I have been a cop for just over twenty years and single for only the last three months. A perfect mix of alcoholism and mental illness was a recipe for a nightmare every night at home for my last relationship. I have no idea why I stayed so long or why I did not leave ten years ago, but I didn't. It was not until things took a drastic turn and she got physical. That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Enough was enough. My own mind had been screaming at me for years that the relationship was bad and I needed to escape.
I was emotionally scarred from both my previous relationship and thousands of domestic abuse calls that I had responded to over the years. I was not even sure I still knew what a normal relationship was supposed to look like. I knew in my mind what I wanted, but I was still afraid to put myself out there to try to find it.
It was a Monday and I responded as the supervisor to a missing endangered person with dementia. I had gone to hundreds of these calls over the years and typically we found them safe and unharmed, but unfortunately, some did not turn out so well. We took these calls very seriously and I had over ten units out canvassing the area for the older gentleman.
We got his description out as well as his last direction of travel and started looking for him. His name was Henry. I had been on a couple previous calls looking for Henry and headed to the place that he had last been found. The neighborhood that bordered his had a tennis court and recreation area with benches as well as bathrooms and water fountains. It was not long after I got out of my car that I found Henry sitting on a bench watching four older women play tennis.
I sat next to him on the bench and had a conversation with him until his daughter could get there to pick him up. He started telling me about his wife who had died a few years before and how they had met. I had heard most of this story from him before, but this time he told me how much he had loved her and was lonely living by himself. He said he had walked to the tennis courts to find a new wife. I laughed a little inside, because I thought he was pretty coherent for a guy with dementia. Everyone has their good days.
He pointed out an older female who was very pretty, trim and in very good shape. He told me that her name was Wanda and she had just turned sixty-five last week. He said that I should introduce myself to her. Apparently, he had asked her out on several occasions, and she had politely declined. Henry said that he had noticed that I was no longer wearing a wedding ring and thought Wanda and I would be a good fit.
I looked down, forgetting for the moment that I had gotten divorced. It had been a part of my hand for so many years. How Henry had noticed it, I will never know.
At first, I thought nothing of it since Wanda was at least twenty years my senior. I did find her very attractive though. As we sat talking, the tennis match concluded, and Wanda and the other players walked over to us. Wanda said "Hi Henry. You out looking for another wife?" then giggled to herself.
Henry replied, "Don't worry dear, I think I found the right man for you." Then he looked at me. It caught me a little off guard and I must have blushed.
Wanda replied "Well, well, I do like a man in a uniform." I could see the twinkle in her eyes. She spoke very well and was obviously well educated and if she could afford to live in this very upscale neighborhood, was doing pretty good financially.
Playing along for the sake of Henry I replied, "Well, I have always had a thing for beautiful women in tennis skirts." All of the other females laughed and poked Wanda on the shoulder. I felt like I was back in high school.
Henry saw the way Wanda was looking at me and stated "He isn't married anymore and he needs to find a good woman. The rest is up to you Wanda." I laughed awkwardly and Wanda just smiled.
Soon Herny's daughter arrived, and I helped Henry up and walked him to her car. I wished him well. Before they pulled away, I heard him say "Don't waste this chance. Women like Wanda don't come along every day." I just smiled and waved at him.
As I was walking back to my car Wanda approached and told me how thankful she was that I had been so nice to Henry. I told her it was my pleasure and started to get back in my car. "I hope I get to see you around here again. What is your name?"
"Rob" I answered. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Wanda."
"The pleasure was all mine." She replied. She gave me a stunning smile and walked back to the courts for another game.
I sat in my car watching as they started a new match. It felt good to have a woman look at me that way. It had been a long time since I had noticed. As I watched, I noticed that Wanda was about five foot three and a hundred and ten pounds. She had a great figure for a woman of her age and was obviously in great shape. She did not look anywhere near her age. I was not sure that Henry was correct when he told me that she was mid-sixties, I would have guessed that she was a similar age as me. I was in my late forties.
I left the tennis courts and went back to finish my shift, but I could not get her out of my mind. I did not think it was appropriate to go back and try to get her number since I was working, and I had met her on a call. I just enjoyed the experience, and it made me feel good for the next week.
About three months later, I responded again to a call that Henry was missing. I started again toward the tennis courts, but I could not find Henry. I walked around the area and saw Wanda playing again on the courts. I called out to her "Hi Wanda. Have you seen Henry."
"Hi Rob, no I have not seen him since I met you." I thanked her and said I would walk around and try to find him.
As I was walking away, I heard Wanda say "Wait up. I'll help you look."
I was appreciative and gladly accepted. As we walked around the recreation area we began talking and she started to tell me about herself. She said that her husband had died about ten years before and she had not remarried or really dated very many men since then. Wanda said that she had retired as a professor of economics from Duke University around the same time as his death and then moved to Florida to be near friends. I let her talk and really enjoyed her company more than I thought I would. We talked like we had been friends for a long time.
I looked at my watch and saw that it had been about an hour. I was starting to get concerned as we started walking back to the tennis courts. Henry had never been gone this long before. As we got near, I saw a familiar figure sitting on the bench near the tennis court and there was Henry safe and sound.