Illustration by Paul Bunch

Ahh, springtime. There’s love in the air.

On a crisp autumn evening in 1990, when the San Diego air carried just a hint of winter’s promise, I sat at the Red Onion Sports Bar in Mission Beach with my shipmate Rick. The Monday Night Football game flickered on the giant TV overhead, but fate had other plans for my attention that night.

A playoff game, a cold beer and a plate of Nachos; the perfect way to end a day. Little did I know that this “ordinary” Monday would become the most extraordinary day of my life.That’s when I saw her — a flash of long flowing red hair that caught my eye, like a passionate sunset over the Pacific. 

Our gazes met, and in that moment, time slowed down to a standstill. With absolute certainty that surprised even me, I leaned over to Rick and whispered, “Do you see that redhead coming this way?” Rick nodded, probably wondering where this was going. “I’m going to marry her!” I declared. 

Rick glanced at my beer, then at the approaching redhead, then back at me with amused disbelief. “No more beer for you,” he laughed, reaching over to pour my almost full beer into his nearly empty stein. Little did Rick know that my proclamation was going to change everything. God was illuminating my path. 

I expected this rare gem to pass us by, or maybe inquire (or comment) on the game. Instead, this gorgeous redhead did something completely unexpected — she started a casual conversation, by introducing herself. Her name was Kerry. Then she reached down and started eating my nachos.

This audacious American nurse, from nearby Chula Vista, was stealing my nachos and, as it turned out, stealing my heart, as well. After less than five minutes of conversation, I knew I’d found my forever partner.
Her laugh, her wit, her way of making the whole world disappear around us … I was completely captivated. My earlier wedlock declaration to Rick was proving to be prophetic.

Some people spend years searching for love. But sometimes, love simply finds you leaning over a half eaten plate of nachos in a sports bar, watching Monday night football. They say when you know, you know. And boy, did I know. 

Within three months, we were standing before a pastor, turning this Canadian tourist into a permanent American resident.

Remember, when you find a woman willing to steal your food before even knowing your name, you don’t let her get away (and I didn’t).

Through the past 35 years, we’ve built a life together, one that has taken us from living near the beaches of San Diego to the desert beauty of Tucson, and finally to the serene vineyard landscapes of Jacksonville in the Pacific Northwest.

Kerry, as I climbed the corporate ladder, you were always beside me, caring for me as only a nurse extraordinaire can. You continuously patched up our scrapes and bruises (both physical and emotional) along the way.

Now, decades later, I look back at that night at the Red Onion and marvel at how one moment can change everything. How one bold move — reaching for a stranger’s food, (my nachos) — can lead to a lifetime of love, laughter, and adventure, and all of the bumps in the road along the way?

Sometimes when it hits you, just know that love at first sight is taking over all the control you thought you had (control you will never see again).

Kerry, my beautiful food thief, you didn’t just steal my dinner that night — you stole my heart, and I’ve never wanted it back. Every day since then has been a gift, and I fall more in love with you with each passing year.

How blessed am I to have a soulmate to share my journey with? You are the woman who taught me that sometimes the best love stories start with a little spicy red-headed nacho. Now that’s a love story!

Richard S. Hunter lives in Jacksonville.

 

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