Everlasting Love!

I would like to thank my editor, who has some very strong criticisms of my writing but encouraged me to work to get better. He felt I had the ability to understand and share the difficulties they face in life, and it helped others to understand and not just reject them. He also encouraged me to focus on that by writing in the Romance section rather than trying to please the readers in other sections, who seem to read more for in-depth descriptions of sexual activity.

The Romance section is about "Drama, love, risk, and happily-ever-afters." If you are interested in stories of a different mold, stories that reveal how some have to take an extra big risk to find love, if you enjoy meeting and getting to know characters far from the mainstream, then I hope I can share an interesting story with you. If you are looking for material designed to stimulate you sexually, you're wasting your time. This is an entry for the Winter Holidays 2023 Contest. I'd like your ratings and your comments, please. (positive or negative.)

Thank you.

.................

Leo didn't know why he was going back "home" to Antelope Hill after all this time. It was Wyoming, for Christ's sake! Most people would consider it to be in the middle of nowhere...and it was. A "big day" for most people in Antelope Hill was to go to the local Costco. (Costco had everything you needed, AND they had a food court with hot dogs! Who didn't like hot dogs?)

Young interns and others would say Leo was crazy for giving up his managerial job at BigTech in Silicon Valley. Sure, the Big Tech job paid well---better than well, but he wasn't content there. He wanted more...or maybe less. Leo wanted something even he couldn't put into words. Happiness of the heart, he supposed...

For a long time now, Leo had contemplated on the last time he'd been truly happy. (Not the Big Tech medicated happy.) After much meditation, Leo had come to realize that it was when he had been with Julie that he had last been really happy and content. Julie was his high school sweetheart and lover into his early twenties. He was pretty sure that Julie still lived back in Antelope Hill, Wyoming.

Now that Leo was nearing middle age, Leo knew he had to see Julie again. If he didn't, he felt that his heart could, perhaps, he'd break into a million pieces; perhaps he'd even die of a lonely heart. Perhaps...well, he didn't know what would happen...but it could be the ruin of him. Sure, back in Silicon Valley, he had his wife of two years (Sandra). But they'd never really been happy...or in true love. Whatever that was!

Upon reflection, Leo felt he and Sandra had gotten married because they were supposed to, not out of love or affection. They'd gotten married because society expected them to. Leo and Sandra had never spent any real time together. They were both busy with their careers at Big Tech. Despite the fact he wanted children, them him them, Leo thanked the Heavens they'd never had children!

In Silicon Valley, to impress people, you had to get ahead...you had to get the newest and most expensive TV gaming system, Roomba...on and on. As long as it was newer and more expensive, you had to have it! People lived to impress neighbours they didn't even like! Leo didn't care for this materialistic and bourgeois way of life; in fact, he loathed it. But giving in to Sandra was the easiest option.

Leo liked having an easy and stress-free way of life...but as a manager at Big Tech, this wasn't possible. That all changed when Leo found out that Sandra was having multiple affairs behind his back. She was hooking up with lots of men on Tinder; lately, the "Pilates lessons" she'd supposedly been attending was hooking up with Parker, her Pilates instructor.

Despite not particularly caring for her, Leo was devastated when he discovered her appalling betrayal. His soul was crushed, and his world was destroyed. So he ran and decided to return to the last place he'd been truly happy. He'd gone back to Antelope Hill and to Julie.

Leo wasn't a total asshole, so he gave his two-week notice at Big Tech and began to plan his escape. He did not tell Sandra anything in case she foiled his plans. He wrote her an explanation of how he knew she was cheating, that he was leaving, and only taking the few things he had before the marriage. Leo took only trivial things like socks and underwear. Everything else Sandra would keep. If she filed for a divorce, he would sign the papers and ask for nothing. He had bought a new cell phone but kept the old one, so she could contact him.

Leo had to plan carefully because it was a 1200-mile (1,932-kilometer) trip. He would get his things together in the third guest bedroom because Sandra never went in there, so they would be ready to quickly pack into his Mercedes SUV and leave early on a Saturday morning. He wanted to make it the 750 miles (1,208 kilometres) to Salt Lake City by that night and leave early Sunday morning to finish the 450 miles (725 kilometres) to Antelope Hill, Wyoming.

He thought he if intensely drove and he could make it by mid-afternoon. Then, at long last, he would be able to see Julie! Besides, due to vast distances, lots of western states had high-speed limits. Leo still remembered Julie's phone number, but he would not call ahead. He wanted to first talk with Julie in person.

On the appointed day, Leo left, placing the letter on the kitchen table. He was on the way at 4:30 AM. In the later morning, Sandra called. She was angry and brisky, asking him if he was serious about running away instead of facing their 'problems.' Leo was surprised that Sandra even suggested marriage counselling, although he suspected she wanted further financial gain instead of a loving relationship. Leo waited for her tirade to slow down and then simply said,

"I am gone and will never return. We're not good together, and I think you know that. Have your lawyer email the paperwork to my Yahoo account, and I will sign it with no reservations. In two minutes, I will turn off this phone and then destroy it. Goodbye."

Sandra heatedly replied, "Well fuck you then and good riddance to a lousy limp lover and a loser!" and ended the call. Leo drove on, feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

At a truck stop and a gas station outside of Salt Lake City, Leo was exhausted, so he pulled over and got himself a Mega Extra-Large Cherry Lime Slurppe and a big bag of potato chips. The gas station had seasonal flavors like "pumpkin spice" and "apple pie," but Leo wanted Cherry Lime. Leo sat in the frosty car, drank his Slurppe, ate his potato chips and watched the trucks go by on the highway. He wasn't worried about cholesterol or weight gain. Leo was just being...free from the constraints of society.

Leo knew the semi--trucks were delivering holiday gifts and holiday food to various places across the country. He hoped that each family would have a happy holiday with their Christmas Turkey dinner and the latest fad present for the kids. He wanted everyone to have a joyful Christmas; he was looking forward to having one at Julie's house. The last truly happy Christmas he'd had was with Julie.

Leo had tried (and epically failed) to deep fry a turkey! Having no food on Christmas, every place was closed, so they'd gone to a 24/7 gas station and gotten Cherry Lime Slurpees and potato chips. Then, he and Julie had made love in the backseat. Leo had loved that Christmas even though there was no turkey!

Lost in his memories, Leo was startled when a shrill ring came from his cell phone. It was the same witless intern who wanted some moronic thing. Leo knew this young man looked to him as a mentor. Leo wished he could explain to the intern that he should give up his lifestyle at Big Tech and flee, but the intern would have to learn that lesson himself.

Angry and frustrated with Big Tech and sort of melancholy about an uncertain future, Leo finished up his Slurpee. The intern kept paging him. So he snapped his phone in half and tossed it in a dumpster, along with the empty Slurpee and potato chip bag. Whatever the intern's problem was no longer a concern of his! Leo wished he could teach the intern that profit wasn't everything, but that was a lesson the intern would have to learn on his own. Leo was free...free as a bird. He was no longer bogged down by the constraints of society. The world was his oyster!

The rest of his journey was long and arduous but went as planned; late Sunday afternoon, he arrived in Antelope Hill. As Leo climbed the long hill to Julie's house, a flock of migrating Canadian geese flew overhead, desperate to escape from the oncoming winter winds. Leo used his key to unlock the door and walked in. He'd always kept the key; why? He had no clue! Perhaps, on some subconscious Freudian level, had always known this was his home—at least the home of his heart.

When Leo turned the key and stepped in, he wondered if it was breaking and entering. He didn't know--at any rate; he didn't plan on stealing anything...Leo just wanted to be at peace. Here in Julie's house, Leo hoped he could find the harmony he so desperately sought. It felt so right being here. It was home? Leo couldn't put what he was feeling into words; maybe there weren't words. They had to be invented by him and Julie.

Julie's house had been her grandmother's house. The house itself went back to the late 1800s when Antelope Hill had first been established. The house just had rooms added to it bit by bit whenever the family needed a new room. Julie had moved in while taking care of her grandma, who'd been recovering from pneumonia before she'd later died. Julie just never moved out...lots of things like that happened in Antelope Hill. Unlike Silicon Valley, no one shamed their neighbour for living in an old house or not having the latest plastic-fantastic thing.

Apart from the loudly clanking radiator, Julie's house was still, and Leo was amazed at how little it had changed. The green Formica dining set sat where it always had sat; perhaps a bit more chipped and worn in the twenty years that had passed, but he was more worn and chipped, too. The orange sofa and chair had been replaced, as well as the brown shag carpeting. (All that was probably for the better.) None of the furniture "matched" like a person would find in a Pottery Barn catalogue.

All the furniture had been added as needed. But, the paintings hung on the wall; the floral china was in the china hutch. It was all the same. It was all right. It was peaceful. Was it still home? After a brief look around, Leo, feeling tired from his long two-day drive, sat down on the sagging and shedding sofa. He'd made it! He was here at Julie's house!

At long last, a feeling of deep relief washed over him. He was no longer Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder up a mountain for eternity. Leo was free as a bird. The world was his oyster! The seeming unrelenting storm that plagued his life had ended. He was here in minuscule Antelope Hill, a small, poor, unimportant town away from everything---for peace.

Leo sat down on the sofa. The kitchen clock upon the wall had stopped, and since Leo's phone was broken, he didn't know the time, but he was content to sit and wait for his destiny that the Fates had woven. Relaxed, he was soon sort of dozing off. Hours or maybe just minutes later, Leo heard the lock in the door turn. He sat up straight on the sofa. Leo hadn't seen Julie in years.

He knew he'd grown older, but Leo hoped Julie would still recognize him.

"Thanks for the ride, Gail! Stay safe out there. We're supposed to get snow!" said Julie as she strode into the house before closing the door. She hung her keys up on the wall key holder. Leo couldn't help but notice that Julie's keys were still encased on the Tiffany's keychain he'd gotten her oh so long ago. He'd barely been able to afford it. But it had been their fifth anniversary as a couple; Julie had always wanted something from Tiffany's, so Leo had gotten her the cheapest thing---a keychain. He'd said Julie would always have the keys to his heart.

Julie had laughed, told Leo he was "corny," and taken him to bed. That had been many years ago. But he'd never forgotten it. That had been one of the best nights of his life!

Now, Leo had nothing to do but await his fate. Julie turned her head and looked at Leo sitting on her old sofa like she'd expected him to be sitting there every day since they'd separated.

Julie gave him a small smile and casually remarked. "We're having spaghetti tonight; we have that every Tuesday. Some families have tacos, but spaghetti is what we have. I have hamburger defrosting in the sink. Out in California, they have weird things like zucchini noodles without carbs...well here, our pasta has carbs. "We're having spaghetti tonight," Julie repeated as she got onion powder out and started making meatballs.

"Fine by me," said Leo. He was overwhelmed at the notion of having simple spaghetti, especially Julie's spaghetti, again. She'd mix the noodles with butter and cheese—onions in the meatballs. No one could make spaghetti-like Julie did. It was her signature dish.

In Silicon Valley, his wife had wanted to eat the zucchini noodles and "be healthy"... nag, nag, nag. Part of him supposed that Sandra had only wanted the best for him--still, her "healthy cooking" had sucked...to say the least.

"Well, then dinner should be ready in half an hour," stated Julie. She smiled to herself and turned up the heat. Julie always knew that Leo would wind back up at her house. It was where he belonged. Sure, the entire town thought Leo's story was "local boy makes it big in Silicon Valley," but Julie knew the truth. She loved him and knew his heart. Leo just wanted his hometown like desert flowers yearn for water. He wanted her. That's why Julie wasn't surprised to find him on her sofa after all these years.

Leo thought that Julie looked emaciated and frail after all this time. Her hair was thinning and had gray streaks, but he thought she was still gorgeous. Julie had a natural beauty that radiated from her, as a Grecian goddess of old would. Leo watched as she barely picked at her dinner. He didn't think anything was unusual. His wife, Sandra, never ate. So Leo just ate his share of spaghetti. There were plenty of leftovers.

The couple sat around the ancient chipped green Formica table and conversed. After all this time, there really wasn't much to say. Antelope Hill's K-mart had closed, SO Julie had to get a job at the Shop N Save; she was a manager now. Julie and Leo finished dinner and then spent the rest of the evening watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. They yelled advice to the contestants, which went unheeded. When it was time for bed, the two retreated to separate bedrooms. Leo awoke early the next morning to the clanking of the radiator. "Bad news, I'm out of coffee...I'm out of everything, really...just haven't had the chance to go shopping, with the winter weather and all." Julie told him. Her greying hair was still wet from the shower.

"I understand. Hey, is Wendy still running Corner Cafe?" Leo questioned.

The Corner Cafe was run by Wendell Joleson. He had hated the name Wendell since

childhood...he'd also hated the nickname "Wendy," but the moniker had stuck.

"Nah...Wendy's son, Kevin, runs it now, but you know how Wendy is...he's in his mid-90s but he's in there every day bossing Kevin around. Poor Kevin is in his mid-forties, has been doing the same job since he was 15, and, according to his dad, still can't fry an egg right." stated Julie merrily, laughing at Kevin's fate. Leo loved her laugh; he thought it sounded like bells.

Julie tossed the damp towel on the staircase banister. It would dry and be taken upstairs later. "I also have to get to work....oh my goodness! I should have left ten minutes ago. Are you going to be alright?" questioned Julie. She knew Leo wasn't a child. He didn't need constant supervision. Still, he hadn't been to Antelope Hill in AGES. Julie was concerned for him.

Leo could tell from her tone that she was concerned. It was nice to have someone worried about his whereabouts. (His wife, Sandra, hadn't exactly sent out the National Guard to look for him!)

"I'll be fine, Julie. Just get to work. I can take care of myself. I'm guessing apart from K-mart closing and being replaced with a Costco, Antelope Hill hasn't changed much in twenty years. I'll go to the Corner Cafe for breakfast." Leo wanted to kiss her goodbye, but that would be awkward. It was too soon. He'd only arrived back in Antelope Hill yesterday evening.

"Kay...later then." said Julie. She fastened her earrings and headed out the door. Leo put last night's dry dishes back in the cupboard, then walked down to the Corner Cafe. As he walked in, the dancing Santa started up with "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," but Leo paid no heed to the chintzy holiday decorations. He found a booth and sat.

A bored teenage waitress brought him a laminated plastic menu. It was so nice having a tangible menu again, even if it was a bit sticky. In Silicon Valley, patrons scanned a QR code to get menus. Leo ordered the #3 special and black coffee. The #3 special was what he always had ordered! Corner Cafe's menu hadn't changed since he'd left Antelope Hill. Wendy thought it best not to mess with a perfect thing. What would a kale egg white omelet get you anyways but a bunch of wasted kale?

Leo heard someone clearing their throat, trying to get his attention. Even though it had been years, he recognized Gail. In high school, Gail spread rumours and gossip faster than Twitter did. No one dared cross Gail, for she could be vicious. Leo could have gone the rest of his life without meeting Gail again. Gail cleared her throat again. If he was going to stay in this town, Leo knew there was no escaping Gail. Upon the third throat clearing, Leo finally turned around and begrudgingly acknowledged her.

"Glad you're back; it figures a big California hotshot like you would come at a time like this when it's almost too late. Now tell me, are you taking Julie to Chemo over in Cheyenne on Thursday, or does she still want me to do it?

Leo felt like he had been run over by a cement truck or yanked under the water by a tidal wave. He struggled to get back to listening to Gail, who jabbered on.

"Anyways, I'd really appreciate it if you could do it. I still have Christmas shopping to do. You know how the holidays are!" stated Gail briskly.

"What?" questioned Leo, who was still in a daze. Gail had spoken very fast; she hadn't changed in twenty years. Gail picked her holiday-themed nails, rolled her eyes and repeated herself in a louder voice. She was speaking to Leo like he was an idiot. "I asked if YOU'RE taking Julie to her Chemo appointment on Thursday. I have things to do. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING."

Gail continued picking her nails, her eyes bored into Leo, waiting for an answer but making it unmistakably clear to Leo that he was supposed to take Julie.

"Oh...uhmm...I'll take her," said Leo, as he blew on his coffee to cool it off.

SO, Julie had cancer. He had a million questions, starting with why she hadn't told him. Then

he realized that Julie would never have told him. She was too proud to worry him with things like her personal health. Leo had been a teenage technology prodigy. He'd received a full ride to Stanford, simultaneously working at Big Tech. During the two years they'd lived together in Silicon Valley, Julie had never talked to Leo about personal things. She'd just encouraged him to get ahead in his career. She never complained when he had overnight meetings and had to spend the night at the office. (Big Tech had little chambers that employees could sleep in.) Many employees spent the entire week living at the office without returning home.

Yet, in Leo's quest to "get ahead," he and Julie had grown apart both emotionally and physically. During this period, Julie had felt like she was losing her soul, as if half of her was evaporating. After two years of this, Julie told Leo she needed someone in her life to support her. She couldn't remain untethered, unanchored by Leo's quest to get ahead. He hadn't listened. He wanted was too focused on getting a promotion. So Julie had gone back to Antelope Hill to find security.