Joe stayed for 3 days.
3 days and I was his; that's all it took. But here's the thing about me: I am about as stubborn as an ear-less mule. I figured Joe thought I was just another drop in the ocean, and so I released him back to the Marine Corps. I watched him drive away and out of my life forever (so I thought!), and drove to work with a film of tears covering my corneas.
I arrived at work, and went straight to my boss's office to fill her in on my glorious weekend. She smirked at me the whole time I was talking.
"Alyssa, you love this guy!"
"What!? Nooo, no. He's just a really good guy, a good friend."
She laughed. The rest of my co workers concurred with my boss. I was smitten, it seemed, to everyone around me. I accepted that Joe was a memory, a lovely memory I could hold tightly at night. But I couldn't get my heart to stop beating so purposefully. I couldn't stop smiling when his name popped into my thoughts. But most of all, I couldn't stop replaying our conversations in my head...the way he brought my relationship with Jesus back into the forefront of my heart.
I was surprised in the next few days. Joe reached out to me to check in and see how I was doing. I was elated!! Again, spurring my coworkers to remind me of my twitterpated self. I will keep the sweet conversations between Joe and myself private, but he kept talking to my heart. He kept tapping away at the parts of me that had been closed off for so long. Before I knew it, Joe was my best friend. We told each other absolutely everything. Talking to him was the first thing I did in the morning, and the last thing I did at night.
But then one day in January, Joe had some news. He was being sent over seas to Israel for a year. I honestly thought this meant the end. I'd never see him again. I cried for days, mourning what would never be. But he kept messaging me. I began to write him letters...I am a romantic afterall! That's when it hit me.
I am in love with him. I don't write to just anyone!! I wrote him a letter pouring my heart out to him...
Then I ripped it up and threw it away!
I wrote another letter, one that was filled with the usual content. But at the end...I just had to say something to him. I said:
"Joe, do you ever wonder what life would be like if you had met me before Tanner did?"
I stamped it and mailed it before I chickened out. It took weeks for him to get the letter. But then one afternoon, he texted me. I saw it was a very long message, which is not typical of Joe, so I went to the bathroom to read it.
He loved me.
He'd known since the moment I opened the door. He knew I was to be his wife, he just hadn't known how.
I broke into tears. He loved me. My whole world changed in .01 seconds.
I went to my boss immediately. I told her she was right. She cried with me! I was so happy, I didn't know what to do with myself other than just cry. Then reality came crashing down.
Tanner?? What do I do? Where do I go?
I have met my soulmate. He is across the ocean...but I've met him!! Now I have to dare to be with him.
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