We did meet halfway or so that day. At the coffee shop, off the highway. We went to an inexpensive lunch place even though she wanted to go to a fancy restaurant. I am terrible shy of new places and just didn't feel comfortable, so we ended up going to one of those chain restaurants. Not memorable at all. Especially the food. She let me know she didn't like her food, even though she picked it out. After that we went to a place on the banks of a river where they had a bridge and a tourist train station which was closed. We walked among the trains, just the two of us. On an empty train platform. If there were hundreds of people there we would still be oblivious to them. The moments we spent there will be remembered for a lifetime.

The whole plan of us meeting was to spend at least some of the day at church. It was Easter Sunday, and we feel that God has brought us together. So she had done a Internet search and came up with five churches which all were about halfway between us. I called them starting from the first one. Each church did not answer or they didn't have an evening service. If there were no services we would not meet. Finally, the last church did have an evening prayer meeting/Bible study. So Pastor Matt, a jovial, friendly voice, gave me the directions. So after our time at the river, we went to the church. We drove in and saw a family in a minivan. They immediately smiled at us. All the anxiety we felt, well ok, all the anxiety I felt, disappeared. Well, lessened, to be precise. We walked in and met Pastor Mat and all the other people. It was somewhat traditional, a Baptist church, yet the people were real. They were warm and friendly. Everyone was admiring her beauty, her magnetism. But it was a wonderful time. We will go back again.

Around the time we were at the park, I noticed a red light on the dashboard. We were driving her car. And as I was driving this light came on. I figured that it might be an electrical thing. She had replaced the alternator a few months ago. So what else could it be? So I just thought we could show it to a mechanic, just to be on the safe side. But then again it was Easter Sunday. So I just let it go. I thought of following her home and then driving home, but I guess neither of us thought that would be a good idea.

So we had dinner at another chain restaurant. It was nice, comfortable, secure, familiar. Why take risks?

Then she left. I drove straight to the library. After studying for a bit, I called her up thinking she might be home. She wasn't. Then I called again. Not home. After a few more calls, I was worried. I thought I better go home and call--and see what happened. I thought of calling her sister or some of her friends and trying to see what happened. But...I didn't know what to do.

I was thinking, maybe she was in an accident. Maybe an eighteen-wheeler hit her economy car. Maybe that was the first and last church service we would go to. I wasn't thinking what prevented her from reaching home, other than that it must be bad. And blaming myself for not following her home.

I decided to check my email. There was an email from her. The car had broken down 30 minutes from her home, the police stopped, got a tow truck and had it towed to a garage. The tow truck driver took her to yet another chain restaurant and her friend picked her up and there she was at her friends house. I called her friends cell phone. If you didn't know this by now, neither of us have a cell phone. So it looked as if it was her alternator. The one that was fixed a few months ago...January to be exact.