An Unexpected Promise

“I promise to encourage your passions, to keep you individual and unique, to keep you grounded. I will continue to be your best friend, and I will support you until the end of time.”

               “You may kiss the bride,” our officiant says. In one motion, I’m swept off my feet into an embrace that I had welcomed my entire life, although I didn’t realize it.

               Just a year before, I had vowed to never again take the route I was on now. Coming from a broken, loveless marriage, I had sworn that I was better off alone. After fighting for years to mend something unrepairable, I had finally been granted a divorce.

               “I will NEVER get married again,” I cried to my mother while lying on the bathroom floor.

               “Maybe you won’t, maybe you will. Keep your heart open, honey. You could still find the right one,”

               “Bullshit!” I had sobbed.

               Years of emotional turmoil, losing every ounce of who I was as a person, losing friends, losing my house. The losses coming out of my first marriage were enough to cement into my mind that this was something I could never go through again.

               One late, lonely, and drunken night, I had posted on Facebook.

               “Really needing someone to talk to, is anyone awake?”

               A half-hour later and I still hadn’t heard from anyone. Feeling more defeated than usual, I grabbed my empty glass and made my way into the kitchen to charge my phone and grab a refill. As I plugged the phone in, a “ding” echoed through the kitchen.

               “Hey Lindsay, I saw your post. Hoping everything is okay. I’ve missed you, let me know if you’d like to talk.”

               I stood, floored at the message on my screen. Jason Matheson, my high school best friend is messaging me at 3:43 in the morning. I hadn’t heard from him in years, at least 8.

               “Hey Jason, how are you? It’s been a while.”

               “It’s going okay, thanks for asking. Sorry it’s been so long.”

               Suddenly I’m nervous about how to reply. I wanted someone to talk to, but was my old best friend really the person for that? I didn’t even know how to talk to him anymore. My phone buzzed again.

               “What are you up to?” He asked.

               “Honestly, I’m just drinking.”

               “Huh, me too. What are you drinking?”

               My chest felt warm, but I had ignored the feeling of anxiousness.

               “Chardonnay, you?”

               “Gin, some things never change.”

               I scoffed. Same old Jason, of course he was up drinking as well.

               “I wish I could say that I’m surprised.”

               “I’m glad I’m still as predictable after all these years.”

               “I could probably still read you like a book.”

               “Yeah, you probably could. How’s Dan doing?”

               The dreaded question had come up. It made sense that didn’t know about the divorce, we hadn’t spoken in years. We had hardly interacted besides the occasional “like” online.

               “I just got divorced. It’s a long story.”

               “Oh, I’m sorry Linds. I had no idea. I feel like an ass now.”

               “No! It’s okay. It’s not something that I exactly wanted to post on Facebook.”

               “Still, I’m sorry to hear that.”

               “It’s fresh,” I had paused before finishing the rest of my message. Nothing to lose. “That’s actually why I was looking for someone to talk to.”

               “Well, I’ll be up for a while. Would you like to call me?”

               The next thing I knew, the sun was coming up and I was sitting on my back porch, cigarette in hand laughing on the phone like I hadn’t in years. Jason’s voice was deeper than I had remembered, I had commented on it.

               “Yeah, that’s something called puberty,” he had joked back. “The last time we spoke, I think I was only 20.”

               “I’m going to sound terrible, and I’m so sorry, but what happened? Why did we stop talking?” I had asked.

               “I think life just took us in different directions. You met Dan, and I moved after college. It wasn’t one specific thing,” he told me.

               “Damn. Well, I’ll be honest, I wish you were still in town. I’d love to sit down and grab a drink, catch up,” I said.

               “Fly up here.”

               Those three words were the epitome of our friendship for the next few months. I had booked a flight to Michigan that morning while still on the phone, my heart racing the entire time. 

The next 6 months involved 12 trips between the two of us, starting with quick four-day trips, slowly evolving into two weeks at a time. It had taken only two trips before we were sharing a bed, only one before we were messaging each other how much we missed each other when the other had gone back home. Hours were spent laughing and talking on the phone. The pain of my losses were quickly forgotten. Our first Christmas together had turned my world upside down in the best way possible.

“I want you to come back to Michigan with me, but to stay this time. Move in with me Linds, there’s no sense in spending so much time apart.”

So I did exactly that. We paid off the lease to my apartment and Jason flew down to pack my life up with me. The drive to Michigan was full of love, laughter, and excitement. We adopted a dog shortly after I settled in, I had found a new career that I loved, the change of scenery did wonders.

The spring came quickly. Jason’s home had been in need of some serious landscaping. I spent hours seeding the lawn and planting shrubs and flowers. The once modest little house now looked beautiful, we spent much of our time in the yard together and with friends.

We rented a cabin at the start of summer and spent the weekend in the woods. Jason took me on a trail that he had hiked many times before. “The best views in all of Michigan,” he had told me. I stood at the edge of a lake taking in the scenery when he spoke from behind me.

“Lindsay, everything in my life has turned around since you showed back up,” I had turned around to see him down on one knee. “I never want to lose my best friend again. I never want to be apart. Marry me, let me be everything that you’ll ever need, because that’s what you are to me.”

Friends and family erupt in cheers and claps when we pull away from our first kiss as husband and wife. Music plays in the background but I’m too starstruck to recognize the song. Jason reaches out and wipes a tear from my eye.

“You ready?” He asks.

“Absolutely,” I smile back, taking his hand and stepping down from the altar.

Just a year ago, I had never expected to be where I was at this very moment, yet I wouldn’t trade it for the world. All the pain, the hardships, they had all been worth it.

Outside, the Bel Air that we rented as our getaway car awaited us. Jason opened the passenger door for me.

“After you, Mrs. Matheson.”

“Thank you,” I say as he slides into the seat next to me.

I look to my left and see my best friend looking back at me, a beautiful smile fills his face. I laugh out loud and slap my hand on his knee.

“Let’s get out of here.”