PaintOFM, 09.04.2024
The (Second) First Time
I am curious, how many people really get a chance to relive their first time for the second time. C-Jay and I were high school sweethearts, We were each other's first for all those coming of age things. After we graduated, our relationship went south. After several months of heart breaks, I relocated, and started anew, so to speak. From time to time, when visiting home, I would look up C-Jay, maybe do something together, and when I asked about another time, always got shot down. Twas' a terrible cycle. Finally I had enough.
Looking forward, in the next year or so as I settled into my new job, I was introduced to my now Wife. A month or so before the wedding, I got a surprise visit from C-Jay as I was leaving work. She had heard from one of my Buds that I was getting married. We stopped had dinner and a very long conversation, she was upset that I did not reach out to her in the past year, and especially after being told I was to be married. I explained she was the one that kept telling me it was over, and I needn't contact her any more. Despite all that, she was still in my heart. As we were parting ways that night, and since we were a hundred miles from our hometown, I asked her to just be safe and spend the night. I truly think had she, and if we, I would have probably called off the wedding until I was absolutely sure. She didn't, we didn't, I didn't.
Years after My Wife and I married, and several moves, promotions at work, we were at my 'rents for the December Holidays. While there, I ran into one of C-Jays Aunts, in our conversation I discovered C-Jay and her husband had ended up in the same area as we did. One night as I was finishing up at work, my desk phone rang, typically after hours, I wouldn't have answered, but for some reason I did. When I heard Her voice, I am certainly glad I did! Talked 30 or 40 minutes that evening. We spoke randomly from time to time, once I told her that my Wife and kids were going home for a long weekend before school started. Since her Hubby worked 2nd shift, she invited me over. The visit was a catch-up, talked about them and their kids, us and our kids. Innocent, not even close to crossing the line. We continued to talk every once in a while. I always reached out to wish her a Happy Birthday. Some times she responded, some times she did not.
When my son was 'graduating' 8th grade he had been recognized with two different Scholastic Awards. After the gathering, we were milling around my wife and I got separated. Suddenly C-Jay popped up, and she realized I had to be there because my Son had won the awards. I had never realized they had moved again, and into the the other end of same school district, and her son and my son were in the same grade at the same school. Yet again, a very pleasant visit.