I met Ken in high school. He was the cute boy all the girls had crushes on. And he was COMPLETELY oblivious. Which only added to his charm.
We dated briefly my senior year – about a week or two, nothing serious. But then, he BROKE UP WITH ME!!! Well, that’s how I tell it anyway. I wasn’t the type to just casually date – I was a serial monogamist. I only dated exclusively, and I was rarely single. But when I asked him where we stood, he told me he wasn’t really looking for a girlfriend. And that told me everything I needed to know. We stayed friends, no hard feelings (though I’ll hold it over his head until the day we die lol), but lost touch after a while, as is often the case after people start growing up.
Several years later, when I was 23, pregnant, single, and homeless, he happened to see me getting out of my car at a friend’s house in Sacramento. He messaged me on MySpace (I know I’m really dating myself here lol), and asked if I wanted to grab coffee after he got back from visiting family in New York. Of course I did – he was the one who got away. I wasn’t too hopeful, because… well, I was pregnant. What kind of guy would want that???
Fast forward a few weeks…
I’m sitting at the coffee shop, nervously picking at the fake nails that hadn’t come off yet after the wedding that didn’t happen (you’ll have to read about that in the post about me). And here comes Ken… with another woman. Damn. I must have misunderstood. I guess it was time to meet his girlfriend. His pregnant girlfriend.
We quickly cleared that up – she wasn’t his girlfriend, but his best friend from junior high. Lily had fallen on hard times; her husband left her when he found out she was pregnant. What a jerk!!
But Ken, being Ken, was taking care of her. Taking her to doctor’s appointments, making sure she ate. You know – all the things her husband should have been doing. Because that’s Ken. He does what’s right – regardless of obligation.
Lily took me in, and Ken was staying there also. It was pretty obvious that we were into each other, but neither of us was willing to make the first move. One night, Lily grabbed his keys and as she walked out the front door, she casually yelled over her shoulder “I’m going out. I’ll be at least a couple hours. You guys… do whatever. I’ll knock when I get back.” And just like that, we were alone. In ALL that awkwardness.
And we’ve been together ever since.
When Harry was a couple months old, Ken wrecked a dirt bike and broke his face. Yes, he broke his face. Completely collapsed his sinus cavity. I was was working nights at the time so was asleep on the couch with Harry at my in-laws place. My mother-in-law came in and woke me up “honey wake up” (red flag #1… she never calls me honey) “huh??” “Sweetie, give me the baby” (red flag #2… she’s not one for using sweet nicknames) “what’s going on?” And like she was telling me the grass was green, she says in a completely neutral tone “there’s been an accident. You’re gonna have to take Ken to the hospital.” That woke me up quick. Last I remembered, he had been outside helping his dad do something with the table saw. I ran out back, imagining all the missing digits. Nothing. Went down to the barn. Still nothing. Went back inside “where is he?!?” “He’s in the car. Here are my keys, you’re going to have to take my car since you’re almost out of gas.” I get to the car to see Ken groaning and holding his face. At this point, I still had no clue what was happening but I didn’t see any blood and he looked… fine?? Then, he pulled his hands away to reveal a face that now looked like mulch. It was horrible. Long story short, took him to the hospital where Lily meet us and demanded the nurses give him more pain meds, he has reconstructive surgery, and all was well after he healed.
We’ve made a life together exploring Washington. By truck, on foot, by motorcycle. I know he’s happiest when he’s on two wheels. Even if it terrifies me. He loves it so much I took it up too, though there is no chance I’ll ever ride like he does – like a bat out of hell.
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