Page 27 - #LoveWarrior

room, to the bar area where I was working. He embraced me with a hug as if no one was around, expressing he was
excited to spend time together after I got off work. Then he asked me for my house key…”

“Wait!!” I interrupted, adding, “Nicole, please tell me you didn't give him your house key?!”

She paused, took another big bite of her pizza with her head down, and then looked up slowly. In a soft tone, almost
a whisper, she replied, “I did.”

“NO, Nicole!” I exclaimed. Realizing I needed to act in a space of grace, I added, “Okay, I’m sorry, let me step
back. Why did he ask for your house key?” I thought, My gosh, I hope there is a good reason she gave some
stranger her key. No. I take that back – there is no good reason. I realized I had to quickly silence the inner dialogue
in order to listen to her crucial next point.

She continued: “He said he had a surprise for me and wanted it ready at my house when I got home. So, yes, with
hesitation, I proceeded to give him my only house key.” I sighed as I refilled our large Bordeaux wine glasses. I bit
my tongue and let her continue. “When I arrived home, I walked up to my door, not sure of what I would find. But
to my surprise, I found the door cracked open. As I pushed it further open, I quickly noticed all the lights were off,
but the house was glowing with candles outlining a path to the back of the house, red rose petals kissing the bottoms
of the cylinder vases that held the countless candles. It was something out of a movie. As I took each step on the
rose-petal path, I noticed a different bouquet of roses sprinkled throughout the house. Louisa, what happened next
was something even more cliché – with music playing, we passionately embraced one another in a way that felt as if
we’d known one another for years.”

As she clearly began to reminisce on the magic in that moment, I did what all us girls do: I allowed myself to share
in her joy with the response with an “Aw, that sounds so sweet! What happened next?” As I popped her dream
bubble above her head, I quickly saw her come down back to reality.

"Well, the next few weeks were something out of a fairy tale. He spent every waking moment with me, kissed my
forehead gently throughout the night, made sure to kiss me goodbye as he left for work, and sent me a sweet text so
that when I woke up to my alarm, I would have a good-morning text waiting for me. I felt so loved, so desired, so
adored. But still, at one point, I couldn't help but think this seemed too good to be true. Then my fear was elevated
as he proceeded to tell me one evening that he wanted to share something with me, that he had been married before.
I was in shock – and, I'll admit, a little hurt. The idea that he had been in a committed marriage before threw me
off."

I interjected, “I imagine so! I don’t blame you. Did he tell you about her?”

She added, “Yep! Her name was Amanda, and they’d gotten married out of convenience before he deployed. Oh
yeah, I meant to mention he just got out of the military. So, he assured me it was not a real marriage and the divorce
was finalized. I am curious to what my facial expressions consisted of in this conversation, because he later brought
this conversation back up. I’ll tell you about that when we get there. Fast forward to a few days later. I’m cleaning
my house and just got the idea to go check out his story. So, with the copy of his divorce in hand…”

I plunged forward my hand and placed it on her arm, “Wait! You got a copy of their divorce paperwork?!” I
proclaimed.

“OH, yes. I had requested it from him the night he told me about her, and so the next time he came over he brought
it with him,” Nicole responded. I slowly removed my hand as she continued. “So, like I was saying, I got the idea
that I should check out his story. Here’s where it gets funny, Louisa. I was cleaning my house when I got this grand
idea in my head. So, I was in a house dress – a tube-top, short dress – and I jumped in my car and drove a few
blocks away to the county clerk's office. I walked in, in heels and this short, inappropriate dress, with my arms
distant from my body, clutching to his divorce paperwork, walked right up to the front counter, and said to the clerk,
‘I have this man’s full name, birth date, social security number, and I think he is married and trying to date me.’
Everyone in the office stopped what they were doing.”

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