Muse Magic

She was everything I always wanted, or so I thought. All my brothers flew in for the wedding. I was lucky enough to find someone who loved me and on cloud nine. I wasn’t even nervous leading up to the ceremony. The music began to play. Holy shit, I’m getting married.

In March of nineteen-eighty-nine I went away to continue my education. I think I was more excited about leaving home than going to school. I was never one who worked very hard in school.

Within a few days I met her. Or should I say, Tabby met me?  She was the one who pursued me. I was just so amazed that someone was interested in me, I wasn’t very hard to catch. Eventually we became the best-known couple on campus.

After graduation, living miles apart with neither one of us owning a car was a challenge. But with help from family and friends, we managed to get together every couple of weeks.

When Tabby and I got together there were usually fireworks, and not the good kind. It was like Ali and Frazier going fifteen rounds. Only without a winner.

I stood there five minutes before the wedding was to begin and I’m wondering, what the hell I was doing. Even though I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew I wasn’t in love anymore.

I turned toward my brothers and said, “I can’t go through with it.”

I quickly walked out of the church into the cool October air. Being unfamiliar with where I was, I just walked letting the breeze guide me.

A diner at the bottom of the hill looked inviting. I hadn’t had anything to eat all day, so I went in. They served breakfast all day, which sounded good to me.

As I was on my fourth cup of coffee when someone slapped my shoulder and I turned.

“I found you,” Chuck said. “As your older brother I still have the right to take you behind the woodshed,” he chuckled.

“Is everyone pissed?”

“No,” Chuck leaned against the stool. “The funny thing is, Tabby never showed.”

Ten minutes later, we were on the turnpike headed home.