Look and you shall find

The first time I talked to Lucia she was quiet and slow. Her gestures were slow, her blinks were slow. Her thoughts even seemed to be tiring for her. Her voice was soft, almost squeaky and meek. Her hair was barely and inch long but still showed the signs of curls-to-come. I felt like every time I asked a question it was a battle for her to formulate an answer. Almost like her fight with cancer had made every other task too much to ask. But Lucia was passionate about one thing. A husband. For me.

I started seeing Lucia (yes, I changed the name) just one day a week to fill in for another therapist who didn't have time to fit in all her segments required by law in her IEP. I go in her classroom sometimes and work with her at her desk on whatever thing she might be doing. Sometimes we go in the hall and do catch-up on classwork she is behind on. That first session sitting beside her at her desk, Lucia started her quest.

"Are you married?" she turned her head slowly to look at me. I wasn't surprised. Kids that age asked me that kind of often when I wore any kind of ring on any of my fingers.

"No I'm not."

"Well why not?" I was actually sort of wondering that myself at the time and didn't feel like explaining that I wasn't sure but that I sure wanted to be married to my boyfriend, but was starting to wonder if he had a change of plans that I didn't know about.

"I don't know." I shrugged and looked down to doodle on my data sheet. " I guess I just haven't found a husband yet."

"Oh." The answer seemed to be satisfying enough for her and for the week I forgot about the conversation at all.

The next week I sat in the hall with Lucia trying desperately to get her to write some sentences. Painfully slow, she spelled each word allowed and then stopped mid-sentence to look around the hall, maybe hoping something interesting had happened since the break she had taken for herself 2 minutes before. So when she stopped again, I immediately opened my mouth to get her back on track. But she took me by surprise.

"Did you find a husband?" She looked at me honestly. The conversation from the week before that had so easily slipped my mind had apparently kept her curious all week.

"No, not yet." I tapped her paper as I said it as a reminder that we hadn't finished the work.

"Did you look for one?" I looked at her. Again, she held an honest gaze full of curiosity. I almost laughed. Did I spend my week looking for a husband?

"Well, I did try, but it just doesn't seem like I've found one yet. But I'll try again this week, ok?"

"Ok." She happily turned back to her sentences. Every week, at some point, the conversation turned to my husband hunt. I continued to assure Lucia that I was doing everything in my power to find myself a husband and she never forgot to ask.

On December 20, 2008 I found a husband. He is the husband I've been hoping for for quite some time. Thomas almost put me into cardiac arrest when he asked me. He told me once that when he proposed it would be "a slap in the face." What I believe he wanted to say and didn't quite manage to convey as genteely as one might have hoped is that it would be a big surprise and I wouldn't be expecting it. I consider myself slapped. And more happy and excited than I knew I could be.

After Christmas break, I didn't get to see Lucia for a few weeks ... doctor's appointments, testing, presentations. I finally saw her on Friday. And as I was leaving the room, I realized that when I finally had good news for her, she had forgotten to ask if I had found a husband. This Friday, I'm breaking the news. After weeks of a grueling husband hunt, my search is over!

Shortly after he asked me. My mascara was a little smudgy ... so maybe I shed a few...

After all that hunting, I caught a sweet and handsome one.

There are a few things we needed to get out in the open before we got married ...