All the players are over the age of consent and at least nineteen before any sexual contact takes place. The sex is consensual and loving. This is my inner world and I open it to you, it may not agree with your inner world or the reality we see around us. Bear with me...
*****
Forty six year old Laura had seen her husband's car on the driveway and had hoped to see him open the door for her as she almost danced along the path to the door, a smile lighting up her face. The door stayed closed and her smile faded. She opened the door,
"Dave?...Dave?"
The house was quiet, no sound other than the hum of the fridge in the kitchen and the central heating pump. Slightly worried now she searched for her husband downstairs her calls increasingly desperate. The ground floor was empty, so she called again as she walked upstairs. Nothing, no sound, no greeting, just silence. Laura slowed at the last two steps, she could see Dave's shoes, heels on the floor toes uppermost, soles towards her. Her head tried to grasp the fact that Dave was still in them. Reaching the top she gasped and screamed. Dave lay face up his face staring at the ceiling. She knelt by his side and touched his face, cold. She started back and sat on the floor awkwardly, her legs against her chest, tears streaming down her face.
The ambulance men, pathologist and policemen treated her with tenderness and professionalism, as they recorded one more death, a daily occurrence for them but a devastating blow to the person finding the body. As it was to the wives, husbands partners, lovers mothers and fathers who would had to be informed. A Policemen had sat her in the lounge and his older colleague had made her hot sweet tea, as they carefully questioned her on the circumstances while taking copious notes. The pathologist, a dour woman in her fifties, made a cursory examination and nodded to the ambulance men to take the body away. They went to get a stretcher. There would be a post mortem to confirm, but she was fairly certain of the cause.
Although dour, she was a wife and mother too so she could empathise with the distraught women sat opposite her. Hesitatingly she confirmed that David Dennison had died of a massive heart attack, probably due to an undisclosed heart problem. She said that David had probably not suffered at all. He would have felt a sudden massive pain and then peace. The older policeman had sat holding her hand as the pathologist explained, but at her sudden cry and sobbing he had wrapped her in his arms and held her. He held her and waited, his colleague shutting the lounge door as the ambulancemen took the body out.
A knock and a neighbour, aged perhaps late forties or early fifties, came in and took over from the policeman. Having done as much as they could, they all expressed their condolences and left, leaving Laura with her neighbour. Laura clung to Rosemary and sobbed. Rosemary soothed her and calmed her until Laura could sit up, still trembling, but wanting to talk about Dave's death. Rosemary a widow of fifteen years, stroked Laura's hand and listened.
She had been through this herself, it was painfully familiar, except that her husband had died at the wheel of his car. Feeling unwell he had pulled onto the hard shoulder of the M5 Motorway heading south and died at the roadside. The Police had been alerted after his car had been seen on their CCTV Camera for forty minutes with no apparent movement. Normally drivers get out of the car and sit the other side of the barrier, or, up on the embankment beside the car awaiting the rescue service they'd called. Dispatching a car they had found him slumped back in his seat, belt on, engine running, radio chirruping away but he was quite dead by this time.
Laura eventually stopped crying, having run out of tears but feeling an unbearable pain wrenching her deep inside, now she sat quietly, just a shell, empty, a husk, no thoughts, blank. She and Dave had enjoyed life to the full, loving, walking, running, playing together. There had been no children, it wasn't something either of them wanted. They thought themselves too selfish to have children. Despite hints and proddings they had told their families that they were quite happy thank you and no there would be no cousin, grandchild or nephew or niece produced by them. A vasectomy had put the issue beyond doubt.
They went on expensive holidays, cruises, treks, safari's, to far flung places and enjoyed themselves, soaking up the sun and local food and wine. It was an idyllic life. Good jobs with excellent perks meant that they never had to think about money or pause before splashing out on the latest gadget or gizmo. These were often discarded in short order as the fad or craze died to be replaced with the next big thing.
Laura asked Rosemary to stay, to which she readily agreed and together they cooked a meal which neither really ate, only picked at. Rosemary offered Laura a bed at her house in case she didn't want to be alone, and Laura gladly accepted. She had no wish to stay in the house on her own.
Rosemary made up the double bed in the spare room and clutching her bag of toiletries Laura allowed herself to be taken upstairs to bed. Rosemary found Laura still standing by the bed clutching her bag, twenty minutes later. With a soft voice and careful hands, Rosemary undressed Laura, and found a suitable nightdress for her.
As she undressed her, Rosemary's eyes admired Laura's trim body, small high breasts with tiny almost invisible nipples and surrounds. Flattish stomach and bare mound ,shaved or waxed she wondered. Her backside was round but firm, her legs long and shapely. Lifting the nightdress, Rosemary gently placed it over Laura's long auburn hair. With a flick she cleared the hair out of the garment and helped Laura place her arms in the sleeves, pulling it down past her face. Pulling slowly she lowered the hem until it hung around Laura's knees. Laura smiled and kissed Rosemary's cheek, then allowed herself to be steered into the bed. Rosemary pulled the duvet over her and kissed her cheek. With a soft "Night" she exited the room, turning the light off and closing the door.
The next morning Rosemary, suitably robed, was sitting in the kitchen reading the morning paper when Laura entered the room, the nightdress swirling round her knees. She sat at the table and Rosemary made her a tea. Laura sipped the hot liquid and felt alive again. She smiled at Rosemary, who returned her smile.
"Thank you Rosie, I'm such a wreck. You probably saved my life last night. If I had been left alone, I'm sure I would have taken a bottle of pills and finished it. I just can't see the point in going on."
She hung her head down and Rosemary took her hand,
"My dear, I know exactly how you feel, I too lost my husband suddenly and it hurts so much, but, time is a wonderful healer. It's a cliche but with time the pain lessens, trust me. Oh it never goes, the anguish because of the fact you never had time to plan or say goodbye, but it doesn't tear you apart as much. And life as they say does goes on. I have friends and acquaintances who are happy to include me in their plans, I can opt in or out at will. I have built myself a life again, lonely at times, sure but also very time consuming and exciting. Give it a year, you'll see."
"Thanks, Rosie, I'm sure you're right, but at this point, nothing seems worthwhile."
"I know, I know."
Rosemary patted her hand, they sat silently, listening, thinking.
The autopsy revealed a massive rupture in David's aorta, it was noted as an undiagnosed problem, always liable to fail at some point. The pathologist handed out a verdict of death, caused by aortic rupture and David's body was released for burial. The Coroners Court agreed with the pathologist and Death by Natural Causes was recorded. With everything done the service was simple and short. Friends and Relatives returned to the house after the service and burial. A feast awaited courtesy of Rosemary who had spent many hours making sandwiches, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and a multitude of salads and dips, together with cheeses, crisps and crusty rolls. Cakes, pastries and fruit completed the spread. Later she helped Laura tidy and wash up. Laura thanked Rosemary profusely and produced a bouquet of flowers as a thank-you offering.
Six months later Laura thought long and hard about whether she would give up her job, Dave's widows pension and the cash lump sum would make living comfortable and she had funds of her own too. She couldn't decide whether to sell up and move or stay and make a life in the road where she knew everyone. She also knew that she was still dependent on Rosemary to ensure that she ate properly and took care of herself. She wanted to do something but she didn't know what. Eventually she decided to carry on working and to save for a big holiday.
A year after Dave's death she approached Rosemary with an offer. Would she like to accompany Laura on a holiday to the Caribbean, all expenses paid for four weeks in August. Rosemary sat a little confused. She was aware her husbands monthly widows pension and the money from her parents estate wouldn't stretch to pay for this holiday and was stunned when Laura said all she'd need was spending money.
"I can't accept that, that's far too generous, I mean we're friends and neighbours but I'd feel I was taking advantage of you, let me pay some of it?"
"No, absolutely not, this is my way of thanking you for your kindness after Dave's death. Without your help I wouldn't be where I am today, please Rosie say you will? I don't want to go alone and I don't want to go with anyone else."
"Laura, I.. I can't I'd feel I was leeching off you, I..."
"Please Rosie, please come, please, I need to get away and I need you there, please come, please, pretty please."
"Oh!.. Alright but stop that awful little girl voice, I can't stand it."
Rosemary giggled and Laura laughed heartily like she had finally found happiness. They held hands and then hugged.
"We'll need new bikini's and shorts and tops and beach shoes..."
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, I'm not sure I can wear a bikini at fifty two, and I've never worn shorts in my life. Laura, slow down, wha..."
"Rosie, get your coat, we are going shopping, no arguments, bring your cash and let's buy some trash."
Grabbing Rosemary, Laura hauled her out to the hall, grabbed her coat and then pushed her towards her car. Before Rosemary knew it she was at the Shopping Centre and they were in and out of the various shops. Three hours later Rosemary was suddenly aware she had both hands full of carrier bags and her stomach was growling.
"Wait! I need to sit and rest and I need a drink... and lunch. I need a break." she grinned at Laura, who was equally loaded down.
"Right, in here, you order, same for me, I need to pee," and Laura was gone.
Rosemary sat at a table with two chairs loaded with shopping bags and an empty one next to her. She studied the menu, a waitress appeared and she ordered, seconds later a smiling Laura appeared. They chatted inconsequentially until the meal arrived, accompanied by a chilled glass of wine each. They toasted their venture then tucked into the meal. After a particularly sticky gooey dessert they had coffee and then fully refueled, they split the bill and Laura was off again.
Finally Laura admitted they had been to every store, tried everything on at least once and were rapidly approaching the point of being "Shopped Out". Laughing they made their way home. An old hit on the radio had them singing loudly (and badly) and they kept this up all the way home. Stopping outside Laura's they grabbed the bags and headed inside, it had been an insane day and they were both shattered, but ecstatic.
