"Anyway, We're Married Now"

 

“Yeah, Emma mentioned it. You’re here stag?”

“Yeah.” Del smiled slowly. “You never know, do you? Check out the blonde in the blue dress. Those are some nice pins she’s got.”

“Yeah. I always thought Laurel had great legs.”

Del choked on his beer. “That’s not … Oh,” he managed when she turned, laughed, and he got a better look. “Not used to seeing her in a dress, I guess.”

Bed of Roses

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Rachel Samanyi from Seattle.WA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

People Are Sharing The Exact Moment Their Friend Accidentally Turned Them On, And What Happened Next

BuzzFeed via YAHOO!

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Earlier Jack and I were standing around, and I was scoping the crowd, the way you do.”

“The way you do.”

“Okay. I spot this blue dress with a great pair of legs and …” He made a vague gesture that gave her a clear picture of the and. “I thought, nice, very nice indeed, and made some mention of same to Jack. He pointed out that the legs and the rest I happened to be scoping were yours. It gave me a hell of a jolt, I admit.” He gauged her reaction, judged surprise led the way. “In the interest of full disclosure, I also admit it wasn’t the first time. So whether or not it was the right thing to say, it was accurate.”

Savor the Moment

Can Love Last a Lifetime?

He remembered the

clever child, the coltish adolescent, 

the irresistible bloom of the young woman. 

The bloom had blossomed 

seductively. 

And he could feel the pull that had always

 been between them.

Honest Illusions

_________________

By Gardenermd - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76491765

From Infatuation to a Lifelong Symphony

Can romantic love last or, by its very nature, does it have a best before date?

Psychology Today

This Is What Playfulness Does To Your Relationship

"You can work eight, twelve hours a day," Parks continued. 

"You can enjoy your job, be terrific at what you do, 

but you still need to throw a Frisbee now and again."

"Frisbee?" This brought on a baffled laugh that pleased him. 

The hands on his shoulders relaxed. "What are you talking about?"

''Fun, Brooke. A sense of the ridiculous, laziness, riding Ferris wheels. 

All those things that make working worthwhile."

She had the uncomfortable feeling she was being expertly 

led away from the subject at hand.

 "What does riding a Ferris wheel have to do with you and me making love?"

Rules Of The Game

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Peter Drier [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

I’ll be the first to admit, well, maybe not the first, but I’m admitting it anyway: 

it’s not that easy to be playful.

Even when I know that playfulness and fun bring more harmony, 

delight, surprises and loving kindness in my relationship. 

Even science confirm that playfulness makes the relationship more strong.

Jolanda Herc

_____________

"Throw a few Frisbees with me, Brooke. Ride a

few waves. Let's see where it takes us."

Looking at him, she could feel her resistance melting. 

Before she could prevent it, her hand had lifted

from his shoulder to brush at the hair that fell over his forehead. 

"You make it sound so simple,"

she murmured.

"Not simple." He took her other hand and pressed his lips to the palm. 

"Even fun isn't always simple."

Rules Of The Game

Can people be saved from a terrible childhood?

"But answer this last question.
Do you think that bright, troubled child should be denied a full and
normal life as an adult because he had the bad luck to be conceived by a
heartless, perhaps even evil woman?"
"No." His breath shuddered out. "No, that's not what I think."
"No buts this time? No qualifications? Then I'll tell you that in my
professional opinion, I couldn't agree with you more. He deserves
everything he can grab, everything he can make, and everything we can
give him to show him that he's his own person and not the damaged
product of one vile woman."


Rising Tides

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By Mohamed Haddi [CC BY-SA 3.0  

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

US researchers have found early intervention can help prevent
negative experiences in infancy turning into long-term health risks

At bottom there is a revolutionary idea. It’s about moving 
from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’

The Guardian

____________________

"He knew them—better than I did. When he died, I figured they'd ship me off,
or I'd have to run off.
I never figured they'd keep me around.
They didn't know me, so what did they care? But they kept their promise to Ray. They changed their lives around for him,  and for me. They made a home—
pretty wild one at first with Cam running it."
For the first time since he'd begun, some of the misery lifted.  Humor slid into his voice.
"He was always blowing something up in the microwave or flooding
the kitchen. Guy didn't have a clue. I pushed at them, gave them—Cam mostly—as much grief as I could dish out. And I could dish out plenty. I kept waiting for them to kick me out, or smack me senseless.
But they stuck with me. They stood up for me, and when Gloria tried to hose them like she'd done with Ray,  they fought for me.
Even before we found out I was Ray's grandson, they'd made me one of them."


Chesapeake Blue

It's not all hearts and flowers

"I didn't forget you either."

"Didn't you?"

"Nope." He opened a drawer. "I didn't leave it out because I wasn't sure 
what the maid might make of it."

Lana stared as he pulled out a can of Boston baked beans. 
When he dropped it into her hand, grinned at her, her heart not only tripped, 
it fell with a splat.

"That just tears it. I'm done in by a can of beans." 
She pressed it against her heart and began to weep.

"Oh Jesus, Lana, don't cry. It was a joke."

Birthright 

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Gaelle Marcel gaellemm [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Women reveal the seemingly unromantic gestures that REALLY say 'I love you' - from cleaning up sick to practical presents

DailyMail

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"Then we will go down and face the chicken together."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"I'll also face the crab dip and the pasta salad with you. Such is the depth of my love, even at six o'clock in the morning."

Spock rose, yawned, stretched. 

"And apparently his. If we poison people, Cilla, we'll do it together."

"I feel better. I know when I'm being a maniac."

She walked to him, leaned down and kissed his sleepy mouth. 

"And I know when I'm lucky to have someone who'll stick with me through it, right down to the crab dip."

Tribute

Should you ever get back together with an ex?

"He loves me." When Dana's eyes filled, Malory whipped the kerchief

off her head and rushed over to offer it. "Thanks. He said things to me he didn't

say before. Couldn't say, or wouldn't. I don't guess it matters.

He wasn't ready, and if I'm going to be honest about it, we weren't ready. I loved him, but that wasn't enough 

to let me see what he was going through, what he

needed. What I needed, for that matter. It was blinding, so all I could see was 'I

want Jordan.' Period. I never thought about what we'd do together, or be together,

what either of us needed to do separately to make it strong. It was all just right that

minute."

"You were young, and in love." Malory took the kerchief back and dried her own

eyes.

"Yeah, I was. I loved him with everything I had. But I have more now. And it's so

amazing, really, to be able to take one step back and look at the man he is, the man

he's made of himself and realize he's more. To know it was worth the wait."

Key of Knowledge

____________________

By Sweet Ice Cream Photography sweeticecreamphotography - 

https://unsplash.com/photos/pWxbyRM4ARU, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61707742

So what happens if you go through a breakup, you date a bunch and you wind up feeling emptier than ever? What happens if you think someone you left years before is actually the person you’re supposed to be with? Honestly, that might happen. There’s something about our early, formative relationships — something that’s hard to forget. 

YAHOO!

____________________

“Second chances are scarier than first chances, because the second time you know how much you’re risking.”


The Collector

Should You Wait To Say "I Love You"?

"Blake, I don't need to hear that sort of thing the way other women do. Please—"

"Maybe you don't." He hadn't started the way he'd intended to, but now that he had, he'd finish.
 "But I need to say it. I've needed to for a long time now."
She drew her hand from his and nervously picked up her glass again. 

"I've always thought that words are the first thing that can damage a relationship."

"When they're not said," Blake countered. "It's a lack of words, a lack of meaning, that damages
 a relationship. This one isn't a word I use casually."

"No." She could believe that.

Summer Desserts

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By Petar Milošević - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41501847

I love you. I used to believe that those three little words carried some kind of mystical weight — that once they were uttered and returned, their energy would carry the power to bring order to the universe, and peace to the inner workings of my chaotic mind.

Elite Daily

Knowing someone is attracted to you really DOES make them more desirable

“Not to me. You were bright, vivid, confident.” Still are, he thought. Just look at you. “I feel like an idiot telling you this, but I keep tripping over it. I’m clumsy enough without putting up my own stumbling blocks. So, well. There.”
“Would the kiss the other night be the result of that old crush?”
“I’d have to say it played a part. It was all so surreal.”
She scooted forward again to pick up her coffee. “Neither one of us are who we were in high school.”
“God, I hope not. I was a mess back then.”
“Who wasn’t? You know, Carter, most guys would’ve used that high-school crush bit as a pickup ploy, or kept it locked away. It interests me, you interest me, because you did neither. Are you always so forthright over coffee dates?”
“I don’t know. You’re the only one I ever had a crush on.”
“Oh boy.”
“And that was stupid.” Flustered again, he raked his fingers through his hair. “Now I’ve scared you. That sounded scary and obsessive, like I have an altar somewhere with your pictures over it where I light candles and chant your name. Jesus, that’s even scarier. Run now. I won’t hold it against you.”
She burst out laughing, had to set her coffee back down before she sloshed it over the rim. “I’ll stay if you swear you don’t have the altar.”
“I don’t.” He swiped his finger in an X over his heart. “If you’re staying because you pity me, or because you really like the coffee, it works.”
“It is really good coffee.” She drank again. “It’s not pity, but I’m not sure what it is. You’re an interesting man, and you helped me out when I needed it. You give really good kiss. Why not have coffee?” 


Vision in White

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By Yeshi Kangrang omgitsyeshi - https://unsplash.com/photos/lrg2KrRiNbo, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61725617

People feel more sexual desire when they feel confident about partner's interest

DAILYMAIL

____________________

“He had a crush on me in high school. What kind of man tells
you that? Puts the power in your hands that way?”



Vision in White 

The One Thing 11 Relationship Experts Think You Should Know About Your Partner Before Marrying

"Why do you want to marry me?"

"That's it?" His brows rose, and then he was laughing and holding her close. "I thought you were going to ask me a tough one. I want to marry you because I love you and I need you in my life. It changed when you walked into it."

"And tomorrow?"

"A two-part question," he murmured. "I could promise you anything." He drew her away to kiss her cheek, then her brow, then her lips. "I wish there were guarantees, but there aren't. I can only tell you that when I think about tomorrow, when I think about ten years from tomorrow, I think about you. I think about us."

He couldn't have said it better, she thought as she touched his face. No, there weren't any guarantees, but they had a chance. A good one.

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"As long as I'm going to get an answer eventually."

"Do you believe in Santa Claus?"

What made it perfect, even more than perfect, was that he didn't even hesitate. "Sure. Doesn't everyone?" Now she smiled, completely. 

"I love you, Sam." 

The Name of the Game

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By Hannes21061984 [CC BY-SA 4.0 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Before getting married, it's important to come to several layers of understanding with your partner. Obviously you'll want to discuss where you think you'd like to live, as well as fun things like how often you'd like to go on vacation. (You know, couple-y stuff.) But you'll also want to have some serious conversations before getting married.

While not always the most fun, it's important to ask the hard questions and learn as much as you can so you know who, exactly, you're marrying. 

BUSTLE

_________________________

It was very odd waking up with a man in your bed. A man took up considerable room, for one thing, and she wasn’t used to worrying about how she looked the minute she opened her eyes in the morning.

She supposed she’d get over the last part, if she continued to wake up with this man in her bed for any length of time. And she could always get a bigger bed to compensate for the first part.

The question was, how did she feel about sharing her bed—and wasn’t that just a metaphor for her life?—with this man for any length of time? She hadn’t had time to think it through, hadn’t taken time, she corrected.

Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine it was a month later. Her garden would be exploding, and she’d be thinking about summer clothes, about getting her outdoor furniture from the shed. Henry would be due for his annual vet appointment.

She’d be planning Jenny’s baby shower.

Laine opened one eye, squinted at Max.

He was still there. His face was squashed into the pillow, his hair all cute and tousled.

So, she felt pretty good about having him there a month from now.

Try six months. She closed her eyes again and projected.

Remember When

Is Love at First Sight Real?

“You don’t believe in love at first sight, do you?”

“Sure I do. It’s all chemicals and stuff. There was this whole program on it on PBS. I think it was PBS. Maybe it was The Learning Channel. Anyway.” She waved that part aside. “They’ve done all these studies on attraction and sex and relationships. Mostly, it boils down to chemicals, instincts, pheromones, then building on that. Besides, you know Vince and I met when I was in first grade. I went right home from school and told my mom that I was going to marry Vince Burger. Took us a while to get there. State law’s pretty firm about six-year-olds getting hitched. But it sure was the right mix of chemicals from day one.” 

Remember When

_________________

By Garry Knight from Bromley, Kent, England (In Love) [CC BY-SA 2.0 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

A compelling idea, but is there scientific evidence to support it?

Love at first sight: Is it possible? Do people really meet and in moments simply know they're meant to be? New evidence suggests that yes, they do.

Psychology Today

Touches to Feel Connected and Loved

She went to Cal first. Her long blond hair swung forward as she leaned over his chair to kiss him. “Hi.”

When she straightened, her hands stayed on his shoulders. 
Fox wasn’t sure the gesture was purely out of affection or to soothe. But he knew
 when Cal’s hand came up to cover one of hers, it meant they were united.

The Hollow

___________________

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103428

A touch can convey a lot more love and affection than words. 

Use these 16 non-sexual touches to feel more connected 

and loved in your relationship.

Love Panky

Valentine's Day Love Stories

But it was Mac who walked in,  behind what looked to be most of Holland’s supply of tulips. “What’re you doing, going into the florist business?” 

“No.” 

He crossed to her, held out the rainbow of spring flowers. 

“Happy  Valentine’s Day.” 

“Oh, well. Wow.” 

Even as her heart went soft as putty, her stomach jumped. “Um.” 

“You say thanks, and kiss me now,” Mac told her helpfully. 

“Thanks.”

Heaven and Earth

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By Public domain image released on German CD "Chip Foto-Video 09-2005
"Original image from http://www.bildtankstelle.de, 
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=815645

19 True Valentine's Day Love Stories

MSN

Little Things

“I think you should come out to dinner with me. I’ve a place in mind you’ll like, very much.”

“Out to dinner? And what sort of place would this be?”

“A very fancy place. Romantic and elegant, and where the food is a god.”

Blood Magick

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By Simon_sees from Australia - Glasses, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24470471

20 Little Things That Make Women In Relationships Smile From Ear To Ear

MSN

__________________

“I need a hug. A really long, hard hug. Crack my ribs, will you, Simon?”

He put his arms around her, gave her what she needed short of snapping bones. Then he kissed the top of her head, her temples, her mouth.

“Better, better.” She sighed it out.

The Search

The Science of Falling in Love

It took a long time to cook a simple meal when you were distracted by conversation, by lingering looks, by seductive touches.

It took a long time to eat a simple meal when you were sliding lazily into love with the man across from you.

She recognized the signs—the erratic beating of the heart, the bubbling in the blood that was desire. When those were tangled so silkily around dreamy smiles and soft sighs, love was definitely a short trip away.

She wondered what it would be like when she reached it.

It took a long time to say good-night when you were floating on deep, dark kisses in the doorway.

And longer still to sleep when your body ached and your mind was full of dreams.

When she heard the faint drift of his music, she smiled and let it lull her to sleep.

The Perfect Neighbor

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By Petar Milošević (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Chemistry or Fate

Do you ever wonder why you fall for certain types of people? Or why we can have potentially the most perfect person is in front of us, and the spark just isn’t there?

PUCKERMOB