Miss Erma nods. “Your soul mate is the Williams boy you’ve loved since you were a little girl.”

Not William Williams IV. Not Will.

Thank you, God. Thank you.

It’s Gavin. His twin.

“He’s my soul mate,” I say with wonder.

Erma’s eyes twinkle. “That’s right. You’ve known he was for years.”

I grab Erma’s hands in mine and then I start jumping up and down and squealing. I can’t help it. This is the best day of my life.

Miss Erma laughs and shakes her head. She’s probably used to this reaction. But me, this is my one and only time to learn the name of my soul mate, and it’s Gavin.

“What is it? What’s happened?” asks Wanda.

She hurries over. But I can’t answer, I’m too busy spinning in a circle. I feel like Maria in The Sound of Music. Any minute, I’m going to stop spinning and start singing to the mountains.

I’ve been transported to my own personal heaven. It’s finally happened.

After six years, Gavin Williams is finally back in Romeo, and according to Erma, he’s mine.

The rest of the work day crawls by. I love my job as a librarian, usually I never want to leave. But today, I wanted to find out if Erma was right. Was Gavin really here? After six years of absence, was he back?

Finally I leave work. I speed across town and park on the side of the road next to a five-acre field full of tall grass, chicory flowers, Queen Anne’s lace, and milkweed. One of the Williams’ summer houses is on the other side of the field. I pull a pair of binoculars out of the glove box. Veronica, one of my friends, gave them to me for Christmas a few years ago as a man-watching joke. I never thought they’d actually come in handy. I tilt the rear-view mirror my way. Put on lipstick, finger brush my permanently frizzy hair, smooth my wrinkled dress—1950s vintage as usual—and rush out of the car.

I run across the field. The smell of sweet grass rises and reminds me of childhood and hugs from my mom. I reach the old oak and press my hand against its deeply grooved bark. I take a moment to catch my breath. An ant crawls across my hand and I flick it off. When my heart stops beating so hard, I kick off my saddle shoes and tights. It’s been a long time, but I always climbed this tree best barefoot.

I look over my shoulder at the Williams house and a smile, bigger than I’ve had in years, spreads across my face. The sun comes out from behind the clouds and shines on the house. I take it as another sign. I finally, finally will be loved again.