As with my other stories, all characters are over 18. Some are composites of real people I know or have met, while others are purely fictitious. Of course, the names have been changed and any other identifying aspects.
This story is a little different from the others I have written. It attempts to be more character driven, than sex driven, although there are steamy, outside nude and sex scenes scattered throughout. You the reader will determine whether I have been successful.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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Eliane was gone. The funeral was over, and all that remained was a few close friends cleaning up the after-funeral meal gathering. Michael, the newly made widower, sat in his recliner in the corner of the living room, staring out the window facing the backyard, envisioning Elaine in her garden. But she wasn't there. She was underground now. The thought sent waves of grieve through his body. Tears were blurring his vision, and staining his face.
He knew that if there was a heaven, and he believed there was, that she was there. She was the most honest, straight-laced and moral person he had ever known. She was avid in her faith in God and in the general goodness of her fellow humans. She always tried to think the best of people, even when they gave her no reason to do so. She had kept him out of trouble more than once.
Diane, a close friend of Elaine and Michael for over ten years, sat down in a chair across from him. She began to speak, "Michael, I think we are going to go now. There is plenty of extra food in the fridge if you get hungry later."
Michael turned to look at Diane, but seemed to look right pass her. Then focusing on her, he said, "Yeah, okay, thanks. You all have been wonderful. I'll be all right. Just need some time to get myself together."
Diane understood exactly what he was going through. She had lost her husband of 15 years just two years earlier. She then added, "You have my phone number, so if you need anything, or just need to talk, please don't hesitate to call me, or any of us, okay?"
Michael smiled, saying, "All of you have been great, I don't know how I could have done this without all of you."
Diane replied, "I'm serious Michael, if you need anything, please let someone know."
Michael smiled, saying, "Okay, thanks, like I said, I'll be okay." He then stood up, and Diane stood to say good-bye.
He reached for her, they hugged for about a minute. It seemed like Michael didn't want to let go of her. She then reached up, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "I mean it, anything."
"Okay, and like I said, I just need some time. I'll be all right."
In another minute, the house was empty and quiet. He was alone for the first time in thirty-two years. He sat down in his recliner, and went back to staring out the window.
Thirty-two years with the same person, day in and day out, how do you transition from that to absolute aloneness, he thought.
TWO YEARS LATER.
He could still hear her voice in the hallway, the kitchen, calling from every room of the house. There were just too many reminders of her to continue to live there.
Elaine lost her fight with breast cancer. It had been two years since her passing, and the house seemed to hang onto her. Michael knew that it was really him that was hanging on, but everywhere he looked, some memory would come flooding back, a conversation, an argument, a laugh, an intimate moment between them, a haunting memory of her suffering.
He would have periods of relief from them, but then they always came back, without warning.
He looked over at the clock, 2:37 am. He got up out of bed, put some coffee on, grabbed the newspaper and mindlessly began rifling through its pages.
He came to the real estate section. He thought to himself, "Maybe that's what I should do, is sell this damn house, find a different house somewhere totally different. I need to create some new memories."
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like just the thing that he needed. However, he couldn't move to far away because of his two girls and the grandkids.
He knew if he was serious about this, his first step was to see what was available out there. The coffee had finished brewing, so he poured a cup, went to his computer in his office, and began searching.
He decided that he wanted some place that had a beautiful view, a lake view perhaps. The house needed to have at least three bedrooms and an office. A deck overlooking the lake would be perfect.
A lake view home, three or four bedrooms would be a good start.
With the insurance money, and the cashed out retirement money from Elaine's job, along with the sale of the existing house, and his business he should have no problem with financing.
Once he put the required parameters of his search in, there were many homes to look at. Most of the homes were at least 200 - 250 thousand, which is about what he expected for the area. However, he thought with the soft housing market, and a really good realtor, he might be able to find a real steal.
As he was looking at some of the listings on his screen, he saw a page with listings from a realtor that he knew. Of course, he thought, Diane! Actually, she and Elaine had worked together at the city offices several years back. Michael and Diane had always got along very well. They had known each other for over ten years. Elaine always spoke highly of her as a woman of high caliber.
Diane had been Elaine's supervisor when she worked for the city, but Diane grew tired of the politics and stress of her job and decided on a course change. She had moved into real estate, and apparently has done quite well for herself.
Michael decided to give Diane a call later on to see if she would be interested in helping him find a house. It would be really nice to see Diane again, he thought. She was a very lovely woman, just a few years younger than he. He had always found her very attractive. He thought, if I'm going to have to spend some time with a realtor, it might as well be someone who is easy on the eyes.
Looking at the clock, he saw it was 4 am. He took a last sip from the coffee cup, and decided to lay back down for a while. At least he had what he could call a plan of action.
By 9 am, he was up again and calling Diane's office to start the ball the rolling.
He was able to get Diane on the phone, and she seemed truly pleased that he had called her. Michael explained his situation to her, and why he needed a change of scenery and venue. She told him that she totally understood.
Diane had been a widow for about four years now, and knew exactly what Michael was going through. Her husband had also died of cancer, prostate cancer. She told him to let her look through her listings and she would get back with him as soon as she thought she had something of interest.
Later that afternoon, Michael's phone rang. "Hello."
"Michael, its Diane, how are you?"
"I'm doing good. Did you find me something?"
"Well, I might have found just what you're looking for, but then, you will need to be the judge of that. What is your schedule like tomorrow?"
"As far as I know right now, I'm free. What did you have in mind?"
"Well, if you could meet me at my office, then I could show you a few houses and maybe find one you really like."
"What time tomorrow?"
