My bike coasted to a stop beside the screened porch that is my "Man Cave" where she sits in a faded baby blue Terry Cloth bathrobe sipping coffee.
"You must be Micheal," she says with a sleepy million dollar smile.
"Yep," I reply and she hugs me, spilling coffee on her robe which makes her laugh.
Grinning, Rick meanders out saying, "This is her."
The way he says it is pure joy. High school sweethearts until life took them in different directions where they married, had children and worked until ... love refused to be separated any longer and now, they are finding a way.
Having no other place to reunite, and little money to do so, Rick asked if they could meet at my place and stay in the extra room downstairs.
He and I are friends, work together and I'm a sap for a love story so it was a no-brainer.
What I mostly recall is the way they looked at each other, always with a smile, a sense of delight they finally taken the chance, damn the cost, to be together.
After that first weekend tryst, I often saw them on the beach holding hands, toes touching in the sand, drinking beers basking more in themselves than the sun.
She was late for their wedding leaving Rick and I hanging in the hot sunshine on the south beach crosswalk, me in a black robe and he in a suit.
Half an hour later, Kathy laughs and, unable to contain himself, Rick rushes to walk her up the crosswalk ... to Hell with keeping Bride and Groom separated until the actual ceremony! ... they'd had enough separation.
God blessed us that day because someone had set up chairs, an arbor and candelabras in the sand for another wedding but no one was there so ... we used them ... surely a gift from Heaven.
That was a long time ago but I still see the unbridled joy tainted with crazy caution to the wind resolve to make the most of every moment they have left together.
Today is Kathy's birthday but she doesn't know.
Rick says, "We are good ... Living a simple life ... Kathy is in the later stages of Alzheimer's and we just plug along as best we can ... She is still my heart and soul ... I am blessed to have her."
Sometimes I get pretty pissed off at God and this is one of them.
Then again "God is love" John says in the Bible and if love is what Rick and Kathy have then God is part of them too.
So Rick whisper in your lovely wife's ear and wish her "Happy Birthday" for me ... kiss your heart and soul too ... count your blessing again today.
One of my blessings was to be a small part of your conspiracy of love and I remain honored, privileged and humbled that it was me y'all chose to get this party started.
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