Why is it such a disappointment for Lauren when she goes in search of Carter, the one she feels got away, and there is no spark or romantic interest the second time? What do you think she was holding out hope to find with him? Was it really that good with him the first time, or was the time with Carter made rosier by the disappointing husbands who followed him?
She fantasized about Carter because heâd been a very nice, considerate spouse. However, that relationship wasnât real. He also felt the creepiness of her stalking him. She wasnât good at hiding that. I do think he seemed the best because she had some real losers after him.
I think so much of our relationships in general are circumstantial. She probably met Carter in a more amenable social situation, leading to their ultimate marriage. When she flew to Denver, she had this whole buildup of their relationship in her mind, but he had none of that. So it all came out very stalker-y. I appreciated that this did not turn into a fairy-tale ending
Not untypical of real life. Once you meet a prior boyfriend or husband at a later date, it is just as often that that spark is no longer there. You may even sit and look at them and wonder what you ever saw in them in the first place. Time changes everyone - and it changes how we think and how we feel and what is important or not important to us. Maybe we once liked steak and now red meat repulses usâŚ
She didnât really give the first go around with Carter a chance to mature. Itâs all romance when you are first with someone. The true spark happens when you really go through strife with someone and feel their support.
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I think with Carter Lauren had the ideal mate, but for her the relationship was still in the honeymoon phase. It really did seem ideal. Like her (she kept tabs on him) I hoped he would enter her life again. I was shocked the way things played out. I married my first boyfriend after eight years of us living different lives apart with no contact so subconsciously I must have been hoping that for her.
It was a different life when she met him the second time and things would not be the same. I guess she thought that he was the oneâ and her soul mate and they would have the same feelings for each other regardless of which version of life it was. It may have helped her decision later to live the life you have.
This is a good point, and I think when we view it through the lens of Lauren trying to find the ârightâ wedding date, it makes even more sense. Itâs easy to get swept up in the emotions and romanticism of a wedding. It makes me wonder how she would have felt about any of her other husbands, had they been the date to Elenaâs wedding.
Lauren was hoping to find the same wonderful experience they had together. I do think her other âhusband experiencesâ certainly reflected her. They made Carter look better and better. Donât we all wish for the better parts of our lives that we experienced in the past. I was sorry it didnât work out with Carter the second time around.
After meeting Bohai, I suspected that Carter was also aware of the attic and that his departure may not have been quite so accidental. I was disappointed for Lauren that their meeting in Denver went so horribly bad, I was hoping at least for a real chance encounter so she can determine if theyâre compatible. But perhaps him being so cold helped her move on from him quicker and easier, so maybe it wasnât so bad in the end if he truly wasnât the one.