This story came about because of an overwhelming desire to write a story for you. I don't know if it was because you needed it or I needed it, but here it is.
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It had been a long 2 years, 3 months, and 1 week, but who was counting, right?
It always amazed me how many things brought you to my mind. Sunflowers, the color blue (your eyes and your favorite color), Panda Express, Lincoln Mark LT's, even Pizza Hut (our first dinner). I have wondered so many times in the past years how much I bring them into my life, or how much you send them into my life to remember you by.
It was Friday night of a hellish week and I was really looking forward to a long hot bath and lots of sleep. Two days before I had to face work again and I was going to take full advantage of the quietness of my apartment since my son was at his dad's house until Sunday night.
I began the climb of the two flights of stairs up to my very cozy apartment. I love the southern exposure I have that looks out on the hills. There are no streets or houses to look at. I always feel like I am living in the fields of Kansas with the green rolling hills as far as the eye can see when I look out my windows. Just another reminder of you, I think solemnly as I get to the second floor stairs.
I can hear someone pacing on the third floor but don't pay much attention since my neighbor is a bit of a social butterfly and always has people coming and going. I'm mentally undressing and drawing the bath as I reach the top of the stairs. I finally glance at the person standing there, and it's you.
You looked the same as the day I last saw you. You have a little more sadness around your eyes, but overall you look so good to me. Hope has kept me waiting for you all this time. I am having a hard time keeping that hope from flying free as I look at you. You smile at me and extend your hand with a bouquet of daisies and sunflowers wrapped in yellow and blue ribbons. I smile and smell the sweet aroma of the flowers, and amazingly enough wonder where in the world you found sunflowers in December. I begin to say hello but you hold up your hand to silence me.
You get down on your knees, touch my hand, caressing your thumb back and forth on the back of my hand, and kissed it.
You said, "First, I want to say thank you, in person. That was the last promise I gave you and I wanted it to be the first one I kept with you. Secondly, I know that our history has not been that great for you. You have suffered so much pain at my hands. I want to tell you how very sorry I am to have caused you that pain. I beg you to forgive me for not picking you when I knew I should have all along. I was afraid I wouldn't live up to what you thought I was. I had promises to keep, but they are now fulfilled. I want to make promises to you, if you'll allow me, and I want to keep those promises, above all others in my life."
I began to cry the second you got down on your knees. After you stopped speaking, I realized you were waiting on my reply. I looked at your much larger hand still holding mine and felt how cold your hand was. You obviously had been standing outside for a long time waiting on me. With your back injuries, you should not have been standing in the cold, but you didn't want to take the chance of missing me. I looked into your beautiful blue eyes and saw that you were crying too. I could read in your body language of slumped shoulders, frowning mouth, and overall dark aura, you thought I was going to say no, because I was taking so long to answer you.
I smiled and said, "I was about to have dinner and take a bath, would you care to join me?"
I saw the complete disbelief in your eyes. "Could I have heard her correctly? Did she just invite me in? How can she be so full of love for me after everything I have done?" I saw all of these thoughts flash in your eyes. I laughed and pulled you up onto your feet. I turned around, transferring the flowers to the arm of the hand that you were still holding so I could unlock the door.
I walked into my apartment and pulled you into the warm, inviting heat. I dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, pulled off my coat and put the flowers gently down on the dining room table. You still held my hand in yours. I looked down at our hands and smiled. We released each other's hand to take our coats off. I turned around and held you in my arms the way I have been wanting to for 2 years, 3 months, and 1 week (really much longer than that). After hugging for what seemed like an hour, you pulled away and looked at me.
"How can you accept me into your life so easily after everything that happened?" You asked.
With a deep knowledge of love and understanding, I looked you in the eye and said, "Because I have loved you since the moment I met you 14 years ago in that clinic. When you walked into the clinic, my world shifted. I felt I had known you forever before I even spoke to you. I convinced the girls at the clinic to let me do all of your treatments. After speaking to you and working on you, I knew we would always be in each other's lives. Your soul spoke to mine in ways I'm even now still figuring out. That's why I gave you my number in that silly birthday card. I wanted to know you more. The short amount of time we were together has kept me going all of these years. I have loved you since day one, and I still do. No matter what has happened between then and now, the fact that you are here now, is all I need to know. You being here now, at this moment, means I get to be in your life, until the day I die, right?"
You got down on your knees again, hugged me, running your large hands up and down my back, and said, "Yes. That's why I've come to you now. The divorce was hell but it's over with and I spent some time finding myself and asking how I wanted my life to be. The answer kept coming back to you. You are who I want in my life. Your beautiful heart and love has always been the lighthouse beacon for me through the fog of my life."
I pull you up again from your knees, smiled, and laid my hands gently on your face. "I knew you would come to me, I just had to wait." I said. "Now let's have dinner."
After a long dinner filled with touching, loving words, caresses, and kisses it was time to relax in that hot bath I had been fantasizing about. You sat on the couch in front of the fireplace as I went into the bathroom. You were still in shock that I not only wanted to see you again, but that I had loved you for years without hearing from you.
I walked into the bathroom to start the bath. I have a huge soaking tub that will easily fit both of us, with some imaginative positioning. I start the hot water and put in the honeysuckle bubble bath. I light the many candles around the tub and turn off the overhead light. When the tub is full, I walk back to the living room and pull you up from the couch.
"Will you take a bath with me?" I asked.
"I am honored that you want me to." You say.
We walk into the bathroom hand and hand. After stepping up onto the tub, I begin to kiss you. Your back, I know is really bothering you from standing in the cold for so long. As I slowly kiss your lips, I reach down to unbutton your shirt. I delight in the feel of your lips against mine. I move my lips back and forth against yours, enjoying the softness of my lips contrasted with the slight stubble you have.
Because you are so tall, you have a lot of buttons on your shirt, and I continue to kiss you as I undo each one of them. As the shirt separates, I glide my fingers up your stomach and chest, over your shoulders, and down your arms. Your shirt falls to the floor and I begin to massage your arms and neck, all the while kissing you. I reach into the waist of your pants and pull up your undershirt. Unfortunately we have to break the kiss so your shirt can go over your head. As soon as it passes your lips, I kiss you again, leaning into your body. I step off of the tub and undo your shoes, taking one off then the other, followed by your socks. I massage your feet as well, just a little bit to ease some of the shooting pain I know you are feeling. I kiss both of your feet when skin is revealed.
I stand up and undo your pants, sliding my hand into the waist again to follow the pants down to the floor. As I pass your knees, I kiss each one while looking at you up your body. I again massage your legs as I work up your body. I stand up again and put my fingers in the waist band of your underwear. I can clearly see that you're very excited. I pull your underwear down so that you are completely naked in front of me.
"You are so beautiful to me." I whisper.
"I am so not beautiful, but I appreciate your compliment." You say smiling.
"I see your heart and soul, remember. I see your beauty." I smile and laugh. "Now, it's your turn to undress me!"