I think I just met the happiest person in the world!

I was at a golf tournament in Cromwell, CT, the Travelers Championship. I was in line getting some of the overpriced food which was OK, not great. It was hot - about 85 degrees, and humid.

Behind me there was a very attractive woman of about 40, who had a sun hat, a pale blue shirt, white cotton pants, and sandals. One thing I noticed right away was that her toenails were flawless - unpainted, clean. Something you just don’t see. She was with a good looking guy about the same age, who was wearing tan shorts and a Philadelphia Flyers polo shirt. Both appeared to be my height, about 5’7” or so.

So to kill the time I started talking. ‘Hello!’ I said. ‘Enjoying the tournament so far?’

The lady was very friendly and vivacious. “Yes!,’ she replied. ‘It’s hot, but I live in the townhouses close by, so every year I get to go here free. And you?”

“I worked the tournament this year,” I told her. “They’d have us by the various gates and we had this phone, and people would scan their badges or whatever. Only problem was they never worked!” The lady and her friend laughed at this!

“So what did you do?” the young man asked me.

“Eh,” I said, “we’d try it and if we couldn’t get it to work we’d say ‘You’re good,’ and that would be that.

“By the way my name is Pete Gardenhire. And you…?”

The young lady was all smiles. “I’m Amanda Bowen,

and this is my fiancée - and my boyfriend - Justin Marsh!” There were all smiles and handshakes, and I gave Amanda a kiss on the cheek.

And I noticed she was glowing!

“So, Amanda,” I began, “you say Justin is your fiancée AND your boyfriend?”

Amanda snuggled next to Justin. “He is! And I’m HIS fiancée AND his girlfriend!” And they shared a kiss right there, and smiles.

“I’ve never heard of that before, but that’s nice,” I said. “What….how did you come up with that?”

Right away Justin. “Before I met Amanda, I had been divorced for close to five years. Amanda had been longer than that. My relationship with my ex was not

good….” and then he whispered over to Amanda ‘Want me to tell him?’ To which Amanda said ‘And I haven’t even SEEN my ex for over a decade!”

“So…how did you get here?” I asked as I took a soggy cheeseburger and fries from underneath a heat lamp.

Amanda giggled at this and turned to Justin and took his hand. “Well…my girlfriend Judith said that she had a guy she wanted to introduce to me one afternoon after work.” Amanda took a tray of chicken fingers and fries as did Justin as they walked to a cooler with sodas. “I told Judith that I had just about enough of guys who were only after one thing, didn’t care about my kids…or me, for that matter.”

Then Justin who again looked at Amanda sweetly. “I had dates after I got divorced but none of them worked out. So Judith’s husband Dave, who was my boss where I worked, said ‘Hey Justin, Judith has a friend she thinks you’ll like!” Pete, I was a basket case for the next two weeks!” Amanda laughs and brushes Justin’s arm as Pete pays for his food using his phone.

“I’d seen Judith and Dave talking to someone when I went into the bar,” Justin continued. “I went into the bathroom to wash my face and gef ready to meet my date. And I come out….and again I was beautiful Amanda!” He also paid for his and Amanda’s food with a phone and looked for a place to sit. There was a picnic table under a roof with a couple of guys in their 20’s. Amanda asked if they could sit for a while and the guys said why not.

“So what happened?” I asked.

Then Amanda took it. “Where is he?” she asked. “He’ll be here any second.’ And I saw two guys walking toward us and Judith said “The one in the black shirt? That’s your date!” Amanda exhaled, as if it had just happened. “And I was so happy! He was so much better than I could have hoped for…and I gave him a hug, and he kissed my hand, and he called me ‘dirty girl’ because I ordered a dirty martini,” and she playfully slapped Justin on the arm. “Dirty girl…I’m still going to get you for that!”

Then Justin added “I had never seen someone as beautiful as Amanda….but the thing was that I didn’t have a doubt it would work out.” And Pete went on as he took a pull from his Coke Zero. “Since I had been divorced I always put a lot of pressure on myself - and, I suppose, my dates - for it to work out.” And again with Amanda I didn’t.”

This was when Amanda and Justin, with smiles, faced each other…and Amanda cradled Justin’s head and kissed each other on the mouth. I could hear some sniffles from Amanda, but when she turned to me, there were tears running down her face!

With her voice breaking Amanda told me more. “Justin…we became boyfriend and girlfriend immediately. And he made me comfortable. I get home and my daughter - who has a temper - is yelling at me and my son - who is very isolated - is on his phone. This scared off most guys.” And again she turned to Justin. “But he embraced it. He wanted to be there. And I would tell him when I felt despondent to just go, he deserved someone better than me - he didn’t. He stayed. And he broke through to my daughter Ada - where no one else had. Therapists, teachers - and the guys I saw couldn’t be bothered - but Justin did.” And again Amanda’s voice cracked.

“And Amanda was like that with me too!” Justin answered. And I noticed that Amanda and Justin had a rhythm - Amanda would give her thoughts, and Justin his. And I saw both had a glow, both had relaxed, happy smiles. “I mean, she knew about my divorce, and how I got there - and it turned out her sister knew my ex! - and I thought that would be the end of us.” And Amanda brushed Justin’s hair backs and said ‘Oh no, Justin, oh no…”. Then Justin. “But then Amanda took my hand and said she didn’t know” and Justin exhaled “and Amanda said I don’t care what they say, I love you. And nothing will ever change that.” And Justin exhaled and Amanda gave him a hug.

What a happy couple I thought. Such nice people.

“So…I see you’re engaged. How long have you been?” I ask.

Then Justin and Amanda played cute. They looked at each other. ‘Should we tell him?’ Amanda asked Justin. And Justin said ‘Of course!’ And then together ‘We got engaged six days after we met!”

Six days! My God, that’s unheard of!

“Wow!” I say. “I’m happy for you but….six days?”

And Amanda says “When you know you know Pete. And I knew.” And Amanda turned to Justin.

Then Justin picked up. “Amanda and I were going up to Boston to see Jason Aldean with her kids and my son. And she calls The Highway on SiriusXM. And Amanda says ‘Hi! I’m Amanda from New Jersey! And I’m here with our kids Ada and Alex and Kyle…and my boyfriend Justin!” And then Amanda, again with her voice cracking said “I said I want everyone in North America to know that I love Justin so much…I almost didn’t make it through the call I thought I was going to cry!” And she turned away and couldn’t hold back a little sob. “And I think about it…and…you know?”

And I smile at this. “I think I do!”

So then Justin adds “My friend Sid called and then Judith called, and Judith’s voice is breaking, and I told Judith her introducing me to Amanda was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.” Then Justin exhaled. “And….and…I asked Amanda…if it was alright with our kids…”. And Justin swallowed hard and looked up as Amanda took his hand. Then with his voice breaking he said “…will you marry me?”

And Amanda sniffed and I could see her rubbing her eyes. “And I said yes and I was so happy! And my kids were happy! And Justin is so sweet and he’s such a good daddy and he’s my best friend and he’s the best man I’ve ever known….” And she shows Justin and I her phone.

First the wallpaper. Amanda and Justin on a beach, Justin holding Amanda from behind, Amanda wearing a leopard bikini.” “My Justin loves when I wear my little leopard bikini….” and then turning wicked “…because he always kisses my belly button when I wear my leopard bikini. And that’s what makes leopard bikinis so much fun!”

I knew about leopard bikinis, my wife Mary Ann wears bikinis, and I love to kiss her belly button when she does too! Then with smiles Justin and Amanda show us more pictures…out to dinner, at the driving range, at a hotel with two other couples. “Hampton Inn!” Justin says. To which we both say “WAFFLES!” Just like Gus Johnson said it! And Amanda laughs and brushes Justin’s arm. “That’s my Justin!”

Then after a few moments Amanda tells me “Anyway Pete…Justin is my boyfriend and my fiance and I’m his girlfriend and his fiance. Boyfriend and girlfriend…it’s carefree. It’s sweet. It goes to a happy relationship….its like when you have your first love, your first girlfriend.” And again Amanda’s voice breaks. “I’m going to be 44 next month…and before Justin I never had a true happy relationship. In my heart of hearts my heart never skipped a beat.0. And she exhaled. “But Justin…he was it! He was my boyfriend…and he always will be…well he married, maybe we’ll have kids together, but always and forever..” and Amanda starts sobbing on Justin’s shoulders.

And Justin says “Same here. Amanda is hot, sure. She’s sexy, of course! But she’s so kind. So loving…she loves her kids - her and her son Alex are really close - and for me I….Amandas been a game changer. I love walking up with her. Every day at 2pm she calls me or I call her and we talk. And when we’re home we don’t worry about work or anything. It’s the kids…and it’s us.” And again, Amanda and Justin share a kiss, even deeper this time.

I look at the two lovebirds. They’re smitten, but this is real. Like I’ve never seen.

I look at my watch. I need to pick up my daughter from her friends house in Guilford. “Well, Justin, Amanda, I really enjoyed this. Maybe someday the three of us and Mary Ann can go out too! You’ll like her…she’s funny, and she’s friendly…and she’s hot too!”

“Couldn’t be as hot as my Amanda!” Justin says. And Amanda just sighs. “Awww….” and she takes his hand.

With that there were exchanges of phone numbers, social media handles, more handshakes and off I went. And I could see Amanda and Justin, hand in hand, happy with their lives, happy with each other, glowing, in love.

That, I thought, is what true love is. Heaven on earth.