Nothing Short of Thankful

"Hey, you guys are making it pretty back here!"

The back porch never looked so good, "Have fun!" I had a full day planned and perhaps my invitation to the party was "lost in the mail." That I doubt. I wasn't invited to whatever party it was because of history, and not the classroom kind.

My neighbor is really cute. She is also, perhaps, the most socially-aware person I have ever met. She is so good, she can move you were you don't want to go and you will have a great time doing it. I've seen her do it many times. And, thanks to the extremely thin walls in my turn-of-the-century, 1970's-renovated apartment building, I've heard her quite often as well.

No judgements about what one does to find love, I certainly don't want that spotlight on me either. "A woman who gives her heart sincerely retains her virtue." I am fully willing to believe that sentiment. And I admired her ability to apply it so repeatedly and so quickly.

That sentiment and admiration may have been just the opening needed when her gaze met mine. A few more chance meetings (which I was later told weren't chance AT ALL!) and the dance had begun. A few planned outings more and the dance progressed. Up to a point. That point should have been before the physical relations started. Lesson learned. It was, however, after.

We parted ways on good terms I thought. I had no resentment and was told the same from her. That will be the last time I believe that line. But I bounded up the stairs to my place glad for the interaction, if I hadn't would this exist? I did enjoy her personality, yet thankful it didn't go further. (Reasons, I'm sorry, I can't disclose on the off chance anonymity eludes me one day.) But reasons that also made me nothing short of thankful.

It didn't take long to learn that chance meetings were painfully awkward, planned meetings a thing of the past. I've said maybe a paragraph worth of words in the past year, her maybe a sentence worth. "Hey! You guys are making it pretty back here!" was the most she's heard me say in close to a year. I don't talk to walls either. But they were beautiful flowers. I would have enjoyed them if they were mine.

I found out a week later, the flowers and the girl were getting ready for their wedding day. I'm not going to check for that lost invitation though sincere good wishes exist. I couldn't be more pleased for her. Or more thankful.