Angels

Gina and I were squabbling on our way to get our marriage license. It wasn’t a major argument, and I forget what it was about. But things were a little tense as we walked into the government center.

There was only one other couple in the license branch that day, plus an elderly man who took a seat across from us as we waited. He asked us if we were there to get our marriage license, and we said that we were.

“Marriage is a wonderful thing,” the friendly gentleman said. And he proceeded to tell us about his wife and their long life together. He said she was his best friend and that they loved to travel together. How they went to Mexico and barely left the room, but that “that was all right.” How she’d passed away a few years before but he was grateful for their time together.

“Our marriage was free of pretense,” he said. That’s the phrase that stuck with me. It was an eloquent description of what I looked forward to with Gina. A marriage so right and comfortable that we could just be ourselves.

Our conversation was interrupted when the desk clerk called our name. Gina and I picked up our license. And when we turned around, the old man was gone.

Neither of us said anything until we got to the car. After the kindly stranger had spoken with such openness and warmth, we both felt silly about whatever it was we’d been disagreeing about. We apologized and then talked about the man who’d disappeared. And Gina said what we both were thinking:

“He was our angel.”

The reason I thought of this story is that today is a special day. Happy Birthday, Gina. You and Boo are my angels.