Paul Fisher was a graduate student studying biochemistry at Emory when he met my mother. He was only a couple of years older than she, but to hear her talk, he was as wise as King Solomon himself.
For reasons known only to her, my mother ended up marrying my father instead of Mr. Fisher. I could see in her eyes that she had always wondered what her life would have been like if she had excepted his proposal and moved to the sun-drenched beached of Hawaii. Instead, she opted for a small country home where she could build her own veterinary clinic and animal sanctuary. Over the years, my mother tended to the sick and wounded animals of every rancher in the county; not to mention the hundreds of wild patients that were brought in almost daily.
In the spring of my junior year of high school, my parents divorced. My father felt he couldn't compete with all the animals for my mother's affections and moved on. I often wonder if it was because of the animals or if he knew that she still silently longed for Paul Fisher.
After a year or so, my father sent my brother and I an invitation to his second wedding. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go or not. I really didn't want to leave my mother alone at the clinic, but she insisted that I go.
At the reception, my father introduced me to his new wife's family. To my surprise, my new step-uncle was the famous Paul Fisher. Finally, I was let in on the mystery of my parents' past.
It turned out that my new step-mother and my own mother were roommates in college. When my mother met Paul, his sister Jolene was dating my father. One Christmas vacation, Paul and Jolene went home for the holidays while both of my parents had local jobs and stayed behind. By the time the Fishers had returned, my parents had fallen in love. Ironically, Jolene was also my mother's maid-of-honor. Now though, she was my step-mother.
I spent most of the evening talking to Paul, realizing quickly what it was that my mother found so fascinating about him. I also realized why she chose the man that she did. She chose the one who filled her heart with song instead of the one who filled her head with dreams.
Today, my mother still runs her animal clinic, devoting herself to her work. My father and Jolene live a short distance away and have built quite a unique friendship with my mother. Mr. Fisher is a regular donator to our animal sanctuary, but we haven't seen him since the wedding. Yet, every now and then, I can see in my mother's eyes the longing for the life that got away.
