When The Moment Is Right; It’s Love

Timing is when that geek you’ve been ignoring all year begins to look kind of cute. Timing is when the woman across the hall you’ve never said two words to suddenly looks at you with big, bright eyes. Timing is when something happens just when it’s supposed to …

Ann Marie: “When I met Brad, I was still hung up on Mickey, an ex-boyfriend who had fallen into the drifter category a month or two before. After a few dates with Brad, Mickey resurfaced like a groundhog and I told Brad I had ‘unfinished business’ to take care of. Brad tried to convince me to give him a chance, that he could be ‘the best boyfriend ever.’ But I had to see where this romance with Mickey would take me. Well, it took me nowhere within a few months. Some months passed and out of the blue, Brad called to wish me a happy birthday. We met for dinner and decided to try dating again.

“At this point, though, I was loving the single life and really didn’t want a boyfriend. I wasn’t even sure if I liked him. He wore painters pants from the ‘70s. But he was really attentive, fun and extremely bright, so we continued to date over the summer. About six months into the relationship, he admitted he was frustrated because the closer he tried to get, the more he felt me pulling away. I told him I was scared because the relationship had all of a sudden gotten very serious and I saw us heading straight for marriage. I felt like I should date some more to be sure. Well, that went over like a lead balloon.

“I didn’t start to date anyone. I actually realized a few weeks later that I had fallen in love with Brad and told him so. I can still remember the look on his face. He said that he’d loved me for months, but knew I wasn’t ready to hear it. He was right. I probably would have run the other way if he’d said it to me before I was ready. It’s all about timing. We ended up getting engaged four years later and then breaking up, but that’s irrelevant.”

James: “By the time my friend Gene was in his late 20s, he had hundreds of girlfriends. He invented the word charisma and lit up every room he entered. One night, he dropped in at a party, saw a redhead across the room, went over to her and simply asked if she wanted to fly to Las Vegas that night. The first word she ever said to him was yes. They got acquainted on the plane and were married the next morning. She then told him she had a daughter. Today, 25 years later, they are still madly in love and their daughter is their pride and joy. When I asked each of them about the defining moment, she said, ‘Forces beyond my control.’ He said, ‘It was meant to be.’”

Monica: “We met five years ago at a newspaper in Louisiana. I was a reporter, he was a copy editor. At the time, I was dating Jack, a police officer with the sweetest dimples, the most charming manner and a well-sculpted body. Bruce, on the other hand, was pretty average. He was brash, outspoken and irritating. I was transferred to the section Bruce worked in, and we became the worst of foes. I ended my relationship with Jack. I found out he was married, with five kids, three by his wife and two with a girlfriend.

“Bruce and I started working together on various projects and I realized he was not all that bad. He had a great mind, neat sense of humor and the prettiest green eyes. I had sworn off men, but I fell for him. We were married in 1993 and he has been the most wonderful adventure of my life. He has nursed me through several illnesses. He makes me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth, although I have gained 30 pounds. He praises my cooking and holds my hand in church. I still catch my breath when I see him across a room. I had many guesses about what marriage would be like, but this exceeds my wildest imagination. When he’s not around, I call him “My Bruce”.