Well! Part I of "Our Story" actually began over 35 years ago when we met for the very first time at Northside High School of the Performing Arts in the 9th grade. We had a Music Theatre class together. We literally had 4 years of sitting in the same class together for 2 class periods each day. Whew! but NO! There weren't any sparks flying at that time. Between learning Bach Handel, The Requiem Mass and Cabaret songs We simply greeted each other with a simple "Hi" here and there, but not much more transpire between the two of us. We said our farewells when we graduated from high school in 1988. We went our separate ways and didn't reconnect until PART II of "Our Story" when Facebook became popular and we became Facebook friends in 2009. We followed, commented, liked and shared info as friends, but then things took a turn in the story when a special Direct message was sent on December 4, 2013. The message simply said "Hey Amy I had a dream about you last night." The response was "Oh Really" and his response was " Yep!!! and it was one of THOSE dreams and we were real comfortable with one another as if it hasn't been over 20 years since we've seen each other. Strange... but How are you? For some reason you're in my subconscious." Although that was the jist of that conversation, Charles says "The seed had been planted!" TWO years later We reconnected again. We began chatting here and there on messenger and then we exchanged phone numbers. He was working with Norwegian Cruise lines and was out to sea during the week so we would talk every weekend when the ship would port in Tampa Fla. We talked about everything; Our lives, our children, our goals and what we were striving for in the future. We shared OUR stories. Stories of the loss, pains and challenges that we had endured over the years. We also found time to laugh, encourage and gently advise each other at times. I had plans to attend a wedding in Fla and told Charles if I had time, I would give him a ring and maybe we could grab something to eat in Tampa before I left. Well guys that's how it all started. We had brunch and that was that! We began to talk several times a week when he would port in whatever country his ship had docked. The phone calls came in at 2, 3, 4 and 5am sometimes when he was at sea for a few days and couldn't wait until he docked. He called from China, Russia, India, Australia, Egypt Swizerland, Dubai and a host of other countries!!! We would have conversations about everything under the sun and When his feet would hit the Next country's soil, he would find the closest STARBUCKS and video chat with me until it was time to get back on the ship. After two more rounds at sea he hung up his microphone on Norwegian cruise lines and came home. It has been an adventure to say the least and All these years later we still share stories, laugh together as often as we can, hold hands as often as we can and hug on each every day!