Fiction - Moving On - A Love Story Beyond Eternity

She drove by the old house. It had character. It was a beautiful blue, with a cream trim. The porch and the eaves were trimmed with gingerbread.The “For Sale” sign was still in the yard. She would love to have this house.

Right now, though, she was dreaming. After the death of her husband, and the bills that came with his long illness, she wouldn’t be able to afford the beautiful home. Maybe one day she could have a home like this.

For today, she had to go downtown. There was a street fair down there, and the small craft store she worked for had a booth there. She was supposed to run it all afternoon. She got there just when her shift was ready to start. She briefly talked to the other clerk to find out how things were going, and then set about getting to work.

As she sat, she thought of the past year. So many things had changed.

At the end of her shift, she went home to her own quaint little apartment. She had moved there shortly after his death. She had wanted to stay in their home. It was a small home, but it was too much to pay for all on her own. So she moved to this apartment.

It had once been a carriage house for the home in front. It had been remodeled into a one bedroom apartment. She loved the fact that the owners had kept the original doors of the carriage house. They made her feel safe.

She looked around her small home. It was nice and comfortable, but she wanted more. She wanted more from her home, and she wanted more in her life. She was amazed to discover that she was finally ready to move on. Maybe even ready for a new relationship. She laughed to herself when that thought came to mind. He had only been gone for a year. Tomorrow would be the anniversary of his death. Maybe that was why she was feeling so melancholy.

She went out to check her mail, as she did daily. The only thing she ever saw in her mail was junk mail and bills. She hoped today would be more interesting. She reached into the mailbox, only to find that she was right. There were only three envelopes – all bills. She went back into her apartment and threw the mail on her dining table. She would figure them out in the morning.

The next morning, she woke up thinking about the river. She and her husband had spent many days on the river that ran outside of town. He had loved to kayak, and she learned to love it as much as he did. She had sold the kayaks soon after he had passed, but she decided that she could go to the river and sit for a while. She drove out past town to a spot that had been their favorite. It was a spot that overlooked the river and the tops of the tall pine trees that lined the riverbanks. It was a perfect spot to sit and think.

She explored the area for a little bit, taking the trail that led down to the river. She noticed the flowers, the trees, the butterflies along the path. She couldn’t remember a time when everything had been so beautiful, so perfect. Then she decided to return home.

She walked into her apartment and her eyes drifted to the pile of bills on her table. She might as well go through it now. The first one was another medical bill. She added it to the pile with the rest of them. She was trying to get them paid, but they always wanted more money than she had. The next was a utility bill.. It was the third envelope that made her stop dead in her tracks.

It wasn’t a bill as she had expected. It was a plain, white, business sized envelope. It had no return address, and no postmark. She opened it carefully. When she saw what was inside, she fell to the floor and began to cry. It was a letter that was wrapped around a check. The check was from an insurance company, but the letter was from someone she had never expected to hear from again. It was from her husband. It took her a moment to compose herself long enough to read it.

“Dearest One,

I want to say how much I appreciated you. Your selflessness. Your beauty, inside and out. I can’t believe how much you sacrificed so that you could stay and take care of me. You area young woman. You should have been out having fun with your friends. Instead, day afterday, night after night, you stayed with me. You held my hand, kissed my brow, wiped awaythe sweat and the tears. I loved the cards you made me! You are so artistic and your senseof humor! Wow!

I want you to know how special you are! You deserve to go on with your life, to be happy.I want you to find another someone special. I know that no one is as special as I am! Just kidding! Hope you smiled! But honestly, find someone special. Follow your dreams. You deserve to be happy. Please be happy.

Hopefully, this check will help you to follow those dreams. I never told you about the inheritance I received from my grandparents. But now, it’s all yours.

Be happy! I will always love you!

Your beloved husband”

She wept as she read the letter. Then she looked at the check. At first, she thought she had looked at it wrong. There were too many zeroes! What she held in her hands was not only enough to buy her dream house; it was enough to keep her comfortable for a long time.

She looked at the letter again. Even in death, he was still taking care of her…