Second Chance 14

We had what you would call a whirlwind romance; we met in the summer and were married by fall. After graduating from State, I was now in the job market and quickly finding that jobs were scarce. I was sitting in a lobby with ten or twelve other people waiting to interview for the only position they had available. I kept thinking, 'Why would they select me a green college graduate over all the other applicants.' I looked around at my competition and then I saw her, sitting across the room.

Her brown hair was up showing off her long neck and dangling earrings. Her eyes were brown and clear and showed not fear, as I was sure mine did but confidence. She had full lips with just a hint of color and I found myself wondering how they would taste. Even dressed as she was, in what they call business professional, I could tell she was long and lean yet still shapely. With her athletic legs crossed, she had let her shoe slip off her heel and as it teetered there, I stared at that lovely foot. I glanced up to see her looking at me and felt my face turn red. Yet instead of scorn or disapproval, she actually smiled.

At that exact moment, the interviewer stuck her head out of the door and called my name, "Sam Watson." I looked at that smile for one more second, and then walked in for my interview. Was it her smile that gave me the confidence to nail my interview, I guess I'll never know but whatever it was, I got the job. Of course, at the time she said she would let me know and I left that office with no idea that I was now employed. As I was leaving, the girl was being called in and as we passed each other, I quietly told her,

"If I don't get the job I hope you do."

This got me another of her radiant smiles and I left that office walking on air.

Downstairs I sat in a Starbucks enjoying a latte as I wondered about my future.

"Mine if I join you,"

She asked and I looked up to see her.

"No, please sit down,"

I said, surprised and glad at the same time. I introduced myself and she told me her name was Clair Johnson. She said,

"I think you got the job."

When I asked her why, she said that the interviewer mentioned that she was impressed with me. Again It must have been that gentle smile, I don't know but somehow I worked up the courage to ask her out as we got up to leave. She said yes and as they say, the rest is history.

Now flash forward fifteen years and although we are still married, I would say the bloom is off the rose, so to speak. Oh, I still loved her and I'm sure she felt the same toward me but now it was more of a comfortable relationship than the white-hot fire of our first few years together. I wouldn't say it's as bad as some; it's not as if I check to see who is on Letterman before we make love, but it's not as often as it used to be. When Clair told me she wanted to go to Florida to see her mother, I was happy when she said I didn't have to go. In reality, I would just be in the way of her visit and I was happy to stay home.

I helped Clair into her taxi to the airport then came inside turned on the game and lay down on the couch to watch it. I must have nodded off because a breaking news bulletin aroused me out of my stupor. All I was able to pick up was,

"Flight to St. Petersburg has gone off the radar and officials are worried it may be lost at sea."

Oh my god, I thought, that is just where Clair is going, is that her flight. My mind was a blank I couldn't even remember what airline she had booked with, let alone what flight number. I called the airport but they couldn't help and when they tried to connect me with the airline with the missing flight I couldn't get through as all the lines were busy. I sat there looking at the phone with a fog of impending doom descending on me. What if Clair was on that flight, what if I never saw my wife again? Did I kiss her goodbye, I must have, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember. Was our last kiss going to be one I couldn't recall? Also I couldn't remember telling her I loved her, would I lose her without her knowing I loved her.

I felt the tears running down my cheek as my despair overwhelmed me. In all our years, I had never considered a life without Clair. I couldn't bring myself to think of the future so I began to dwell on the past. I saw how much I'd been taking her for granted lately and it hurt so much to realize it was now too late to make amends. How could I have been such a blockhead to not show my love and appreciation to the greatest woman I'd ever been with.

Just then, I heard the front door open and there stood Clair looking disheveled and mad. I ran to her and grabbed her swinging her around in our front room. I was covering her face in kisses and my tears and the lump in my throat wouldn't allow me to speak.

"Sam, what in the world is wrong with you? I know I missed my flight, dumb cabbie I told him not to take the bridge but he did anyway. Then he gets a flat tire and traffic's so bad no one can get to us to fix it. We were so late I just told him to turn around and take me home. I'll try to sort it out tomorrow."

She didn't know, she had no idea what she'd missed. I sat her down and as I held both her hands, I told her of the news break. After the initial shock, she got out her ticket and it turned out it wasn't even the airline she was flying. She called her mother and just told her she had missed her flight and would come at a later date.

The first few days after, it was like when we first married, as we couldn't keep our hands off each other. Still after a while, we did calm down and settled back down into the life of a couple who had been married for a long time. Yet, just every so often that day will flash into my mind and I have to stop whatever I'm doing and tell Clair I love her. I know it's silly but I can't ease my mind until I do.