This will be abbreviated -
The earliest photo I saw of Alesia, she was probably 4, standing with her family, on the front steps of their home, maybe dressed for Easter. She had a wide brimmed hat, and arm just starting to raise, maybe to shield her eyes from the sun, but I like to think it was the start of a wave, like "Hiya world, lets be friends" and the most glorious smile I've ever seen.
It was about 30 years later that I first saw that smile in person, I had flown out to Los Angeles/Long Beach to check job prospects. She was setting up a Scrabble game on a card table just outside her apartment, and asked if I'd like to play. So I sat, thinking my vocabulary would give me an edge, but she soundly beat me. But what a wonderful defeat, our conversation ranged over a good many topics, including one we were both passionate about - music. I thought I knew a lot about music, but she knew much more. Show tunes, classical, rock, soul, jazz, gospel choirs, Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra. She had a delightful personality, and I asked for her number, to keep in touch.
I waited about a week after I got back home to call, and we got into another deep conversation. A couple of days later, another call, another intriguing conversation. At some point we talked about literature, and personal beliefs, finding out that we both had The Desiderata on a wall, and both used it often, inspiration to get through the day.
Within a few weeks, it was daily calls, sometimes she would call just before I got home from work, just to leave a greeting on my answering machine so that hers would be the first voice I heard and hoped that I had a great day at work. Around this time, I think our phone bills were about $300 a month, and neither of us minded. I would occasionally send her small things I had written, or sometimes muffins or mini-loaves of exotic bread from a local bakery. And things were starting to turn romantic - one day she asked if I liked her like she liked me, of course I answered yes, and I could hear her actually jumping around her apartment, making joyful noise. I think the relationship grew so well because of the distance, as sex didn't play a part. Pretty soon we were signing cards or emails with our name, then underneath "FFL 24/7" with the FFL standing for "Friends for Life" and of course the 24/7 meant all day, all week long.
That's just the beginning, but enough for now.