Joyce, she grabbed the lighter from behind his ear, Lit the sock on fire and said, "not a chance in hell."

She took Eric by the arm and made her way to the top of the hill, started the van, and drove away.

She would send Eric back, several hours later to collect them and take them to the airport.

Eric said, as he dropped them at the terminal. "Joyce has a message she would like for me to deliver. She is sure you meant well, but you were wrong. She was late in figuring out that she was worth more than she settled for, and she is currently spending time with the most important person in her life. herself."

"You all "sock", get off my island!"