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From the Expression staff:
In recognition of the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, we asked our subscribers and friends to share a "love story" with us with the understanding that "love" could be defined in any way they chose--that their response did not have to be serious essays about the greatest love of their lives (though they could be) but could be more lighthearted. Over the next few days we will share the submissions.
by Joe Swope
We had known each other for years, but the time had never been right. Previous marriages and relationships, kids, work . . .we were never both available at the same time. And then, all of a sudden, we were. Now what?
Krysta and I sat on my living room couch, sharing drinks and conversation. I use the term “conversation” loosely. It was more like a blind search to determine where each of us were in life and how we felt about each other. Ask a question, process the answer, calculate the result. Sometimes there was silence. Sometimes we just looked at each other, somehow knowing and wondering at the same time. Were we going to make the leap that would forever change our relationship?
Then, at some point that night, we made that jump. We kissed. Then kissed again.
After that, I wondered no longer. She wrapped herself around my heart and didn’t let go. No matter what, all roads led back to her.
We haven’t had a straight path. We’ve hit many rocky roads along the way. But we always find our way back to each other. Love, thankfully, finds a way through all obstacles.
That first night, we also listened to a song that focused on letting go of the heartbreak of the past and embracing the highs and lows of a new relationship. That song became our own personal anthem. We won’t dwell on the fact that the song is titled “Apocalypse” and is performed by the band Cigarettes After Sex. Let’s just focus on the lyrics.
“Sharing all your secrets with each other, since you were kids,
Sleeping soundly with the locket that she gave you clutched in your fist,
Got the music in you baby, tell me why . . .”
I love you, Krysta Marie.
~A lifelong resident of Berks County, Joseph Swope retired in 2024 after a 40-year career in public relations at Alvernia University and UGI Utilities, Inc. His seventh book, Sharpened Blade: The Story of Dinah Clark will be published on February 19, 2026.
More News from Boyertown
- Kathy Kirk's Poem "Wedding Blues" : Questions Every Couple Must Consider Weddings can get complicated; so many decisions must be made about the event.
- "Three Minutes Ahead": Imagine a Loss That Reaches Across Galaxies "Three Minutes Ahead," a science fiction short story by BASH grad Anne Kent Gibson, imagines a loss that impacts hundreds of universes beyond our own.
