Room for Two, Chapter 14

July 17, 2017

By late August, Julianna and I were spending every free moment with each other. From running early in the morning together to dinner after work, our lives slowly became one. Our conversations grew more comfortable and intimate, and soon we felt more comfortable talking about Krista, though I was still hesitant to voluntarily share information because I didn’t want Julianna to think I was comparing them. One evening I took Julianna to an out-of-the-way Chinese restaurant Krista and I had frequented when we in college.

"The food’s really good," she said near the end of our meal. "How did you know about this place?"

My first impulse was to tell a half-truth — that it was a place I learned about in college, leaving out the fact that Krista and I had lived two blocks away. I worried if I told Julianna she wouldn’t want to return because it would be something associated with Krista. But I knew that being open and honest about Krista was important. So I told the truth.

Truth

July 13, 2017

One of my favorite photographs from my time in Bulgaria.

Graffiti. Sofia, Bulgaria. February 1996. Photo by Abel Keogh.

Room for Two, Chapter 13

July 10, 2017

I was sitting in the backyard thinking of Julianna and watching the sprinkler turn in a circle as it watered the grass I had planted in April. The grass was dark green and thick and had somehow survived the blistering Utah summer despite a lack of regular watering. My yard didn’t have a sprinkler system, and any moisture the yard received came only when I had time to hook the sprinkler to the hose.

Since our afternoon on the mountain, Julianna had come over to my house for dinner after church on Sunday, but we parted that evening without making plans when to see each other again. Julianna seemed reserved, and I was unsure how much she had enjoyed that evening with me.

Cover Reveal for The Time Seller

July 6, 2017

Here's a first look at the cover for my next novel The Time Seller

Isn’t it delightfully creepy?

Details of the book and an exact release date will be coming soon. In the meantime, I’m looking for readers who would be interested in writing a review of the book when it comes out. In exchange for a review you’ll get a free paper copy or eBook of The Time Seller. If you’re interested, click the button below to sign up.

Become a Reviewer

Room for Two, Chapter 12

July 3, 2017

The day after Jennifer returned to Arizona, Bekah invited me to dinner. I had a feeling this wasn’t just a friendly dinner invitation but an excuse to talk with me about Jennifer. I was glad for the chance. Since I was unable to talk with my family about Jennifer and wanted a sounding board for my feelings, Bekah was the perfect for that.

The meal was simple but one of my favorites: pepperoni pizza and breadsticks. Bekah and I made small talk and watched as Anderson, who was now fifteen months old, ate and played with his food. I was on my third slice of pizza when the subject of Jennifer finally arose.

Room for Two, Chapter 11

June 26, 2017

On the flight back to Utah, I sat next to a chatty, raven-haired college student who was flying to Salt Lake to spend a week with her fiancé. While she talked about her impending nuptials and plans for the future, I thought about my relationship with Jennifer. I had hoped my visit to Arizona would either solidify my feelings for her or prove that there was nothing between us. But the trip had done neither.

Physically our relationship had taken off. The kissing, hand holding, and feeling of her warm body pressed against mine when we hugged was wonderful. Emotionally something was missing. With Krista there had been an invisible, almost magnetic, attraction to her — something that made me want to spend all of my time with her. Even after the initial euphoria of dating and marriage had worn off, long periods of time away from her were difficult. It wasn’t like that with Jennifer. After spending several days with her, I felt drained. I was looking forward to the two-week break before she was coming to Utah.

Room for Two, Chapter 10

June 19, 2017

The 2002 Major League baseball season came with a pleasant surprise. The Detroit Tigers were scheduled to play a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Watching the Tigers play in person was something I always wanted to do but never had the opportunity. Since Phoenix was only an hour away by plane, I started making plans to attend at least one game.

I was excited not only to see the Tigers play but at the chance to see Jennifer again. Over the last few months our friendship has blossomed. We spend about an hour a day talking on the phone and sent several e-mails to each other while at work.

Personal Space: One Widower Tells Us What Dating Is Like After Losing a Spouse

June 17, 2017

Bravo TV's Personal Space blog posted a story about widower's moving on after the death of a spouse. I'm part of the story. Here's an excerpt:

When men are ready for commitment again, it’ll take some hurdles for the woman to get over in order to form a healthy relationship.

“I had my first serious relationship five or six months after my late wife died, and she was falling in love with me and every time I came home I felt like it wasn’t right. I thought oh, because of my emotional state, I’m still grieving, I can’t think through it straight. But a few months later I met Julianna who I’m married to 15 years, and we didn’t have these issues, everything just clicked,” Abel says.

He keeps some pictures of his late wife boxed up, and some pictures of his late baby daughter around the house, and says his late wife Krista crosses his mind “about once a week for two or three seconds” like "Krista would have liked that," and then it passes. But it was hard for Julianna in the beginning.

Read the entire story on the Personal Space blog.

Room for Two, Chapter 9

June 12, 2017

The first time I saw Julianna Taylor, I was sitting on the back pew of the chapel where the few single people in our church tended to congregate. The Sunday service had ended, and the congregation began to move toward the exits. Through the crowd I noticed a tall woman walking up the aisle in my general direction. She wore a long, yellow dress with small, green flowers that clung to the curves of her body perfectly. Her curly hair was the color of corn silk and fell just past her shoulders. As she drew closer my fingers and toes tingled, and my heart rate quickened. I looked at her hand to see if she was wearing a ring, then scanned the people around her to see if she had come to church with another guy. As far as I could tell she was single and alone. Though I attended church weekly, I had never noticed her before and wondered if she was visiting.

Room for Two, Chapter 8

June 5, 2017

It wasn’t until the end of April that I swallowed my pride and posted a profile on an online dating site. It was frustrating being able to post only a few paragraphs and a photo. I had no idea how to show I was just a normal twenty-seven-year-old who happened to be a widower. Each time I looked at the profile, the only thing I could see was the line that said "widower." Everything else seemed irrelevant.

Despite my trepidation, I began e-mailing women who seemed to have a lot in common with myself. One of them was a twenty-nine-year-old teacher named Michelle. She had short black hair, liked to read, watch movies, and run. After two weeks of exchanging e-mails, we agreed to a date the next Saturday.

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