E.L.

There is/was a boy. I've known him a long time. Starting in 4th grade to be exact so yes, a very long time. If someone told me then that he would still be in my life now, I would have scoffed...big time.

In 6th grade, I thought I was going on my first date. Even though it was with him, who wasn't my ideal guy, it was still...a date! But he basically stood me up. Not even by not showing up...by walking by as I waited on a corner and saying "no way". Yes...we were 11-12 years old but humiliating all the same...obviously since I still remember it to this day!

But I must have forgiven him because when we were about 15, he asked me out. We went to see The Poseidon Adventure. The only thing I remember about that date besides the movie is that it rained. And I think he had an umbrella with the initials "EL" on it which happens to be our initials. Of course, I coveted that umbrella! LOL! The movie came out in Dec.1972 and that Christmas, he gave me a music box which I still have. But we didn't continue a relationship at that point and I don't remember what happened - it just fizzled out.

At 21 years old, we "hooked" up again but it was very casual although now that we were older, it should have felt more serious. It lasted only a few months. I went away on vacation and came back to discovered that he had someone else on his arm. It was fine with me, and we parted on good terms. Good enough terms that he attended my wedding a few years later - solo.

Then some time in our early 40's, both of us having gone through a divorce and kids, we met up once again. Dated a couple of months but maybe too much water was already under the bridge because once again, we parted ways.

Throughout all these decades, there was one constant. He always remembered my birthday. He didn't always call me but years would go by when out of the blue, I would get a phone call wishing me a happy one.

This year was one of those years. I hadn't seen or spoken to him in over ten years and this past Sunday, he treated Winnie & me to a Sunday dim sum brunch. As a surprise, he presented me with a chocolate mousse birthday cake from Veniero's Pastry Shop! Rich, decadent and very sweet. Both the cake and him. :-) The best thing: my celebrating continues on!

(And more importantly, my name is spelled correctly! :-)