Near Misses, the Final Chapter

It was as if the last glimmer of hope had disappeared,

and deep in her heart she knew.

No one to talk to, nothing to admit or deny.

Too many lost opportunities to count,

Desperate for redemption.

Walking in cement shoes. Frozen in place, she recognized defeat.

Just another perplexed soul at the end of her proverbial rope.

Always almost, never chosen.

Seated at the end of the bar, margarita in hand, sighing. Remembering her last breakup.

“I have concerns about our relationship.”

Spoken flatly, no emotion on his part.

Rejected because of her age and her physical appearance.

Slightly over thirty. Nearly 6 ft tall.

Presented as deal breakers, two things exposing her deficiencies in the eyes of a narcissistic male.

Two things she couldn’t change.

Stabbing heart-pain.

Cut to current moment. Predictably alone.

Flirting clearly not an option, no vanity in the game.

Give up on relationships. Let it go, let it go.

People crowding around, hunting for connection, hoping to hit the jackpot.

Hating everything about the bar scene, yet inexplicably drawn to it.

You can be invisible, or you can engage and reinvent yourself at will. Neither option appealing.

And then she saw him, leaning against the door jamb leading to the adjacent restaurant. Tall and dark, face hidden in shadow.

Turning he stared at her. Lifted his beer in greeting. He had the rugged looks she preferred, and astonishingly she smiled back.

Every emotional warning light in her head was flashing, no preliminaries in place. He moved toward her.

Discomfort. Stay put, don’t move. Clear throat and sip tequila. Don’t play with your hair.

His intentional gait and relentless eye contact drew her in. She hoped she wasn’t hyperventilating.

Conflicted. Magnetic.

If this was meant as some cosmic joke, she wasn’t laughing. Desire mixed with fear.

Remember, no more short-lived liaisons.

Surprise.

Introductions with ease. His smile, sexy dimples.

Pitcher of margaritas, a table in the dark, hours of conversation.

Likeminded souls colliding in a most unexpected way.

Falling under the spell of initial attraction.

Moving closer and closer, pressed into the leather booth and nearly fainting. Longing for more.

Time cannot stand still, yet it is moving slower tonight. Sealed with a kiss.

He walked her to her car, promising to call. See you again?

And he called, day after day, he called.

Attraction deemed to be real, and mutual. Weeks passing by in a haze of giddy courtship.

But then it happened. Confrontation.

He wanted to discuss a few “concerns” he had…

Here we go again. Mortification. Just say it, she was less than worthy.

Her dismay was obvious, and he hurried to explain.

Surprise.

He said she drove too fast and used toxic artificial sweeteners. Two things defining his concern for her.

Two things she could change.

Quick. Explain shocked reaction. Those past words stamped into her soul.

And she had believed them. Until love erased them. Love replaced them.

Love that conquers a multitude of sin addressed the wound, and healing happened.

Years later, with rings in hand, the promise of restored trust and love bound two lives into one orbit.

She was no longer overlooked or nearly missed.

She was chosen.