"Real Love" Part One

Real Love

"All I want is to give my love, all of it, to someone. I really want that perfect love life. I guess it took me a while to understand what it means when they say 'settling down'; and that it's beyond the sex or the gifts and compliments. I want someone that understands; someone that is a combination of old school and new school.

Let's talk on the phone for hours and fall asleep with the phone hanging on the side, let's hold hands down the road after the day at the movie and having ice cream, or whatever! Let us go bar hopping, yet go home together at night's end. Let's have special holidays, date nights.

Just saying it will be nice to figure life out with someone,unless I'm the only lonely guy left. Don't get me wrong, my life is good. Sometimes I feel it a waste of me not giving someone my love; there is so much of it."

Serena cleared her throat a few times as she read the personal ad from the 'Men Seeking Women' section. 'Don't cry', she told herself, but she couldn't help it. It had been nearly a year as a widow, and the thought of love still brought her late husband to mind. She took a deep breath, and looked at the information about the man posting the ad.

'Athletic...Single...Black...30 years old'

That was all the information offered, but enough for Serena to stop herself. At nearly twenty years older, she felt herself settle into the hope that he would find his 'real love'. She dismissed any thoughts of ever knowing the man. Without hesitation, she wrote a reply to his ad,

"Stay hopeful. You sound like a true heart. I sincerely want you to find your lady, someone to give your love.

Your ad touched me.

I am lonely, too, so I understand that feeling like you are wasted because there is no one to pour out your affections, or laugh, or solve the little issues in life.

I wish you all the best!

Serena"

Six hours' drive from Serena's location, Ross opened the reply email from Serena. Her words stung him with longing. He wrote back immediately,"That is what I do; stay hopeful. When I read what you wrote filled with sincerity and genuine emotions, I feel like, 'Why not give love a chance?'"

When Serena read those words, her breath caught in her throat. Was he saying he might want to know HER? She wrote to him then about her late husband, and the true love they had known, and finished her note by telling Ross she only wished he was close enough to give her a hug. She asked him if it would be weird to hug a woman he did not know, then just before sending it, she added that everyone needs to love and be loved. It occurred to her that writing about her husband might have been too much, yet it was honest. It was who she was, and besides, who in their right mind could be jealous of man that can never return?

Yet, there had been a few times men had let her know both directly and indirectly that they didn't think it was appropriate for her to talk about the only love she had ever known. It had not kept men from making mention of former wives and girlfriends, though. Such conversations had kept her from dating or becoming emotionally close to anyone. Serena mused about this after sending her reply to the young man. She decided if he did write back, it was time to find out his name!

Ross saw the words,

"...everyone needs to love and be loved..." following the openness of the letter, and he did want to hug Serena. He wanted to hold her tightly for a very long time. In his reply he told her he would should they ever meet, and shared his phone number if she wanted to talk, be friends, or share hugs and kisses. Then he added, "My name is Ross."