Fishers Island 1975. He didn’t seem to like me. He proved me wrong by asking me to dance at school; I said no, as I was shy. My brother was a chaperone, told me it took a lot of courage for John to ask me to dance, picked me up and carried me to John and told me to dance with John, which I did. From that night on we were young teenagers dating, walking or riding bikes wherever we went. Beach, movies, sitting with our families watching tv. It was the first kiss and boy/girlfriend for each of us.

Reconnected in Jan. 2025 after 50 years apart. Met in Portland, ME, a meet in the middle between us. It was if time had stood still, here we are together again. As we were walking, holding hands, to go grab a bite to eat, it started to snow lightly. When we headed back to the hotel, the snow was falling a little heavier, the sidewalk covered in snow, streetlights aglow, now walking arm in arm, stopping for a soft kiss, gazing into each other’s eyes, in the stillness of the night. In love again.

August 2, 2025 is our wedding date. Retirement in the near future. Raising my 8 & 10 year old nieces, whom I have adopted, along with my handicapped niece, who is 40. Prize will be used for the girls to take John’s surname, John will be adopting them! We will plan a ‘familymoon’ a celebration of becoming one family. Money will be used to make changes to our house, so the kids can have more room, and us a little privacy. What’s left will be used to take mini vacations as husband & wife & children