Don't Ever Leave Me (Or the Story Of Jessica)

This maybe a long story short or a short story long. Not sure.

I'm living in Ft. Worth Texas and it's a Wednesday night so what else is there to do?
Of course go to the University Pub and shoot some pool and shoot some bullshit.

There is a table of women drinking up front that I notice but hey there is a pool game going on that I need to win.

After a couple of games a young woman comes back to use the pay phone (yeah a pay phone a machine you put money in and could communicate with someone else).

The person she was calling (I later found out some guy who hit on her) was not home.
As she hangs up the phone and walks past the pool table I blurt out "Hey you could talk to me for free"

As she had been drinking for awhile she thought this was a cute line and we struck up a conversation.

Three days later (because I could never remember the rules as how many days should pass before you call) I call and say "How about dinner?"

Our first date was October 22nd. 2 days before mine and her birthdays

Fast forward past all the awkwardness of getting to know each other, each others families, and forging a relationship.

My job takes me to Houston. That worked great for me as my family was there and after bickering about salary I decide I will move to Houston.

While Jessica and I had played with the idea of living in sin we did not do it mainly because her Dad had a problem with that and since he was paying for her apartment and car we never did.

And then out of nowhere Jessica says "I want to move to Houston with you"
And her Dad helped us pack the U-Haul.

ZOMG I'm like an adult or something with a live in girlfriend and a warehouse to run.

So we move to Houston. And by the ceiling cat it was great. Mom Dad Sister2 and her kids are there as are friends from college. What more could I want?

So after 6 months I go back to my employer and say "Hey i settled for a grand less in salary and you said if I performed you'd bonus me out a thousand bucks"

And so they did.

So I have a thousand bucks, Jessica and i have been together for 3 years now and, well it was the TV or the ring.

Sister2 guided me through the whole diamond buying experience because gawd knows I had no idea what I was doing.

And I ask Jessica to marry me.
And she says yes.

That night as we are laying in bed I looked at her and asked "Please don't ever leave me"

And her reply was "I won't"

Fast forward many years and well since I wasn't in REDACTED NC without a wife we know how that turned out.

But you know what? She didn't lie to me. She's never left me.

Have seen her once or twice when I'm home in Ft. Worth and while it's like ripping the bandage off I wish her the best.

I loved her. She loved me. Sometimes it just doesn't work out.