I think it's funny how you can let your life get transformed into something radically different than you're used to, and, in retrospect, you know that it's still perfect and just what you need.
I'd met Kristen in class, and we hit it off right away. Fast friends. It wasn't long before I learned that she wasn't just a "mom" returning to school. She was a mom with five kids, a "husband" (Thomas) and a "wife" (Vicky). It wasn't the thing she'd lead the conversation with, but she wasn't ashamed of it either. As long as you were respectful, she'd answer just about any question you asked. I asked, "How did you guys get together?". She said she met Vicky, got to know her, and Vicky invited her over for dinner with her boyfriend, Thomas. Over time, they got more comfortable with each other. One night, probably after too much wine, they got comfortable enough to be intimate with each other.
It didn't take long, she said, but both she and Vicky got pregnant about the same time. So, they had a choice. They could go their separate ways. One of them could marry Thomas and the other could be a single mom. She and Vicky could marry if they moved to the right state at the time, but that would leave Thomas out... and they weren't going to do that. So, they stayed together and built their family - man, woman, and woman.
Near the end of the semester, Kristen & I were having coffee and discussing the next semester. We'd both scheduled two of the same classes, so we were excited to be able to see each other on a regular basis. Given that our relationship was going to continue, Kristen asked, "Given what you know about my history with Vicky & Thomas, I understand if you want to say, 'No', but I've spoken so much about them to you, and to you about them, that I'd like to invite you to dinner with Vicky, Thomas, and me. What do you think?"
"Will the kids be there?"
"No. The kids will be at grandma's. Sometimes, we need a night alone."
I smiled. "I'd love to."
The first meeting, I was nervous, but everything was wonderful. Vicky and Thomas were charming, and any nervousness vanished. I saw plenty of pictures of the kids, and Vicky talked about them as much as Kristen did (which was a lot). Thomas was willing to talk about them, but he said he much preferred listen to Vicky & Kristen tell the stories. He was, however, more than willing to ask me about myself. Where I was from... my family... my studies... my personal life. He already knew most of it (because I shared with Kristen, and Kristen shares everything with Thomas & Vicky), but he listened to me intently.
By the end of the night, I was happy to be with these people and sorry to have to leave. As we kissed on both cheeks, I knew this wasn't the last time we'd see each other.
Kristen drove me to campus, and we talked to whole way.
I expected her to drop me near my dorm and I'd walk. She insisted on parking and walking me. "You're walking me to my door?"
