Well, I promised I'd tell you about Jim. So here's the story:
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Jen. It was the end of August, and she'd just had her heart broken by some nameless jerk. She was sad. But to make herself feel better, she stayed busy. She hung out at this parking lot in town, and flirted with a bunch of guys. She almost had herself convinced she was happy.
At this same parking lot, was a guy named Jim. He drove a nice car, he had a lot of girls talking to him all the time, but for some reason, he realized that Jen looked sad.
So he went and asked her what was wrong. Jen ended up telling him everything. Jim was so sweet, he gave her a hug, and tickled her till she smiled, and kept her cheered up all evening.
Jen went home smiling for the first time in what seemed like forever. She went back the next night and gave Jim her phone number, because she had to leave for college the next day. So she packed up all her stuff, and moved 2 1/2 hours away to Notre Dame.
Jen's first week at school was a blur of arranging and rearranging the room, unpacking millions of boxes, taking tours, going to meetings, saying goodbye to parents, registering for classes, buying books, and studying. But the high point of the week was a long-distance phone call from Jim.
That night, and many nights after that, Jen and Jim talked on the phone for hours. Jen would sit in the hallway at 2 a.m. so she wouldn't wake up her roommate, and they would talk....about anything and everything and sometimes nothing at all.
They became friends almost instantly. And through those hours and hours of phone conversations, something more began to grow.
One weekend, Jen went home. So Jim took her out to the Olive Garden, and to see the movie Sixth Sense. Then they sat at her house and talked and talked and talked.
Jen was still hurting inside. Her heart had been shattered, and it wasn't easily put back together. But somehow she knew that Jim really cared about her. So she slowly began to heal.
The next weekend, Jim came to South Bend. He arrived at Jen's door shaking...Mr. Hot Rod had a bit of a run-in with a state trooper. The 99 Acura Integra GSR won...except for the license plate numbers caught on video. Anyway, Jim stayed with Jen till 4 a.m., they walked around campus and talked all night. And sitting on a little bench in a quiet corner of campus, he kissed her for the first time.
Up until then, Jen had tried to cover up her growing feelings. But that kiss changed everything.
A few weeks later, Jen was sitting at Jim's house watching a movie, when for some reason, she asked him what he was thinking. "Something that would complicate things if I told you," he said. They had tried to keep their relationship as uncomplicated as possible so far. She said he had to tell her anyway. "I love you," he said.
Jen realized she knew that already. But she didn't know yet how she felt. So she waited....then two or three weeks later, Jim came to visit Jen at school again. Because of his little episode with Mr. State Trooper, he no longer had a driver's license. So he brought his friend Chad with him. It worked out pretty well; Chad loved to drive Jim's car, he enjoyed ogling the girls on campus, and Jim got to see the girl he loved.
That day, Jen was a little preoccupied. She seemed to be thinking about something all day long. When Jim and Chad were ready to leave, Jen walked them to the car. Chad was walking way ahead, and suddenly Jen stopped, looked at Jim, and said "I love you." Jim absentmindedly said "I love you too" and started walking again. Then he stopped and stared, realizing what she'd just said.
Anyway, this story could continue for a while, but I won't bother you with the rest of the details.... but Jen and Jim soon realized they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. The happiest day of Jen's life was when Jim put a diamond ring on her finger.
So now, Jen's still at school, Jim's still in Decatur, they take every opportunity to see each other, and they still rack up huge phone bills talking every day.
But soon, Jen will be home. And she never wants to leave again.
And they lived happily ever after.
.....and now for Chapter 2....
Jen left Notre Dame...she never really liked it there anyway, and came home. Four months later, she and Jim were finally married. Then they rented a little house, bought a minivan, and tried to get ready for the baby due in August.
But the baby had a different idea, and so Matthew James Goble was born on June 3rd. Jen and Jim were a little surprised, but very happy that their little boy was okay.
Today, little Matthew is slowly getting stronger....Jen and Jim make lots of trips to the hospital...and they're STILL trying to send out thank-you notes from the wedding gifts they received over two months ago.
The end. (for now, anyway.)
