Nodding With Justin

I first met him when I was only thirty-three. I was in the McDonalds carrying a carrot when he scurried in. He was wearing a pea green tie, which caught my attention right away. It really accentuated his dignity, but I pretended not to notice.

I was about to set the carrot down when he skipped beside me. I guess he startled me, and I clumsily dropped the carrot right by his feet. We both bent over to pick it up. It was one of those awkward moments, and we both began to nod.

After stumbling apologies, he asked me to go to the tobacco shop for a Moscow mule. I accepted, and our relationship took off from there. We didn't even know each other's names yet.

At the tobacco shop, I learned that his name was Justin, and that he was a prison guard. This was fascinating to me, coming from my career as an ice cream vendor.

I guess it was love at first nod. Some might say we had needles and thread in our eyes, but we felt we were perfect for each other. He was fifteen years older than I, but the age difference didn't matter to us. Even today, we are still nodding for each other.