They are happy – as later in life lovers usually are. They live gratefully knowing that each day together is a precious gift from God, not to be taken for granted. Seldom do they forget that life before they met was lonely, and life after, is full and rich and more purposeful.
Their meeting makes a good story, always an amusing icebreaker when making a new friend. Here’s how it happened.
Bill is a widower when he meets Carina. His dear wife died two years earlier and Bill is ready to move on for practical reasons (at first).
The Verizon store is an unlikely setting for Cupid, but the truth is, without it, the two lovers do not meet.
Bill is looking to get a new phone: the iPhone X, with a new and improved camera. It’s getting rave reviews and he goes to the Verizon store to check it out.
Michael Figueroa is the angel working that day as Bill waits his turn for a salesperson. Tyshon could have waited on him that day, or Linda, Jack, or Herman. But it is Divine timing for Michael to be the one to help Bill with his new iPhone X – and more.
At the last stage of the transaction as Michael is transferring data from Bill’s old phone to the new one, he notices amazing pictures on the camera roll from exotic places all over the globe.
“Wow.” The salesman remarks. “You’ve been so many different places. You must love to travel.”
Bill replies with a touch of sadness in his voice. “I used to. But not anymore, since my wife died.”
Awkward silence. Bill fills it.
“If you happen to know anyone, I’m interested in meeting a nice woman.”
The next day Carina walks in to the store with her broken phone. Michael Figueroa is up. Buying a new phone can take a while and the salesperson and customer get chummy. It comes up in conversation that Carina lives alone. Michael remembers Bill’s parting comment from the day before, and he says to Carina “I know this sounds crazy …but I have a good feeling about this…are you interested in meeting someone?”
She considers it and thinks “Why not?”
The Verizon salesman sends Bill a text with the introduction, Bill calls Carina the same day, they meet for coffee, and both like what they see.
Carina and Bill have a lot in common. Both are retired architects, neither have children, they like movies, good food and travel. They fit together easily. The romance begins and by year’s end Bill proposes, Carina accepts. They get married.
There’s one problem. Harley. Carina’s cat.
Bill agrees to take Carina as his lawfully wedded wife, through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, until death parts them. But what he does not agree to is a fourteen year old diabetic blind cat named Harley.
They decide Carina will keep her apartment with Harley in it and she will move in to Bill’s house when the cat dies. How much longer can a sick old cat live? Two years one month and four days as it turns out.
All the while the happy couple enjoy many overnights at Bill’s place, travel trips to far away places and local getaway weekends.
Harley dies and is laid to rest. Carina packs her things and moves in with her husband. They endure the usual annoyances that come with married life together, and they adjust delightfully to the full time living arrangement.
Cupid does not discriminate based on age. It’s Hollywood’s rules that say love happens only to young attractive people. Don’t buy it.
When a mature heart is open to friendship, love finds its way in. God is in the places where older adults live work and play. God employs legions of angels to be on the lookout for two searching souls who deserve to be together. And yes, God is everywhere, even in a random Verizon store in a shopping mall near you.
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