We went to high school together, but we never saw the people behind the weird girl and the nerd facades. Then, the night of graduation, we were hit over our heads, opened our eyes, and saw each other with love in our hearts. The next afternoon Michael moved to Michigan. And his family moved too — taking away the logical reason for him to come home to Carthage.
We attempted a long-distance relationship for the next seven months. Michael came back to Carthage for Christmas. Our visit was wonderful. Then, like any normal couple, we had a misunderstanding. It was enough of a communication break-down that we drifted apart.
We got on with our lives separately for the next 11 years. We each married other people and enjoyed productive lives. Michael's first marriage blessed him with an adorable daughter. Dorcia's netted two dogs and a cat. Well, one dog and the cat were technically premarital property. :-)
Dorcia started looking for Michael in 1998 under the cover of our 10-year class reunion, which was two years away. She didn't find him in time for the reunion, but she didn't quit looking, either. She created a group of people to look for him, including former classmates, friends, and her first husband. After contacting more than 200 guys with the same name, she surrendered to the pros. She hired a private investigator to track him down — $54.13 and 10 hours later she knew he was in West Virginia. It was May 1, 2001. She flew to him in June. He flew to her in September.
On September 15, while we were in Kansas City (going to the Renaissance Festival), Michael proposed. Dorcia had waited eleven years to hear those words. Naturally, she said yes.
Last updated Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 -0800