Day Four - Just on Time

Raya finally decided on an outfit about 2:30pm, after spending the whole morning deciding on an outfit and then changing her mind ten minutes later. She checked the weather forecast to make sure she would be dressed warm enough and saw that there might be freezing rain later that evening, so she was glad they were going out in the afternoon.

Raya couldn’t get over how different Micah seemed. For one thing, she’d never heard of someone asking a girl out so boldly like that, except in books or movies. And, why 3:00pm? And the whole anthem thing. Something about him was very alluring to her, and she had thought of nothing else for the last 18 hours but him. She had a feeling this was going to be a disaster or the best first day of the rest of her life.

Micah showed up a bit late to her dorm common room, or as he phrased it, ‘just on time’. Raya had been tapping her foot nervously and adjusting her position on the saggy low couch in the common room. She looked at a People magazine she found on the side table, although she didn’t see any of the stories as she absently turned the pages, trying to look occupied.

When Micah burst into the room, the whole room lit up. He was just larger than life, that’s the only way Raya could think to describe him. The room was quiet and kind of boring, and then suddenly it was bright and full of energy. She couldn’t help but smile as he offered his arm to her with a twinkle in his eye.

They went to a coffee shop that Micah knew about, and ordered a dessert and a drink at the counter and then settled in to a booth. The afternoon went quickly as they found lots to talk about. Raya surprised herself by feeling really comfortable and trusting with him, which was strange for her. Before they knew it, it was getting dark outside, and they were the only ones left in the little shop. The server called to them as they were putting their coats on that there was freezing rain and they may want to stay put for a bit to see if it stopped soon.

Micah laughed his big booming laugh. “Oh, you have no idea mister, this is nothing to me! I’m a professional with this kind of driving.” The server shook his head and told them goodbye. Raya couldn’t help but ask him what he meant.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you,” Micah smiled. “I don’t sing your anthem or put my hand on my heart because it’s not my anthem and not my country. I’m a Canadian.”  She stopped to look at him in surprise.

“Now that you say that, your accent suddenly makes sense,” she replied.

“Um, you’re the one with the accent,” he argued. “And, Canadians know how to drive in this kind of weather,” he boasted, and she took his arm as he led her to the car, full of hesitation but overcome with the feeling that she just couldn’t say no to him.

Their first date kind of summed up their whole relationship - through their dating months, their engagement, their wedding and their honeymoon. Micah did bold and crazy things that both terrified Raya and made her love him. She trusted him with her secrets, and he was strong and able and confident. He seemed to cherish being different than others around him, and in a way it seemed to Raya that he didn’t want to fit in or ever really get close to anyone. She knew that as he became more comfortable in their new life together, he would settle in and open up to her more about himself and his life. At least, she hoped so.