"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" as she entered the theatre looking for the perfect seat, there it was! Right next to a fine, elegant man, looking professor like, with his arms crossed in front of him, conveying closure to the world around him, while staring into space impassively. Little did she know that he had already examined her from head to toe as he noted in the corner of his eye her elegant way of walking, as she glided down the aisle in her bright, whimsical yellow dress. Wondering who was the woman in the yellow dress? As she waited anxiously for his response, he nodded with an affirmative gesture, to confirm the availability of the seat next to him...as it was the perfect seat to begin this love-story. The curtains went up and the AC began to exhaust itself. Luckily, her program converted to a fan as the droplets of sweat dried quickly from her forehead, attempting to cool herself down. Unexpectedly, he turned and put out his hand to gently take the program from her. As she adhered to his gesture, to her amazement, he opened the program and kindly showed her how to use it more efficiently. She was stunned and tickled by his charming way. Could this be the beginning of a friendship? Intermission came too slowly, as the room got hotter and hotter. Suddenly, to her surprise, an Italian song began to play in the background....Funiculi', Funicula'.....As she stood up to free herself from the pestering heat, a voice magnetized her from behind, and there he was, singing aloud. A voice that awakened her curiosity. He was a singer, she thought. Or perhaps a Professor? She began to wonder, who is this man, all quiet and so self absorbed, and yet, sings beautifully with his majestic voice. She turns back to see his face and realizes he has sparkling eyes and a mischievous smile. Intriguing. Again, she wonders, who is this man? The night continues with an invitation to her friend's house for dinner, not realizing that he was invited too, and was also a neighbor of hers. The only man at the dinner party. Intrigued to know who this mysterious man was, she proposes to go around the table and have each one tell a brief story about themselves. She began thinking, for some Godsend reason, perhaps they were meant to meet and something extraordinary was about to blossom from this rendezvous. She sat beside him at the table. The stories began to encircle the table, as each one listened attentively to each other's story. When finally it was his turn to share his story. The mysterious man abandoned his guard and it became apparent who he really was. She became enlightened and honored to be sitting next to him. He shared his story of the love he had for his wife for more than 50 years, and had lost. He expressed how deep his depression grew and had taken a toll over him. She listened with reverence and compassion to his tender heart. It ignited a curiosity...Does this kind of love really exist? Was "true love" sitting next to her, or is it something that exists only in the movies? She began to daydream, "will I ever find this kind of love?" Every word uttered from his heart rang like a beautiful echo. As she knew it was the reverberation of two hearts waiting to sing in harmony. The man of true love.....the kind she had been looking for her entire life. Before the night ended, she handed him her card. Never could she imagine that this card was going to be the protagonist of their new love-story. And this our dear friends, concludes Chapter 1 of our book. So, stay tuned for Chapter 2! And remember: Never give up on love! It can happen when you least expect it, at any time, any age. A new book...a new life....a new love. Anna Maria and John