The Butterfly Garden

I’m standing in my butterfly garden, as memories swirl around me. I can see an image of Charlotte, smiling at me. She’s standing in the sunshine from a large window. Her smile is so beautiful.

I follow the memory deeper, and suddenly I’m standing at the front door of Louise’s rented student house. I knock the door, and I stand there waiting. I feel awkward and nervous. It’s early on a spring morning in March, 2005. Louise is hosting a birthday get-together, for all her friends.

The door opens and it’s not Louise who answers, and I don’t know who it is. But I follow her inside, along a magnolia corridor. We climb the stairs. The living room is on the top floor. There’s a crowd of people, about 20 or so, standing and sitting around the room. Louise is sitting on the floor, in front of the sofa, opening presents.

Everyone turns and stares at me. I don’t know what to say, so I gaze at the floor instead. Everyone turns back to Louise. Then, from the corner of the room, I see someone smiling at me. She’s standing in a bright ray of sunshine from the large window, and her smile is beautiful.

She’s tall and slim, with shoulder-length brown hair, framing her face. Her skin is pale, with freckles across her nose. Her eyes are gorgeous.

“Is she smiling at me?” I think, and I turn and check behind me. “She’s gorgeous. Is she interested in me? Because that would be…”

Everyone laughs, and we turn to see what gift Louise has been given. Then I look back over towards the beautiful woman in the corner, in case she is still smiling at me. She catches my eye, and she smiles again, and I smile back. I wonder what her name is.

A few minutes later, everyone starts getting up and moving around. People walk towards the living room door, but I am standing in their way. I step to the side, not wanting to go downstairs yet. Then I realise that the gorgeous woman with the beautiful smile is walking straight towards me. Suddenly I panic, and I feel nervous. I freeze on the spot.

“Hi,” she says, but before I can reply, Louise’s friend Sean leans over and speaks instead.

“Hi, Charlotte” he says. “You alright?”

“Charlotte. Her name is Charlotte,” I think to myself. Then she turns towards me, looking expectant.

“Uh… Hi,” I hear myself say. It’s the most words I can manage. She turns back towards Sean, and I just stand there listening to their conversation.

I follow Charlotte and Sean downstairs, and then outside into a bright spring morning. The sun is low over the courtyard, and people shield their eyes as we start walking towards the Bristol harbourside. Louise has split us into different teams. Charlotte and I are going separate ways.

“See you later?” she says to me, smiling.

“Uh, yeah,” I reply, feeling nervous again.

Little do I know that I’d just met my future wife. My best friend and soulmate. My partner in all things.

Later that night we get chatting, and it feels amazing. She’s so friendly and easy to talk to, and I find myself opening up to her, telling her stories and making her laugh.

We arrange for Charlotte to come to an open mic night to hear me sing. I can’t wait to see her again.

And that was the start of many happy years together. We thought it would be the start of forever. We shared a brilliant love. It was magical. I loved Charlotte so dearly. And it all started with those first smiles, in the top floor room of Louise’s house.

Still to this day, I can visit my butterfly garden, and I can find Charlotte’s smile, and then I feel grateful for the happy times we shared.

Here is a song about those very first smiles.

~

‘One look and I knew…’

Lyrics to ‘One look and I knew…’

~

I moved to Bristol, and I lived in a house with my friends,

Got a job teaching kids, played football now and then.

Went to parties, and I saw you around once or twice,

Started wondering if you could play a part in my life.

~

That’s a lot to hope,

There’s a lot I don’t know,

But the feeling grows,

I need you here with me…

~

So I smiled at you, across the top floor room of Louise’s house,

And you smiled back at me, like a beautiful dream, and I wonder now,

Could this be a moment that lives in my heart?

As the morning light shines through,

One look and I knew,

One look and I knew,

One look and I knew,

I’m so glad I found you.

~

Fell in love, and we watched as the seasons turned,

Bought a house, and got married, then we had a little girl.

So much love, so much fun, and it just feels right,

We both look forward to sharing all the rest of our lives.

~

Such a lot to hope,

There’s so much we can’t know,

But of this I’m sure,

I’m so glad you’ve been here with me…

~

Since I smiled at you, across the top floor room of Louise’s house,

And you smiled back at me, like a beautiful dream, and I know it now,

Oh that was a moment that lives in my heart,

As the morning light shone through,

One look and I knew,

I’m so glad I found you…

~

Well I smiled at you, across the top floor room of Louise’s house,

And you smiled back at me, like a beautiful dream, and I know it now,

Oh that was a moment that lives in my heart,

As the morning light shone through,

One look and I knew,

One look and I knew,

One look and I knew,

I’m so glad I found you…

~

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