Seasons of Love - A True Romance
© Katie Anne Gustafsson
It's autumn 1997. I'm working too many hours and feeling lonely. How did I end up in this endless circle of work-home sleep? What happened to the man of my dreams? Where is the family I hoped to raise? Disenchanted with life, I surf around the net looking for a pen pal, perhaps someone else who is wondering if life has past them by. A message catches my eye from a Swedish guy looking for a girl, and I wonder how old "girls" are. I reply to him, "does 32 qualify as being a girl?" He's 2 years older. Our rapid correspondence starts.
It's winter 1997. He's flirting with me now. I refuse to take him seriously. Would you? A guy you've never met says you "are the most wonderful girl in the world" - of course you don't believe him, but oh how you want too!
It's spring 1998. I'm deeply in love. This man who started as my friend, has quietly stolen my heart. We meet at Easter. He takes my hand, we stare into each other's eyes and we know we have found 'forever'. Heartbroken at having to leave him, I return to England. A month later, we're engaged.
It's summer 1998. Mikael comes to England for a holiday. I'm scared and shy. Maybe he's changed his mind? But no, his eyes say how much he has missed me. We talk and make plans. A week later we marry! Two weeks honeymoon and then once more we suffer the loneliness of being apart.
It's autumn 1998. I fly to Sweden. A week of married bliss and house-hunting before our final separation. We both try to be strong at the airport - neither is convincing.
It's winter 1998. Mikael joins me for Christmas - no more separations. No more airport tears. No more longing. Just the seasons of love stretching out endlessly in front of us as we begin to move through them together.
Katie-Anne '99
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