Tonks (*edited)

My best friend, Bowyer, has gone through a lot in the last few years, not the least of which being the demise of his nearly ten year marriage. While the dissolution of a marriage is never a happy thing, I do think that, in this case, it was the best thing; neither of them was particularly happy, and both seem to be breathing a little easier now that it’s done.

Bowyer is one of my favorite people. He’s smart, riotously funny, focused, and practical. We can (and, often, do) talk about anything. We laugh all the time. Yes, he can be maddeningly stubborn and opinionated, but even for that, I still love him to the ends of the earth. I want for him to be happy: for the last couple of years, though, he’s really not been.

I think that’s changing now. He’s met someone, who I’ll call Tonks here, about whom he is excited and optimistic. We were talking the other day, and he said, “Chili, I feel like I’m in high school again!” He’s practically giddy, and it thrills me to think that, for all the long years that he’s been plodding along in an unhappy relationship, he might finally be getting what he’s wanted all of his life.

This woman, he tells me, is confident and outgoing, funny and kind. She challenges his thinking – he has to actually work sometimes to keep up with her. She has a life of her own and can take care of herself. She shares a lot of his interests, but not all of them; they’re similar enough to get along really well, yet different enough to intrigue one another. She lives in the next state over – about a three or so hour drive away – so their heady, beginning-of-the-relationship euphoria is being extended by the fact that they only get to see each other very rarely.

Mr. Chili and I get to meet Tonks today. We’ll be meeting the two of them at a local Irish pub tonight for dinner, and I’m really excited to meet the girl who’s made my friend so happy. She’s told Bowyer that she’s nervous; she knows that Mr. Chili, Bowyer and I are essentially family – we live in each other’s houses, our children think of each other as cousins, we’re together more than we’re not – and she’s worried that she’s not going to make a good impression.

She’s a little different – her hair is purple, she likes zombie movies, and I gather that she has interests that don’t really line up with what one would think a 34 year old college librarian would like – but what she doesn’t understand is that I like her already. My friend is smiling again, and she is a big part of the reason why. What’s not to love about that?

**Edited** We had a lovely time. Dinner was yummy and, since the weather was fine, we took a walk through town, got ourselves some ice cream, and did a little window shopping.

Tonks is lovely, just like I knew she’d be. She was really shy and quiet; Bowyer mentioned, when Tonks was in the ladies’ room, that she had expressed, earlier in their day, how nervous she was to meet us. I can tell, though, that when she gets used to us and lets herself relax, it’s going to be great. I can totally see myself being her friend.