Romance served with a nice slice of pumpkin pie

This story happened in autumn four years ago, but it began later, as spring was approaching.

It was just after a huge Thanksgiving meal at my daughters’ aunt’s house in Minnesota. Most everyone was gathered around the dinner table in the dining room. My oldest daughter, Lindsay, was awaiting dessert like everyone else, but she was especially disappointed that her aunt Lisa forgot pumpkin pie.

My other daughter, Ashley, was visiting Lisa in the kitchen, helping to gather plates of dessert and chat, as relatives, and neighbors do. For it was Evonne, Lisa’s good friend and nextdoor neighbor, who was also chatting and preparing desserts in the kitchen.

That’s when Evonne’s handsome, 6-foot-threeinch son, Shawn, entered the home and kitchen. Only Lisa had met him before. The guests at the table got a very quick glimpse with all eyes looking at my single daughter, Lindsay.

Ashley, of course, immediately says to Shawn: “You have to meet my sister.” Later, I found out Shawn is thinking, yeah, she can’t be that cute if you are trying to force me to meet her. But Shawn goes into the dining room. He looks at Lindsay, as his mouth drops at her (no, I’m not biased at all) beauty.

She looks at Shawn, and if someone lit fireworks at that moment they would be going off. Yes, it was love at first sight. Something we most likely find in fairy tales.

They talked and got along so well you couldn’t pull them apart with a pair of pliers. But, at last, they had to say goodbye. Shawn had to fly home to Kansas City. Lindsay had to return to Los Angeles, but not without expressing to Shawn her total disappointment at not getting pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

A couple days later, there was a “knock” at Lindsay’s apartment door. She opened it to a delivery man with a small box.

“I didn’t order anything,” she says. Delivery guy: “Well, this is for you!” He makes a call on his cell phone to be sure. “Yep. It’s for you!” he says.

After bidding goodbye to the delivery guy, Lindsay carefully opens the box. What could be in it but a “slice of pumpkin pie” and a note from Shawn.

Ahh.

A couple years later, during early March in Minnesota, when normally there are blizzards galore, it was a warm, sunny 61 degrees on Lindsay and Shawn’s beautiful wedding day. White roses everywhere were almost as lovely as my daughter’s wedding gown, and her handsome groom dressed in gray and white.

All was quiet as we listened to their wedding vows.

With tears of joy dripping down my cheeks, I was so happy that the most memorable words I heard coming from my daughter’s mouth were: “You had me at pumpkin pie.”