A few days went by and Dad called to confirm that he not only received my letter, but would be happy to help in my endeavour to ensure that I could feel that I would undoubtedly love Samantha forever.

Samantha also called to say that she was back to her normal routine at school. Plenty of work to do, classes to attend, and tests to take. While I had still not talked to any of my friends in school, there was a burning sensation inside of me to share.

It was also back to work for me and my cohort as we began the study of Italy. Italian wines were some of my favourites, and I was eager to learn about places that Samantha and I might be able to visit in our summer adventure. Kevin was most familiar with Italian wines, so I geared up for another grueling seven weeks; seven weeks I was sure to enjoy.

At the outset, I poured myself into my work, so as not to think too much about the question that was bothering me. "Forever?" However, something in my inner being told me that I could confide in Oscar. Surely he had been thru a few relationships; and while he hadn't said to this point, he might even be in one. In fact, we had yet to approach that subject with each other at all. It seemed odd, as Andrew and the others knew about Samantha based on my recent trip home, so perhaps the discussion was waiting in the wings. I would soon find out.

On an evening when Oscar did not feel like cooking for the group, I invited him out to dinner. He typically did not cook for me and the guys on Saturday nite, as we had reserved the weekends to ourselves. I was still skiing some with Jeff, but this particular weekend was designed to share my intimate feelings with a trusted friend.

Oscar seemed flattered that I wanted to spend some time with him, and I too was excited to share a meal with him. I was concerned about how I would approach the subject, but I knew somehow that the words would appear at the right time.

Spencer's at the Waterfront was located on Lake Ontario's shoreline, offered panoramic views of the water, and focused on seafood; something I knew right away that Oscar would be able to sink his teeth into. Oscar was at first reluctant to stay after seeing the prices on the menu, but I assured him that I was paying and that we needed to stay. I needed the comfort of a good meal and good company.

Oscar picked a German Riesling to start us off, which went nicely with my winter beet salad and the calamari that we shared. After the appetizer course, I began to open up as to the reason for my invitation. I started by saying that I had an awkward question to ask, but Oscar ensured me that no question was too personal.

I explained that I had been dating Samantha for some time, which he nodded in affirmation quietly. I then explained that I was in fact deeply in love with her and that we had recently discussed the idea of getting married. I was engaged after all, so that was also no surprise. It was then that I asked the million-dollar question.

Not knowing how to out it any other way, I just asked saying, "Oscar, how can a man know that he will love his life partner forever?" Being the calculating fellow that he was, he agreed to give it some thought over dinner and answer after we had finished.