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I am submitting this on New Year's Eve. I wish everyone that their 2024 is better than their 2023. This year found me visiting friends, including "Marcie", and growing as a person as well as writing more. Thank you for supporting me as a writer.
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So far, she took me to a men's shop to get me measured for new suits. She took me to our favorite Mexican place for lunch. She followed it up by taking me to a boutique where she bought me a few new pairs of swim trunks. And she alluded to the fact there was more in store. So far, there has been no connecting theme to the destinations thus far. It was not a surprise, though that the next stop was to see our spouses.
Mitch and Missy were buried in the local cemetery. One of the things Missy and I discussed doing for Mitch and Marcie was to help them with the burial if Mitch didn't make it through his cancer. This was without knowing Missy's fate. The fact they are buried on the same property was a blessing to Marcie and I since it was easier for us to visit them both every time we did. We never let a holiday, birthday or anniversary go by without visiting them.
Marcie drove us to where Missy's was first. For those who knew, Missy lost her battle before Mitch lost his. The month between, I grieved. However, I still checked on Marcie and Mitch every day until it was Mitch's turn.
We stepped out of the car. Before I could do anything, I saw that Marcie had something in her hand. She looked at me and smiled before she walked forward. The turquoise vase I brought to her site a while ago was filled with flowers already. Marcie placed the new vase next to the first one. She took a few flowers from the first and set them inside before she talked to Missy. Per our custom, I didn't approach as they talked. She talked to the stone for a few moments before she kissed her hand and ran it over the stone. She walked back to me smiling, tears in her eyes. I was about to step forward before Marcie stopped me. She looked me in the face.
"One of the things Missy and I always talked about was the fact you were loyal to her. She talked about the fact you would always be there for her. The motivation to work your butt off was because you wanted to make sure she was taken care of. The difference was that Missy never felt trapped because of it. She never felt like you were doing it to prove something to her. You did it because you wanted to make sure your Queen was taken care of, but you never dissuaded her from being her. You said yourself that when your house was being built, you only had two requirements and that Missy designed everything else. Throughout our relationship, you never tried to muscle in on me unless I allowed you to. You always treated me with respect and allowed me to make my own choices. You also never tried to talk me out of any ideas even when they sounded fantastic. When I wanted to marry you at a smaller ceremony because of June visiting, you could have said that it couldn't be done. Instead, you rallied the troops, and it was wonderful. You believed in her. You believe in me. That Leo Charles is the best gift you have given me."
