Live, Laugh, and Love FOR AMANDA!

(Our beloved "neighborhood daughter," Amanda is sick to pieces of the preponderence of the three words Live, Love, Laugh on everything from wall hangings to clothing.  She feels that by overusing them they have become maudlin.  I disagree but couldn't resist bugging her a little bit...lol)

He was so incredibly handsome leaning against the doorframe.  No, more than handsome..strong, compelling, completely and totally himself.  Joy had dated many, many other men before she had met him.  Some of them were more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, perfect features, hair that begged to have fingers flowing through.  Joy felt as though Nyle was connected to her heart even from across the room.  She didn't feel her feet move but suddenly she was there next to Nyle...and there was where she needed to be.

Ten inches taller than Joy, Nyle pulled her into him, engulfed her with arms long enough to wrap around her more than once.  Joy nuzzled into the bigness of him.  She adored feeling tiny, and delicate in his arms.  She was NOT tiny NOR delicate, but these feelings were akin to femininities very definition in her mind.  Neither spoke but simply held for long minutes.  Joy inhaled the combination of soap, subtle men's cologne, and a unique smell that she defined simply as "Nyle."

Joy had quit her job.  She was moving away.  She had gone on a long journey with her parents to try and separate her heart from this man.  Their relationship have been like the longest and highest roller coaster ride possible.  It felt as if circumstances were not driving them apart, then someone was doing their level best to destroy this entry level family before it could begin.

Deciding that she could no longer go on seeing Nyle without moving into the next stage of commitment Joy had chosen Arizona to move towards.  It was a long way away from Nyle.  That was the chief attraction...distance.

The next two weeks the roller coaster seemed to dip lower, and then climb to dizzying heights.  They spent long days together, talking, talking late into the night.  They played games...silly things that required no great intelligence, and intense games of concentration and strategy.

He took her to see the theater that he had performed in one summer.  She showed him the theater that she had performed in one summer.  Of course they each claimed that their theater was the best! (The theaters weren't really rivals except in their minds.)

They walked through Yellowstone hand in hand.  Eyes wide she jumped up and down in happiness to see the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.  They decided that if something was incredibly lovely, so lovely that words lost power in the attempt to define them that they simply had to hug...and maybe kiss...and then kiss some more.

One usual day, get up early, rush about, go to work (temporary work since she had quit her other job), and then plan on dinner kind of humdrum day that is the existence of most humans on this planet.  A day unremarkable...warm...summery...sunshiny...Nyle said to Joy, "I don't want you to move.  I would miss you too much!"  Then he said, "Do you think we could be happy if we were married?"

Joy's response was rapid, she was afraid that he would change his mind again.  Yes, YES, YES!!!

They fell together like two birds finding each other in mid air.  No words just love.  She kissed him, he kissed her.  For a very long time neither of them could think about everyday things.  They were busy thinking about lifetime things, like love, and children, and love, and children, and those things seemed to stretch in front of them like the yellow brick road that Dorothy followed.

THE WEDDING DAY.  She KNEW with every fiber of her being that she had never looked more lovely in her life.  Her dress was perfect, it flattered her curvaceous figure.  Her hair was perfect, and the hat with the tiniest hint of veil were perfect for her.  She met her Papa at the back of the seats they had put together in rows.  The sun was hot, the day was perfect...not too hot for August 5th in Utah.

Joy also knew that Nyle could not possibly look more handsome as she looked forward towards him.  Which made the improbable idea that touched her mind even more improbable.  Suddenly she thought that she couldn't do this...she couldn't marry, not just Nyle but anyone!  She would get the keys from her roommate and then just drive away, far away.

She looked back at Nyle and it seemed as though she could see the future imprinted on his Danish fair face.  Children...family...home...life.  The urge to make a breaks for it was gone.  Holding her Father's steady, loving arm she walked towards Nyle.  Now that they were moving forward she wanted to RUN towards Nyle....she already couldn't remember why she had felt frightened.  It was NYLE...the man of her heart.  Her heart beat stronger the closer and closer she got to him.

Her Papa kissed her cheek and put Nyle's hand in hers, then he sat down.  Joy watched her beloved Papa take a handkerchief out of his pocket and wipe his tears.  Her Mama took her Papa's hand.

Joy turned to Nyle.  She realized that her grandest dream, marriage and family was beginning and beginning with the man of her long held dreams.  With a broad smile she looked forward to Nyle.