François' Quest

4

Wait! Just wait! François just told himself to wait. Wait for her to answer the question, no matter how long it took. He knew if he waited he would find out what was troubling her so much that she would sit in the window of a restaurant watching the world go by. Sit by herself time after time.
Her eyes started to fill up with water. He noticed that they started to fill with water right after her last comment about marriage. His heart went out to her. He didn't make a move. He wanted to. He always wanted to make everything right with the world. It was part of his personality. But......now it was difficult and different......he really wanting to get to the bottom of this fast, he forced himself to sit still, just look at her and wait! Just wait!
Lowdian looked so uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I think, I have to, go now. I've had a lovely time. Thank you."
"Please don't!" François put out a gentle hand, placed it on top of hers on the table. She had half stood up already searching for her purse that had been hung on the back of her chair.
François' calm gentle expression, made her stop and stare at him again. She was frozen.
His touch ran shivers up her arm. No one had touched her so tenderly since....
Still staring in his eyes she sat down again. Somewhat defeated. It was the look in his eye that held the power over her, as though he had gotten up and physically made her sit down again. A look so compelling.
He was not going to apologize for asking the question. He needed to know if she was free and available to him. He needed to know her history.
"Would you like to tell me what is troubling you?"
She opened her mouth to speak then closed it again. Tears ran heavy down her cheeks with no change of facial expression. Like a true gentleman that he was, François pulled out a starched pressed handkerchief from the inside pocket of his jacket, handed it to her, still with his other hand covering her hand.
"Thank you." She sniffed, taking the handkerchief with her free hand then dabbing her tears. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do this."
François still waited without a word.
"You see..." She started. "It's my husband!"
François heart sank to his feet. 'Oh no!!! She's married!!!'
He was devastated.
Between their first meeting to their first date he had had enough time to fall madly in love with her. Now he finds out she is married. How could this be?
Wait!
Calm down!
Maybe she is divorced. Or getting divorced.
Just wait!
The tears flowed. She looked away. Now she was more beautiful in his eyes than before. A woman is so beautiful when she her heart is exposed.
"I am sorry. I should know better.....by now. I just can't help myself."
She was glancing over at the table where she usually sat in the window.
"That was our table. That's why I sit there all the time. This was our favorite restaurant."
François is rejoicing inside now because he is sure that they are divorced, she is sad over the breakup so there is still hope, the possibility of room for him in her heart. His quest? To win her over, he would do everything in his power to make her happy.
"You see......." She had fresh tears. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't really talked to anyone about this for a while. I keep it all bottled up inside me."
She didn't have any friends or family to talk about her divorce? That's sad.
"No one believes me so I just stopped talking about it. But...but I just can't let it go. I believe what I believe. I know what I know."
François' heart slumped a little again. She can't get over a divorce. That's scary. People divorce everyday.
"You see....I was married and.....well......well.....you see.....my husband......he was........