been actively working to change my life and become a better person . I started taking care of myself by meditating and doing yoga. I switched from coffee to tea.” I laughed a little . “I even became vegan . ”
Nicholas smiled modestly . “ I’d hardly call myself the perfect man.”
“Maybe not. But you represented something to me that I’d never even thought to look for in a life partner. Once I felt it, I knew that I couldn’t settle for less .”
He nodded. “I really appreciate you telling me this. When I saw you, you look ed so familiar , but I still can't remember why .”
I sat back in my chair and smiled . “ There is one final twist .”
“What ’s that ?” he asked, curious.
I shook my head. “ I t’s the funniest thing. First, I met you here in Chicago last week . L ast night, I ran into JT a t a tapas bar after work. He’s in town visiting his sister. ”
Nicholas looked surprised . “ Really?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“ What do you suppose that’s all about? ”
“I have no idea. B efore I thought better of it, I invited him to our office holiday party next weekend. I guess I’ll find out then.”
Shaking his head, Nicholas said, “This is crazy .” He leaned back in his chair. “I mean, m y life has been so insane that I hardly ha ve a chance to look up and see wh at’s going on around me. Then, y ou come along, and I know you , but I can’t remember why . ” He looked down at his hands and was quiet for a moment. When he looked up at me, his eyes were a little glassy. “ Sophia , I can’t be your perfect guy ,” he said quietly . “ I’m still very much in love with my wife.”
Although I’d felt the need to be honest with him , I realized that I might have crossed a line and sought to reassure him right away. “ Nicholas , I don’t expect anything from you. Who knows? Maybe the man that I saw wasn’t you but just looked like you. Maybe it’s all a coincidence. I respect the fact that you’re still in love with Rachel . I ’m sorry – I certainly didn’t mean to ma k e you uncomfortable.”
Nicholas shook his head adamantly. “No, I’m glad you told me. I appreciate you sharing something so personal with me . I just don’t know what to do with it.”
“ Maybe you’re not supposed to do anything. I don’t know. It could be that I just needed someone to tell me that what I had with David wasn’t real enough and that what I might ha ve had with JT would never have been real. F or that, I’m truly grateful. Even if it means that I’m alone, I’m fine with that. I’m a lot more at peace now. ”
Just then, we heard the front door open. “Nick?” came a woman’s voice.
“My sister,” he said, looking at his watch quizzically. “In here,” he called out.
Hannah came running into the kitchen and stopped short when she saw me. She timidly went to her father , and they hugged. She was followed by a n energetic, heavyset woman with short brown hair.
“Hi,” she said walking into the kitchen and waving her hand.
“Hi,” I said to her , standing up . “I’m Sophia . ”
“Lydia,” she said, shaking my hand .
“What happened?” asked Nicholas .
“What didn’t happen?” she said as Hannah climbed onto her father’s lap . “Let’s see. Hannah and Audrey got into a fight with each other over a Barbie doll. Audrey hit Hannah on the head with the doll, and Joey started throwing up. My guess is flu so I thought I’d better get Hannah home so she doesn’t catch it .”
Nicholas looked at Hannah . “Did you and Audrey fight?”
She nodded her head.
“Are you okay ? ”
She nodded again.
“ I s Audrey okay?”
She nodded.
“ Hannah , it’s eight o’clock. Y ou know what that means, ” he said .
“It’s bedtime,” she said in a near whisper.
“That’s right. Go put your PJs on.”
She glanced at me one more time before climbing off her father’s lap and running down the hall.
Lydia looked at our uneaten burgers.
Nicholas smiled modestly . “ I’d hardly call myself the perfect man.”
“Maybe not. But you represented something to me that I’d never even thought to look for in a life partner. Once I felt it, I knew that I couldn’t settle for less .”
He nodded. “I really appreciate you telling me this. When I saw you, you look ed so familiar , but I still can't remember why .”
I sat back in my chair and smiled . “ There is one final twist .”
“What ’s that ?” he asked, curious.
I shook my head. “ I t’s the funniest thing. First, I met you here in Chicago last week . L ast night, I ran into JT a t a tapas bar after work. He’s in town visiting his sister. ”
Nicholas looked surprised . “ Really?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“ What do you suppose that’s all about? ”
“I have no idea. B efore I thought better of it, I invited him to our office holiday party next weekend. I guess I’ll find out then.”
Shaking his head, Nicholas said, “This is crazy .” He leaned back in his chair. “I mean, m y life has been so insane that I hardly ha ve a chance to look up and see wh at’s going on around me. Then, y ou come along, and I know you , but I can’t remember why . ” He looked down at his hands and was quiet for a moment. When he looked up at me, his eyes were a little glassy. “ Sophia , I can’t be your perfect guy ,” he said quietly . “ I’m still very much in love with my wife.”
Although I’d felt the need to be honest with him , I realized that I might have crossed a line and sought to reassure him right away. “ Nicholas , I don’t expect anything from you. Who knows? Maybe the man that I saw wasn’t you but just looked like you. Maybe it’s all a coincidence. I respect the fact that you’re still in love with Rachel . I ’m sorry – I certainly didn’t mean to ma k e you uncomfortable.”
Nicholas shook his head adamantly. “No, I’m glad you told me. I appreciate you sharing something so personal with me . I just don’t know what to do with it.”
“ Maybe you’re not supposed to do anything. I don’t know. It could be that I just needed someone to tell me that what I had with David wasn’t real enough and that what I might ha ve had with JT would never have been real. F or that, I’m truly grateful. Even if it means that I’m alone, I’m fine with that. I’m a lot more at peace now. ”
Just then, we heard the front door open. “Nick?” came a woman’s voice.
“My sister,” he said, looking at his watch quizzically. “In here,” he called out.
Hannah came running into the kitchen and stopped short when she saw me. She timidly went to her father , and they hugged. She was followed by a n energetic, heavyset woman with short brown hair.
“Hi,” she said walking into the kitchen and waving her hand.
“Hi,” I said to her , standing up . “I’m Sophia . ”
“Lydia,” she said, shaking my hand .
“What happened?” asked Nicholas .
“What didn’t happen?” she said as Hannah climbed onto her father’s lap . “Let’s see. Hannah and Audrey got into a fight with each other over a Barbie doll. Audrey hit Hannah on the head with the doll, and Joey started throwing up. My guess is flu so I thought I’d better get Hannah home so she doesn’t catch it .”
Nicholas looked at Hannah . “Did you and Audrey fight?”
She nodded her head.
“Are you okay ? ”
She nodded again.
“ I s Audrey okay?”
She nodded.
“ Hannah , it’s eight o’clock. Y ou know what that means, ” he said .
“It’s bedtime,” she said in a near whisper.
“That’s right. Go put your PJs on.”
She glanced at me one more time before climbing off her father’s lap and running down the hall.
Lydia looked at our uneaten burgers.
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