Remember?

Do you remember that story we were going to tell out grand babies? That one about how we met? I'll remind you because you seem to have forgotten that our love ever existed.

It was Christmas night 2008.

"Come meet my new girlfriend!", my bestie in that time said to me.

I walked into Misty's and there you were. Looking straight at me. Or rather into me. Our souls connected in a split second of fate. I saw you. I saw love. I saw my future. I saw your past. The only thing I didn't see were the demons you fought so hard to keep away. Those came just months later. I loved you from the moment I saw you.

I looked away as fast as you could bore into my soul.

Five months and two breakups later, I invited you on a hike. Your smoker's body was slow, sick, and so perfect to me. You lumbered along the trail, our hiking companions became frustrated and left us behind. You and I laughing. You and I taking pictures. You and I trying hard (not) to touch. You and I watching the sunset on Camelback Mountain.

That Philosophy paper weighed heavy on my mind, but so did dinner. You cooked; potatoes and onions. I existentialized. You drank beer. I marveled at how many you put down. You stayed the night. We didn't touch.

The next day, your truck battery was dead. That red truck took us to so many places. Alaska, camping, home, your move, my move, ins and outs, then finally to your sperm donor in Minnesota. It's bum battery gave me that moment I needed to kiss the physical body of the other half of my soul. That kiss was perfect. There was no urgency because it knew forever. After our respective obligations, we were together for the night. "No funny business," I said. I didn't stick to that. You made love to me.

There was that first real date. The train to Tempe. My third favorite picture of us, our first together. Too late to catch the train back. We had to call a friend for a ride.

Later that month, we camped with the boys, my boys became our boys. That love was so natural. Watching you parent was so beautiful.

And now, you don't talk to me. You dropped all of your other bests too. My soul has been torn in two again. The pain is unbearable. My heart beats because it has to.

Do you remember walking into love with me? Do you remember ALWAYS? Do you remember how to love? Do you remember me? Do you remember our family?