Teaching and taking care of my parents kept me quite occupied. My social life was nothing to write home about. Not being married didn’t bother me. I occasionally had thoughts about Sam but didn’t dwell on them. Pleasantly plump with wavy black hair and sparrow brown eyes. At thirty - six , I considered myself moderately attractive.

Preparing for the Christmas pageant was both exciting and tiring. The day had seen numerous rehearsals, costume – fittings and over-excited nine-year-olds all over the place.

It was 4 p.m. when I slowly walked out of the school gate and decided to stop for a coffee at the coffee shop at the end of the street. Sitting in the cosy café, enjoying my steaming cup of coffee I smiled as I thought about the enthusiasm of the energetic youngsters. How full of life they were! I drew from their energy and spirit.

Outside, the snow fell gently, turning the world into a pristine white blanket, while inside the café the aroma of freshly baked cakes and croissants wafted through. Coffee lovers engaged in animated conversations or kept their voices low. I decided to let the world pass me by and enjoy my favourite beverage.

I looked out of the window, staring at nothing in particular when suddenly I found a pair of very grey eyes gazing at me. They belonged to a tall, bronzed gentleman whom I believed I had met before. Then like a flash of lightning it struck me – It was Sam. We had been neighbours, growing up together, until my parents moved to Missouri from Delhi. I confess that I did have a crush on him and it was my closely guarded secret. However, life happened and we gradually lost touch.

Was I dreaming? After an intervention of ten years, Sam appeared out of nowhere. He stood outside the café, smiling. The same boyish good looks, but now a little grey at the temples. I thought I saw a softness in his eyes that I had never noticed before. Sam had recognized me.

“ Amy!” he exclaimed, entering the café and heading towards my table. “Yes, it is, I said, grinning like a schoolgirl. “You’ve hardly changed, said Sam enveloping me in a bear hug. “Neither have you, I replied still wondering if this were a dream, that would end abruptly. Questions tumbled out. We both admitted guiltily that we had neither taken the time nor made the effort to keep in touch, except for a few initial letters. Nonetheless, it was as if the ten years had never happened. Sam told me that he had pursued his passion for travel and worked as a travel writer. He was based in Delhi, nicknamed The Happy Single Wanderer.

I told Sam that teaching little children gave me the utmost pleasure and that was what I had been doing for the past so many years. I invited him home to meet my parents. They would be delighted to see him. Sam had never married.

All those years ago,

our parents had hoped that we’d take our friendship to the next level. Would we now take a leap of faith towards a deeper commitment or just remain friends?

We began seeing more of each other and creating new memories and found ourselves taking baby steps toward a commitment that came 6months later with the ringing of wedding bells.

I now believe in fairy tales and second chances.

This post is part of the Bloghopblogchatter prompt.

Image from Pixabay.