Love & Theraflu

Draft 1 - in progress

It all started over flowers and lemon flavored Theraflu. I think I realized I really loved him through the haze of a dizzying cough suppressant. We had first met at a housewarming party hosted by a friend who said I needed to get out more. An overworked middle school teacher, I dragged myself from my Sunday afternoon nap to attend her soire, hair in no particular style, make-up half applied, showing up with Sunday sleep still in my eyes.

“I’m Jim,” he said from across a table that was too small for the five of us who crammed our chairs around it.

“I’m Donna. Nice to meet you.”

He worked for a college and wanted to know if I would be interested in teaching adjunct English courses. Our new friendship was a professional one. No promises. No disappointments. He was courting a few girls he had met since he had moved to Savannah; I was wearing garlic around my neck to ward off relationships after the latest one I was recovering from. Life as a middle school English teacher was exhausting. The students drained every morsel of energy I had, leaving weekends for only sleep, grading papers, and couch recovery.

The last relationship was a turning point for me. I had reached age 29 and while on a trip with him to the U.S. Virgin Islands, I leaned over a railing that overlooked the most beautiful azure island waters and asked God that if there was no one right for me in this world, to please simply give me the ability to accept it and live a good life.

I received an email while in St. Thomas. “It’s Jim. Just wanted to say hello and see if you’d like to get together sometime.” I decided not to respond until I returned home again. My head was muddled as I re-traced my prayer.

I’ve learned there’s nothing like swearing off boyfriends to assist you in finding the right guy.
Once I let go of expectation of men and decided that it would be enough for me to simply get hired by this guy to teach for his college, it all became easy. On our first “pseudo” date with a group of friends, I fell on my face while trying to crawl over the picket fence that surrounded a Tybee Island lighthouse. I pretended the fall felt fabulous and nursed my embarrassment into the next morning.

“You fell in front of him?!” the math teacher across the hall cackled.
“Ok, I know. He thinks I’m a complete buffoon!” I squealed in a mix of laughter and horror.

“No, I think you’ll marry him.”

Evidently my fall only endeared him to me. On our first official date he came to my house and brought over fried seafood to-go from my favorite restaurant. After dinner, we went outside where he played Frisbee with my dog, and he belted me in the eye with an overzealous toss.

“What the heck happened to you?” Delores gasped the next day from her post awaiting the morning bell at the sight of my eye.

“The guy, I saw him again. He accidentally nailed me with the Frisbee.”

She folded her arms and smirked at me. “You are definitely going to marry him.”

******
“Just lift your head. Now sip.”

The flowers he’d brought over sat on the table, and the Theraflu steamed