She fit like the solution to a complicated math problem in my arms. Everything disappeared. All was right with my world.
Adelaide leaned back and looked into my eyes. “You remember all that?”
I reached up and swept a stray piece of hair, tucking it behind her ear. My heart skipped a beat. Every fiber of my being knew that she was the one for me.
I almost brushed my lips against the skin of her neck, whispering in her ear, “I remember everything.”
The smell of her perfume intoxicated me. I had to tell her—to convince her she was my everything. To tell her she was the most beautiful person in the world.
She won’t believe me. Her brown eyes, freckled nose, and curly brown hair are not the standard presented. I don’t care. To me, she has always been perfect. The princess who makes me aspire to be her fairytale prince.
I had loved this woman for years. No way she was slipping through my fingers once more.
By chance, we had bumped into each other as children on a playground. Back then, I didn’t know who she was. My mom had whisked me away before we met. Years passed before we put two and two together.
Thanks to trail magic, we met again thirteen years later. I wanted to start something then, but I choked. Pete beat me to the punch, and I thought I had lost my chance forever. I dreamed of Adelaide almost every night for the rest of our time on the trail. She filled my evening rest with beauty. I longed for those stolen fantasies as we put one foot in front of the other. It might have been because Pete mentioned her every single day. Or maybe it was because she was a girl that left an impression on you.
Either way, I have never been so happy to see another person as I was the day I walked into that first biology class. I hoped this was my opportunity to turn those stolen fantasies into a reality. Instead, a silly, pencil-asking girl and a guy with a Tom Petty T-shirt got in the way. I landed in the friend zone.
I watched and waited as she hunted for her fairytale prince. I searched for an opening. We shared moments I thought might lead to more. But we remained nothing more than friends, despite the whisper of a kiss we shared.
Then, one morning, I found her broken.
As I held her and listened to how the cracks had formed, I knew I shouldn’t say a thing. But I couldn’t help it. The truth of how I felt about her tumbled out. Her lips cried out to mine, and we shared a mind-blowing, body-gripping kiss. I hoped her search would end.
But she was right. It wasn’t the right time.
I tried to move on.
I tried to suppress the feelings.
It worked… sort of.
But at that moment, with her in my arms, her curves leaned into mine as we danced. Her sugary vanilla scent melted into the surrounding air.
I was undone.
I didn’t mean to utter the cheesy line from Dawson’s Creek. It fell from my lips.
Suddenly, I understood what Pacey felt. The girl in front of him occupied so much of his mind. He couldn’t help but record everything she did to play back later. What she wore. The way her hair brushed against her neck. The different smiles she had and what they meant. How what she wore brought out the color of her eyes. How it hugged her curves.
I studied Adelaide the way Pacey had studied Joey. I filed every bit of information away in the recesses of my mind to use later. The more I learned, the more sure I became of what I wanted.
Us.
For the rest of our lives.
With her in my arms, there was no other option. The plan for my life forever changed. Instantly, I knew I had a lot to get in order.
The only question in my mind was—did she feel the same?
The song ended.
The room zoomed back into view.
Adelaide’s body tensed under my hands. I realized she was staring at something over my shoulder. I turned and followed her gaze.
Elizabeth.
I had made a mess of things. She deserved better. I watched as she turned and walked away, covering her face with her hands.
I hated she was going to be hurt by what I was about to do, but my heart belonged to the woman in my grasp.
With great effort, I stepped back and dropped my arms. I turned to face her again. “Adelaide, I—”
“Go,” she said. Her lips settled into a thin line.
I nodded and walked away to find Elizabeth.
It was ugly. We fought, and I got glimpses of the Libby that Adelaide knew before I met Elizabeth. In the end, she begged me to fly back to Montana with her. I figured I owed her that much. We left without saying goodbye.
Looking back, I wish I had stayed. I wish I had told Adelaide that same night how I loved her. I wish I had done things differently. The entire trip back, Elizabeth laid out her case for staying together. She pushed as hard as she could, but my heart would not budge.
My heart remained fixed on Adelaide.
Then I got that call—the one where my Ads said that she loved me but that we should never speak again.
“That’s not what I want. I had just picked up my phone to call you. Elizabeth and I broke up. I love you, Adelaide,” I said.
She hung up, and I knew she hadn’t heard the words.
I called Tom. We came up with a plan. A plan to do a grand gesture at the end of Cynthia’s first race.
But Nate, the newspaperman, messed things up. I don’t blame him. He’s a great guy, and we became fast friends. He graciously let Adelaide go when I called her that afternoon.
I witnessed the bike hit her. Her gorgeous but fragile figure flew through the air. No matter how fast I ran, there was nothing I could do to prevent it.
The time we spent waiting for her to wake up was the most agonizing moment of my life. I needed the support from Nate, Tom, and Cynthia. The doctors and nurses assured me she would be fine.
She needed time.
When I got the news she was awake. When I saw her eyes gazing at me. Everything clicked back into place. My heart settled. All was right.
Yet, it wasn’t until that night that we finally got the alone time we needed to declare our love to each other.
Sometimes, I wish the road to our real-life fairy tale went differently than it did. Then I remember, all those first dates led to her knowing for sure I was the one. And every moment of longing and pang of regret and frustration from the friend zone was worth it.
Now, as I watch her sleep with our child in her arms, I am thankful our love won out in the end. I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the prince that my wife deserves.