Love Walked Right In

This is a love story.
Back in the late 90's I got a letter from motor vehicles which required my insurance agents signature (not very romantic so far, it gets better). The receptionist turned me over to the agent in the glass front office, a very nice, attractive lady who took care of the motor vehicle thing in a very professional way. By this time we had engaged in some small talk and I was suddenly very happy I had been paying the premiums at the office rather then mailing. That way it wouldn't look obvious when I started doing what I was already doing. She was much younger than I, very attractive, probably had one or several boyfriends both younger and more attractive then I, but well, I was paying at the office anyway.

Now I was looking forward to my insurance premium so I could go pay and wave at the lady in the glass front office. More then a year went by and then one day the receptionist leaned over the desk and said,

"You have a secret admirer".

The rest of that conversation is a blur except for the "I can't believe you told him that" look on the face of the lady in the glass front office.

Skip forward about six months to me standing on the back dock of the hotel the day after my birthday taking a break from restaurant managing. The hostess sticks her head out the door and says, "phone call".

"This Allstate customer service, we just wanted to call and say 'happy birthday' ".
Now this was new, my auto insurance company calling to wish me happy birthday. Before I could say much more,

"This is Wanda at Allstate, hope it was happy".

Sometimes I'm not as dense as I look so managing some words, I blurted out,

"Why don't we have diner and I'll tell you about it".

I needed to digest what had just happened so I told her I'd call and set up a date. I found out later because she didn't know where I managed she had called all the restaurants in the area until she found me. She knew most everything else about me after all she had access to my MVA records. Several anxious days later (didn't want to seem as eager as I was) I called and the date was set.

The obvious choice for dinner was where I worked; upscale and the food and service had to be good or heads would roll. As we pulled into the parking lot, magic happened, she leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips. I was done.

It turns out she had been caregiver for her blind mother who now was dying of cancer. Several days later I went with her for the first time to visit her mother in the hospital. Her mom died several weeks later after briefly meeting her daughters future husband. I comforted my future wife best I could. I guess I came along just at the right time. Her dad came in the room that first visit. Wanda introduced me to her dad and the latest news,

"This is David, I'm going to marry him". And she did.

And they lived happily ever after.