A HEALING LOVE SEQUAL
Since their engagement on New Year's Eve, Tessa and Mark had been walking on cloud nine. Their first time back to the grief support group was tonight. They were both nervous and excited about telling the group members about their engagement. They had met when they were still reeling from the deaths of their spouses.
The group provided a haven for them to talk about their broken hearts and lives. Mark almost didn't come back after the first night. He didn't see the merit in revealing his pain to strangers. It wasn't until he and Tessa had become friends, that he managed to talk about some of the most heart wrenching topics of grief.
They knew that their grief would be a lifelong condition, but also knew that their love was lifelong. And the latter would help them deal with the former. With their children grown and out of their respective houses, each found new meaning in life through the other.
They were working on cut-out cookies in the shapes of hearts for refreshments for the meeting. Some of the members had wondered whether or not they were involved, but neither Tessa or Mark had seen a reason to bring it up in group. Tessa was piping decoration onto the cookies and Mark was sprinkling pink baker's sugar on top. Then he was placing them into individual boxes for the members.
As Tessa held a cookie in her left hand to decorate it with her right, the engagement ring that Mark had given her sparkled in the light. Sometimes she became mesmerized by its brilliance. She was equally mesmerized by Mark. He was loving, intelligent, funny, creative and handsome. The love she had with Jason, her late husband, was different than what she shared with Mark.
She was a visual artist and Mark was a musician. They shared an artistic temperament that they each understood in the other. Late nights that Tessa spent working in the art studio were similar to the late nights Mark spent arranging music or playing music with his band. There was a common understanding about the artistic muse.
Life wasn't black and white. Through their artistic pursuits they experienced all the colors of the rainbow and all the different tints, shades and tones. There was no right answer. There was only the pursuit of harmony and unity, the pursuit of honing one's artistry and skill, and the pursuit of the feeling of accomplishment when art or music transcended ordinary life.
They were both artists, but the language was not the same. The vehicle of their individual pursuits gave each something to educate and share with the other. It was actually something that neither of them knew was missing from their lives. But, now that they knew, they relished this beautiful facet of their relationship.
"Ta da! My part is done and I'm going to take a shower before group."
Mark was finishing sprinkling sugar and boxing cookies when he decided that showers were meant to be shared. He crept into the bedroom, undressed and silently opened the shower door. He stood behind this goddess of a woman that he loved.
She was beautiful inside and out, but at this moment he was appreciating the outside. She was curvaceous in all the right places. Her skin was flawless despite the forty eight years she had lived. Her buttocks was alluring. He often chose to amble behind her to watch it in action. And her breasts were full and round with beautiful aureolas that showcased long bulbous nipples. He paid homage to them every chance he got.
He kissed her back and encircled her with his arms. His hands held and weighed her salacious tits. They had discovered that using vulgar language brought out the animal in each of them. His fingers plucked her nipples and ached to feed them to his mouth.
"Ahhh, Mark. I wondered if you were going to join me."
He turned her around and soaped his hands. And then he used that slipperiness to skate over and enjoy every inch of her feminine beauties. He nuzzled her neck and grabbed her ass pulling her into him.
She had planned and strategized the cookie decorating so they would have plenty of time to play before group. She lowered herself before him. She soaped her hands and slickly aroused his cock with the frictionless priming of his pump. When it had expanded to its impressive erectile size, she rinsed it off and slowly sucked it into her mouth. She loved to feel it in her mouth and to know that to him it was just an appetizer to the main course. She would enjoy this now, knowing that it would lead to a cataclysmic coupling on the bed.
Mark pulled her up and out of the shower. He led her sopping body into the bedroom and onto the bed. Without drying off, they hungrily feasted on each other. This part of their relationship would never get old. It was thrilling and exhilarating each and every time.
Afterward, they hurriedly finished their shower for real. An hour later, they were dressed and groomed. The world would never know the hidden mysteries of their shower and bed. They might suspect though, since both Tessa and Mark were beaming.
The group hadn't seen them since before Christmas. Tessa had gotten very ill on Christmas evening and had been recuperating since. Hugs and New Years wishes were exchanged in lieu of hellos. Mark and Tessa passed out the boxes of cookies. They asked the group members not to open them yet.
Once, everyone was sitting in their circle of trust, Mark said, "You can open your boxes now."
The group members exclaimed how beautiful and how yummy the cookies were. But it was the wise group leader, Connie, who said, "You two are engaged."
Tessa laughed and modeled the ring for the group. Everyone jumped out of their seats. Hugs and congratulations were exchanged. Once the group settled back down, Connie said, "So you weren't sick like we were told?"
"I really was sick. I spent a day and a half in the hospital. I had severe symptoms of the flu."
"I was so afraid of losing her, that I realized it was time to seal the deal and ask her to marry me."
"You know, in all my years of facilitating this group, you are only the second couple who have gotten together during group," Connie declared.
She went on to talk about how new doors and lives are opened after a death. "Sometimes the saddest of times lead to the happiest of times. We never know what God has in store for us. However, that is hard to imagine when we are in the depths of our grief."
The discussion of the group that night centered around how each person had made the transition from being married to being a widow or widower and how each person saw that part of their life evolving. Some had tried to go out on dates. Others had decided that they would be single for the rest of their lives.
The group ran late that night as they were all excited about the news. In the car, Tessa leaned over and kissed Mark. "Mark Brennan, thank you for coming into my life." He stopped and looked at her. He was speechless. But he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.
Over the weekend, Mark's late wife's sister had called Janet, his adult daughter. Janet told her about Mark and Tessa's engagement.
"Don't you think it's a little soon for your father to be getting engaged?"
"Aunt Joyce, I had similar feelings until I saw them together. She's been really good for Dad."
"Danielle is dead just under a year and he has moved on. It's not right."
"You didn't see him afterward. Dad was completely lost."
"Well, I would think so. Your mother was a wonderful woman."
"I know that. And so does Dad. But he has a reason to go on living now. They are good together."
"We'll see," Joyce said rather bitterly.
Janet didn't like the sound of that. She thought she had better warn her father. Joyce had been known to stir the pot before. Her mother had made excuses for her, but she and her father both knew what an unhappy person Aunt Joyce was.
A week later, Tessa and Mark had had a particularly amorous morning. Mark had threatened to take her back to bed and keep her naked for the rest of the day. Tessa was escaping him when the doorbell rang. Tessa evaded his arms and ran to the door to open it. She was in sweat pants and one of Marks shirts when she opened the door. Her hair was tousled and she looked radiant.
"Hello. Can I help you?" Tessa asked.
"Hello. I'm Joyce Thompson. Is Mark Brennan here?"
"Yes, just a second. Mark, put some clothes on and come out here. You have a visitor. Just a minute. He'll be right here."
Joyce looked her up and down and decided that she was some sort of sex kitten who had led her brother-in-law astray.
Mark came to the door in jeans and a t-shirt. "Joyce, what a surprise."
"Hello Mark. I was in town with Phillip for business and thought I would say hello."
"Wow. Um. Come on in. Joyce, this is my fiancé Tessa. Tessa, this is Danielle's sister Joyce."
"Oh, it's so nice to meet you. Come on in. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get dressed."
Mark took her coat and invited her to sit down. "If you had let us known you were coming, we would have picked up for you."
"Oh, it's fine," Joyce said as she scrutinized the house.
Tessa reappeared in jeans and a turtleneck. "Can I get you some coffee or some lemon water?"
"Coffee would be fine. Thank you."
Tessa got the impression she would become a servant to this woman if she let it happen.
"Did you say that Phillip is in town with you? You should have brought him."
"He's attending to some business. You know Phillip. All work and no play."
"Oh, what a shame. Will you be in town for long?" Tessa inquired.
"Just tonight actually. We were wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with us tonight."
"Oh..." Mark started to decline.
"That would be lovely. Would you like to meet at The Mill restaurant on 5
th
Street?" Tessa offered.
"Well, since it's the only adequate restaurant in town, that will do. Should we say 8:00?"
Mark interceded. "They don't stay open late during the week. We had better say 7:00."
"Oh, how provincial. Seven it is." She gave her cup and saucer back to Tessa.
"We'll see you later," she said as she left.
"Tessa, I wish you had let me make an excuse. Joyce is a difficult person. And now that Danielle is gone, I really don't care to spend time with her anymore."
