"Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're with each other all along."

Being divorced and going through a rough time, I was certainly not looking for love. In fact, I had decided that love and romance were not for me.

Fate plays with us in mysterious ways. My kids were keen on having a pet dog but I was totally against it. One evening as I got into the car after work, I noticed a little fluffy object between my daughters. It looked like a soft toy, but its little whimpers revealed that they'd gotten a puppy without my approval. I was furious but had no choice but to entertain at least temporarily the helpless animal in our home.

Sheena, our new dog, grew up, and I was concerned about her having puppies. I was certainly not ready to take care of a litter of pups, too.  A colleague of mine told me about a veterinary surgeon who spays and neuters pets in their own homes. I called him instantly. The polite vet promised to see Sheena that evening. He couldn't comprehend the directions to our home so I arranged to meet him halfway and bring him to my home.

I had been waiting an hour for him by the side of road. I thought a few times of canceling the appointment and heading home, but his service was too important - if not tonight, it would have to be another night soon. I waited.

Finally, I spotted the white car he'd described on the phone. I was ready to tell him off but when he stuck his head out the window, I felt a pang in my heart. His face, his eyes, and, when he spoke, his voice pierced my soul. I regained my composure, I think, and I drove him to my home.

He examined Sheena and we scheduled the surgery for first thing in the morning a few days later. I applied for time off from work and made all arrangements that needed to be made. Of course, I was concerned about Sheena, but the veterinarian haunted my thoughts. I couldn't get my mind off him. And to my surprise, and delight, he phoned me a few times after that first meeting. Every time I answered, he'd apologize for accidentally dialing my number but just hearing his hello made my heart skip a beat.

I spent a sleepless night before the morning of the surgery, and not entirely because of Sheena. I could hardly wait to gather the vet at our designated meeting point. Time passed and he didn't show up. I grew frustrated. His mobile phone was off. Two hours later, he finally answered, and he told me that his assistant had not arrived that morning and he would have to postpone the surgery till evening. I could have screamed.  

I went to work. I let some steam off, directed at the colleague who had introduced me to this irresponsible, irresistible man. A part of me eagerly awaited evening, when I would meet him again.

This meeting, he arrived on time. Our eyes met, more than once. To my delight, he asked me to assist him with the procedure. Conversation flowed easily.

He completed the surgery skillfully and professionally, and he left. Me, I was like a schoolgirl. I couldn't resist calling him later that night just to clarify Sheena's condition - that was my pretext. When I returned home from work the next day, Allan was seated on my couch - to check on the dog, of course!  That visit lasted nearly three hours. The post-surgery check on his patient had taken ten minutes of that.

We talked of many things - our lives, our disappointments, our dreams. In the days that followed, no morning would begin and no night would end without text messages between us. We called each other practically every hour.

It's been almost two and a half years since I first waited for him by the side of the road. Our mutual infatuation has blossomed into a caring, loving, understanding relationship.

We have our ups and downs. We fight, we cry, we laugh and play. We are like teenagers sometimes, but we're responsible adults most of the time. After a rough marriage, I'm not eager to rush into anything.

I don't know where this road is leading, but for the moment I am in love. I'm happy with a kind, caring man, and I am quite aware that he has a little problem with punctuality. But what's a little time? I know from experience that love comes our way when we least expect it.