I'm In Love With Another Man

This past week led my husband and I, along with out three boys, on a trip into the past. We ventured down to South Carolina to watch my husband's little brother graduate from Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, the place where we met eight years ago.

We found ourselves walking around the barracks we shared, driving by the obstacle courses we completed together and staring at the balcony where we had our most memorable first one on one conversation. We talked about how we would escape if we went AWOL, if you must know. All in jest of course. What made it so memorable was that it was just he and I standing there, breaking the rules of fraternization, staring out across the base and escaping the all encompassing world of Basic Training for a brief moment to daydream together.

One night, after dropping his brother back off with his loving drill sergeants, we were walking across a dark field with our boys. That very balcony was illuminated at the other end of the field by the few streetlights nearby.

Our oldest son, 5, was riding on his daddy's shoulders a few steps ahead of me. He asked his daddy what he thought when he first met me at "Army school". His daddy said he thought I was very pretty. Then he turned around and asked me what I thought of his daddy. I told him I thought he was very strong and serious.

Halfway across the field, that same sweet son hopped off of his daddy's shoulders and opted to walk hand in hand with his mama for the rest of the trip to the car. He slowed down his walk and said, "Mama, can I tell you a secret?" Then he asked me to bend down so he could whisper it in my ear.

"I think the same thing that Baba thinked."

Eight years ago, I never would have guessed I would end up falling in love with that strong, serious man from the balcony. And here I go, giving my heart away all over again in the grass below.