Lost & Found

(This is exactly 750 words, without the Title)

Touching a finger to my husband's tombstone, I whispered, "Love you, forever."

Same as every time I came, I noticed the darkhaired stranger on his knees, grieving over his wife's grave. Two years we'd been coming, exchanging the occasional nod.

Snow started swirling, sending me rushing to my car, to turn up the heat.

Seeing him walking up ahead, I thought I should offer him a ride. I lowered my window. "Do you need a lift?"

He shrugged. "My cars in the shop, but I can take the bus."

"You sure?" I grinned. "It's warm in here."

He managed a smile that totally transformed his face, as he opened the door and got in. "Thanks..."

"Kelly."

"Thanks, Kelly." He extended his hand. "I'm Brad."

"So, how long has it been for you?"

"Two years," he replied. "You?"

"Two years for me, too."

"I keep wondering if it ever gets any easier?" he asked, with his eyes on the rows of tombstones as we drove past.

"I think somehow we just have to learn how to cope without them."

He looked down at his hands. "I haven't been able to get rid of her things yet. I keep putting it off."

"I know, it's hard. I kept some things he wore, so I could remember his scent," I confessed.

He gave me crooked smile. "And I still sleep with her nightie on my pillow."

It made my heart ache to know how much he missed her and how deeply in love they must have been.

Two weeks later as I rushed back to my car, as a rain storm started, he called out, "I'm going for a coffee, if you want to join me."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

The café was crowded, the table was so small, our knees touched. I noticed he had the bluest eyes, and the nicest smile as he lifted his gaze and met mine.

Soon, we started having coffee every time we met.

Till I finally got up the nerve to invite him to my place for dinner. A little awkward at first, we started talking and never stopped.

Next time, he invited me to his place. We had BBQ, and talked and laughed till almost midnight.

It felt so good to be with someone who understood what it was like to lose the love of your life.

I looked at my watch. "Didn't realize it was so late, guess I should be going."

"Or..." He hesitated, swallowed and said, "You could stay."

That hung in the air between us, till I found the courage to nod and say, "Okay."

Our first kiss was clumsy, it had been so long, we almost forgot how.

Smiling into his eyes, framing his face in my hands, I touched my lips to his, and the kiss just grew, till he was clutching my backside and my fingers were sliding into his hair.

The relief of having a living, breathing man in my arms again was almost indescribable, especially as he grew hard against my belly.

His lips on my neck, slid down to my breasts, where I held him, thrilled to feel the heat of lips on my skin.

He carried me to his room. Hands shaking, our clothes were off in a heartbeat. Both of us trembled as we mapped each other's bodies with our hands, and then our lips and tongues.

I thought I'd die when he kissed between my legs, till he had me throwing back my head, squealing. "Oh, Brad, that feels so good," I moaned, elated.

As he rolled on a condom, I opened my arms to him.

The moment of penetration had us both stopping to catch our breath, I think startled that we'd grown so close.

I stroked his cheek and he smiled as each pump drove him deeper inside me, in more ways than one, till he growled the moment we reached the summit together.

He hugged me fiercely as we came, dropping grateful kisses all over my face. Breathlessly, we rolled onto our backs, laughing and smiling, hands entwined.

"Thank you," he whispered, lifting my fingers to his lips.

My heart felt so full, as I realized that if I let myself, I could so easily fall in love him - and I did.

We married in spring, and everyone cried happy tears for us.

New Years Eve, we were crying tears of joy as our hearts swelled again, when our son was born, making our new life together blissfully complete.