A Dance Farewell

By Cheri Dean

A year following the death of his mother, Josh Allen discovers he has a strong desire to share the story of the twenty-four-year relationship his mother, Kenzie Taylor, shared with his best friend, Todd Langford. What makes the story he endeavors to tell unique is the age difference separating them. Josh's mother was fourteen years older than Todd. Whereas as society readily accepts the difference between an older man and a woman young enough to be his daughter, it doesn't when the woman is older.

Kenzie and Todd met briefly for the first time at Josh's wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. He could never decide whether this is where it actually began for them or if it began a year later when she returned for a visit and to explore the probability of moving to the area. The loss of her husband in a tragic accident and the injuries she sustained in it were forcing her to abandon her home she loved dearly in the western mountains of North Carolina.

Todd had been a lost soul for years. The gruesome deaths of his wife and infant son inflicted scars too deep to ever heal. Josh thought whenever Todd and his mother looked at each other, they saw reflections of themselves and those reflections pulled at them like magnets. Slowly, with time, they became kindred spirits—but not without trials and tribulations.

Charleston, a staunch old town steeped in history and tradition, didn't make life easy for them. There were barriers to be broken before they could live their lives freely. And both of them had their own demons to put to bed before they could move forward with their relationship. As Josh tells his story, he touches on many issues of life that begs for exposure.

Josh frequently compared their relationship to that of neglected flowering plants. He saw both them when they were lifeless and simply went through the motions of living for the benefit of others—not themselves. He noticed the changes as their relationship deepened over time and likened it to the budding of a rose that finally, after a long struggle, bursts into a beautiful bloom. And after sharing its beauty with the world, slowly dies on the vine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667801261

Cheri Dean

Cheri Dine (Thomas) Wendland writes under the pen-name of Cheri Dean. She has been a closet writer for more years than she likes to think about and only began her publishing career in December of 2021 with the release of "A Dance Farewell". Though her books lean towards the feminine gender, she is surprised at how well they have been received by her male audience. Indications are it's because her stories realistically portray life at its best and its worst. A number of her followers say Cheri's books are so visual, they are like reading a movie. Mississippi is Cheri's home state. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Charles. They are looking forward to moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, this fall in search of a warmer climate. Cheri has lived in eight states and thirty-four houses to date. Like her mother, she thinks she has wings on her feet. We happen to agree with her.

Book preview

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Copyright 2021

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-66780-125-4 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-66780-126-1 (eBook)

Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Author Biography

Dedication

I dedicate my first book as a published author to my husband, Charles Wendland, who constantly strives to make my dreams come true. I love him.

Prologue

There’s a story to be told, and I want to be the one to tell it. I want to for a number of reasons. First of all, I know it better than anyone. Secondly, I was there the moment it began, and I was there when it ended. It’s a beautiful story of life at its best, and its worst, and one that needs to be heard.

This story is about my mother, Kenzie Leigh Taylor, and her close and constant companion for twenty-four years. His name was Todd David Langford. What makes the story unique is Todd was fifteen years younger than my mother. He was only thirty-four years old when they first met, and she was forty-nine years young. In some ways, the story began the moment they met. In other ways, it didn’t begin for another year. What you may find surprising is as unorthodox as their relationship was, I gave it my blessing as soon as it began to blossom. When it bloomed, it was truly beautiful to behold. Contrary to what you may have assumed at this point, this is not just your run of the mill love story. It’s much more. It’s a story of life.

I decided to write Mother and Todd’s story one year from the date they both died. I had risen early in the morning before the break of day to drive five hours to where she lay beneath the spreading branches of a majestic white oak. It stood on the gentle rise of the mountains that had captured her soul and spirit many years before.

As I sat in a portable canvas chair, the kind a lot of people haul around in the trunk of their cars or the back of their minivans, the rays of a rather subdued sun warmed my face. In contrast, a gentle but cool breeze made me wish I had worn a long-sleeved shirt or a lightweight jacket. I had forgotten how fall returns to the mountains long before making its way to my home on the southern shores of the Atlantic. I gazed at the smoke clad mountains surrounding me and took comfort in them. Though I never learned to love them like my mother did, I did understand her passion for them. I tilted my face to the sun, closed my eyes, and sucked in a deep breath. After slowly exhaling it, I opened my eyes and looked down at the double crypt before me.

Kenzie Leigh Alan Taylor

October 23, 1934 to October 13, 2007

and

Michael Lloyd Taylor

August 12, 1932 to September 1, 1982

As ridiculous as it sounds, I couldn’t help but smile in thinking that if I took a shovel and gently unearthed the soil between them, I would find their hands would have somehow found a way to join them in death as they had in life.

My thoughts drifted from my mother and Michael back to my home in Charleston, South Carolina. There, just as Mother lay beside the true love of her life, my good friend, Todd Langford, lay in repose beside his soul mate, Denise. Between them was the tiny grave of their infant son, Daniel.

How, I wondered, was it possible for Mother and Todd to share a life so full of love after Denise and Michael? One would think they had given to them to the extent there simply wouldn’t have been anything left to give to anyone else. It was in the process of searching for these answers I found my story.

Upon returning to Charleston, though very tentatively, I began to write it. There were times when I became discouraged, and times when I didn’t think I had the ability to see it through. Whenever I reached that point, I would hear a voice I knew well softly telling me, you can do this, Josh. And when my mother’s beautiful face floated before me, I knew I could.

Chapter One

Mother and Todd’s story began on one of the best days of my life—the day I married my best friend, Rachael. I had the fortune, or possibly the misfortune depending on how you looked at it, of marrying into money. As such, Rachael’s mother, Tess, saw to it her daughter had the wedding of her dreams. And I’m not talking about Rachael’s. I’m talking about her mother’s!

When I suggested to Rachael her dad might not be happy with all the money she and her mother were spending, Rachael accused me of being unfair. And she was right. I knew as well as she did her dad didn’t begrudge a single cent his wife was spending on their daughter’s wedding. I also knew his pockets were so deep they had no bottoms in them.

You see, this wasn’t the first time the issue of money had come between Rachael and me. Its ugly head sprang up shortly after we began dating. It hovered in the background until Rachael took it upon herself to clear the air once and for all. She spelled it all out for me. Then, it was decision time for me.

Rachael explained to me in great depth, if we were going to continue our relationship, I needed to understand exactly what it would mean to be a part of her family. She told me in no uncertain terms, her parents fell into the category of the filthy rich. To make matters worse, they came from old money. The point she got across to me was that her family lines had been in Charleston for generations. And the money had been there just as long. She made me understand, though certain privileges and benefits came with the territory, some of them would come at a price. I realized at that moment if I continued my relationship with Rachael, I was going to be knee-deep in something I detested. Elitism. The bottom line was, as much as I hated it, I loved Rachael more.

Our wedding was truly beautiful in every aspect. I’m not going to bore you with the details. Let’s just say it was on the high-end of your typical up-scale affair and everything went just as Tess intended.

The reception was a different story. Though Rachael and I let Tess take control of the wedding, when it came to the reception, we did it our way. We felt strongly that, though our guests would likely enjoy an affair with a lavish sit-down dinner, it was not conducive to the atmosphere we wanted to achieve. With that thought uppermost in our minds, we chose the informal atmosphere of a cocktail party. One with a fantastic location, an abundance of good food, plenty of booze, and lots of music. Sounds like a winner, doesn’t it? Well, it was.

Many of my friends were a bit taken back when I asked Todd Langford to be my best man. For me, it was a no-brainer. Todd was eight years older than I was and because of the age difference, he wasn’t a regular in the group I ran with.

It wasn’t that my friends didn’t know Todd and I were friends. They simply didn’t know how close we were. This was understandable. Todd and I considered the basis of our friendship as a private matter—not a public one. Though I shared close friendships with a number of others, Todd was the only one I shared a deep one with. One day, some of them will understand the difference. Without a doubt, some of them never will.

I have trouble deciding if my friendship with Todd came about because I was in the wrong place at the right time, or because I was in the right place at the wrong time. Either way, circumstances were that Todd bared his soul to me the first time we met. It’s difficult to put into words the impact that insight had on me. All I know for sure is the day I met Todd I was carefree, shallow, and somewhat self-centered. When I woke up the next morning, I was a different man. You might say I grew up overnight and suddenly I was wise beyond my years. I saw life from an entirely different perspective. In a matter of hours, I learned to value it, to treat it as a treasure. And to always be acutely aware whatever you have one day can all be lost the next.

You would know Todd had a conflict with his work on the date of our wedding. Being a part of our wedding wasn’t an option but getting back to Charleston in time for the reception was promising. Though I sensed Todd was touched when I asked him to be my best man, I realized he was actually relieved he had a conflict. Knowing him as well as I did, I knew it was simply because he preferred to be in the background rather than front and center.

Our wedding went off without a hitch and the reception had finally gotten under way. The wedding party had begun descending from the second floor of the hotel into the crowd waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Rachael and I peeked through an opening watching the processional and perusing the crowd. I breathed a sigh of relief when I spotted Todd standing in the back. He had made it!

I followed his eyes back to the stairs and watched with pride as my mother made her way down them with my stepfather, Michael, by her side. I guess it’s a fair assessment to say this is where it all began. This was the moment Todd Langford laid eyes on my mother for the very first time.

Years later, Todd told me he would always remember that moment as clearly as if it were yesterday. He said he knew the instant he fastened his eyes on Mother he was looking at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life—or ever hoped to see. I remember his words well.

.......

She was truly a vision, Josh. She didn’t simply walk down those stairs. She floated down them! She had on this soft yellow dress that made her golden complexion look as if it had been sprinkled with fairy dust. And when she smiled, her face became so vibrant and full of life, it literally made my heart ache. I didn’t know who I was looking at until one of your cousins standing next to me told me. He said your mother was one of the nicest people anyone could ever meet. I made up my mind I was going to find out just how nice she was before the evening was over. Also, I wanted to see if she looked as good up close as she did from a distance.

I’m sure you know, she did. Do you remember what an idiot I looked like when you introduced us? The first words out of my mouth were my exclaiming how beautiful she was! Trust me, I had a hard time living that one down. Our so-called friends were quick to remind me of it for more years than I like to remember.

Apparently, your stepfather didn’t enjoy dancing like your mother; so, before the evening was over, I managed to dance with your mother at least a half dozen times. She was an excellent dancer and as you know, I was well-qualified to make that deduction. Needless to say, by the time the evening was over, I was more than smitten by your mother. Considering my state of mind at that time, that was saying a lot.

.......

What Todd didn’t tell me was his remembering that before the evening ended and after he had consumed a fair amount of alcohol, he had made a pass at mother. One that didn’t sit well with her at all. I didn’t learn of this little incident until much later when I put her on the spot and forced her to fess up.

When I look back, it’s hard for me to decide if our reception was where it all began for Mother and Todd or a year later when they met for the second time.

Chapter Two

A Year Later

Mother had driven from her home north of Asheville, North Carolina to ours in Charleston, South Carolina. She was planning on staying a week splitting the time between my sister, Marissa, who lived in the area and Rachael and me. We were eating lunch at one of the local restaurants when Todd spotted us and came over to say hello.

Todd was lunching with an associate of Charleston’s Little Theater group. Supposedly the purpose of their meeting was she wanted his input regarding the selection of a couple of musicals for the coming year. She indicated, since he was the Director of Choreography for the theater group in Atlanta and a life-long resident of Charleston, he would know which musicals would be a good fit.

It didn’t take Todd very long to decide she was more interested in him personally than selections for the theater for the year. Just about the moment he decided he had listened to her enough and was going to cut the meeting short on some excuse, an image materialized in the distance; and then froze. Time stood still. At a table in a corner of an adjacent room sat Kenzie Taylor, Josh’s mother.

Though it was only a side profile and it had been well over a year since he had seen her, he knew it was her. A quick scan of her companions confirmed his deduction; Josh and Rachael were sitting with her. A waiter walked up to Josh and obliterated his view of Kenzie. Todd watched as he handed Josh the bill. Suddenly, he realized it wasn’t the bill, but his change!

Panic flooded his thoughts. Shit! They were getting ready to leave! Quickly, he jumped to his feet, pulled out his wallet, and passed a couple of twenties to Carrie. I’m sorry, he stammered, but I just remembered there’s something I need to take care of. If I don’t, he lied blithely, my head is going to roll.

Before she could voice the protest he could see manifesting in her face, he quickly added. I’ll call you in a few days. Maybe we can do this over dinner next time and make an evening of it. He flashed her a winning smile. When she returned it, he knew he was home free.

As Carrie watched him leave, the satisfaction on her face turned to perplexity. Instead of heading for the exit, he moved deeper into an adjoining room and out of sight. Oh, well, she thought in confusion. Maybe he needed to make a head run first.

As for dinner with her, Todd didn’t think so. All he was worrying about at the moment was getting to Josh before they left.

By the time he reached the table where Josh was sitting with his mother, his heart was thumping as wildly as a drum. Calm down, buddy, he told himself sternly. You don’t want a repeat performance of the first time you met her, do you? See if you can act your age this time.

He approached their table at an angle, putting Josh’s mother to his back—which was exactly where he wanted her. When he said hello to Josh, he was surprised that as tight as his throat felt his voice didn’t squeak like a teenage boy going through puberty. After greeting him, he turned his attention to Rachael.

How’s my favorite girlfriend doing? As he waited for her answer, he forced himself to ignore Josh’s mother and concentrate on giving Rachael his full attention.

Not so well, she quipped. My favorite boyfriend is spending entirely too much time out of town. We miss you, Todd. How long are you going to be around this time?

Aw, shucks, Rachael, he drawled. "You still know how to make a guy feel good. And to answer your question, I’m going to be around for the next couple of weeks. How’s that grab you?

Fantastic! She exclaimed in delight. We’ll have to get together.

Todd, Josh interjected, pulling his attention away from Rachael. You remember my mother, Kenzie, don’t you?

Finally, Todd thought in relief. I can look. When he did, he found himself almost as breathless as he had been the first time he met her. Though she looked different in some manner, whatever it was, it did nothing to diminish the fact she was still as beautiful as ever.

Yes, Josh. I remember her well. Which, he thought to himself, was the understatement of the year.

Presumptuous or not, he put out his hand in greeting. He wanted to touch her again. When her hand met his, he took a lesson from her graciousness at the reception and clasped his other hand on top of hers, trapping it briefly. It’s really good to see you again, Kenzie. Then he asked as nonchalantly as he could muster. Can I assume you’re in town to see the play these kids of yours are starring in?

Yes, she replied courteously, along with a few other things. And how are you?

Fine, thank you. Though she wasn’t exactly rude, Todd could tell there was a certain level of coolness in her delivery. He chose to pretend it wasn’t there.

Speaking of the play, have you seen it yet?

No, I haven’t. I’m going to take it in tomorrow night.

Mother just got into town late yesterday afternoon, Todd explained. We figured after her drive she might be too tired to go tonight. Besides, since tomorrow night is the last performance, we wanted her to go then so she could join us for the usual gathering of cast and friends afterwards.

Sounds like a great idea, Todd agreed. I’m sure she would enjoy meeting them. They’re a fantastic group of people. I haven’t seen the play either and I plan on going tomorrow night as well.

That part wasn’t a lie. He truly had planned on seeing the last performance. He preferred them over earlier performances. Experience taught him final shows tended to be the best because the cast became more confident and relaxed with each performance. And there was something magical about the last ones. They tended to lift the cast’s spirits and let them put more enthusiasm into their roles.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. As busy as he had been since his return, he had forgotten about calling to reserve a ticket. When he realized there may not be any seats left, his heart missed a beat. If that proved to be the case, somehow, someway, he was going to have a ticket by the rise of the curtain tomorrow night!

I haven’t had a chance to get a ticket since getting back into town. It isn’t sold out, is it?

Surprisingly, Josh answered proudly, it is. We got such good reviews last weekend, these last performances sold out early in the week. However, he added smugly. This is your lucky day. You remember my sister, Marissa? Well, Brad—her husband—was going to babysit their children so Marissa could take Mother for us. We didn’t want her to have to go as early as we have to go.

Unfortunately, those plans have gone to hell in a handbag. Brad was called out of town with work. The new baby has a cold and Marissa won’t leave him with a sitter. That means she can’t take Mother for us. Bummer, huh?

He pulled out his wallet, fished out a ticket, and handed it to Todd. You can have her ticket, and it won’t cost you a dime. You know as a member of the cast we get some freebies. If we had known you were going to be in town, we would have saved you one. I’m sorry about the mess we have, but happy we have this extra one to give to you.

Todd breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks, Josh. I appreciate it. If Marissa isn’t going, how is your mother going to get to the theater?

I guess, Josh answered dismally, the best answer I can give you at the moment is to say we’re still trying to work it out.

You know, I pass within a few blocks of your house on my way in. I’ll be happy to pick her up, if that’ll help you out.

Genuine relief flooded Josh’s face. Hey, Todd! That would be great! Are you sure you don’t mind?

Of course, I don’t! Todd retorted quickly.

Ask me if I mind! Kenzie screamed silently.

On second thought, Josh. I can go one better. I know you and Rachael have to be there by four, and that you’ll be eating a light meal with the cast before the play. Why don’t I pick your mother up a little early and we’ll grab a bite on the way in? It’s the least I can do in exchange for the ticket.

Fighting for control, Kenzie finally got a word in edgewise. Josh, she said firmly. There really isn’t any reason for you to put Todd out. I assure you I’m perfectly capable of driving myself. All I need you to do is draw me a map.

Mother, Josh said with exasperation. "You always have maps, and they’ve never kept you on track before. You had one yesterday, and even though you’ve been to our house a number of times, you still got lost! What makes you think it would be any different tomorrow night?"

As much as Kenzie hated to admit it, Josh was right. As far as getting around Charleston, she was batting zero. It was something she couldn’t understand. She was a pretty good navigator, but for some reason, Charleston had her number. Without a doubt, she wasn’t going to win this argument; so, she regrouped and changed tactics.

Well, if you aren’t comfortable with my driving, then I’ll just go early with you. I really don’t want to infringe on Todd.

Rachael put a hand on Kenzie’s arm. Mom, if you come with us, you’ll be too tired by the time the play is over to go out with us afterwards. We really do want you to come, she pleaded. When our director, John Shiver, heard you were coming to the play, he told us to bring you to the cast party. He missed meeting you at our reception and hasn’t forgiven us for the oversight yet. She glanced over at Todd before continuing.

And don’t worry about putting Todd out. We know him well enough to know if he minded picking you up, he wouldn’t have offered! If the truth be known, he will probably enjoy your company. His social calendar is practically non-existent and he won’t let any of us do anything about it.

Kenzie threw up her hands in resignation. Okay! I give! A tiredness moved across her face and dejection pulled her shoulders down. Intuitively, Todd knew his insisting on picking her up had caused the changes in her demeanor. It made him feel like a dog, but like a dog, he wasn’t willing to give up his bone.

Kenzie turned to Rachel and Josh. Whatever is best for you is best for me. But I wish you two would quit worrying about me. It makes you do more for me than is warranted and both of you have done way too much lately. We need to break this cycle.

Josh sensed his mother wasn’t very happy with the new plans, but he was between a rock and a hard place. Whether she realized it or not, Todd’s picking her up was a Godsend. And in his opinion, there was no good reason as to why he shouldn’t. He hated like hell to force his will on her, but this time, she was just going to have to get over it. He turned his attention back to Todd.

I guess that settles it, then. I really appreciate this, Todd. It gets a monkey off my back. By the way, plan on going to the cast party with us. It’ll give us the chance to spend a little more time with you and quite a few members of the cast will enjoy seeing you. About half of them have worked with you on some of your productions in the past, and they all give you a lot of credit for their success.

They’re too kind, but I’ll enjoy seeing them again. Regarding the cast party, count me in. He turned back to Kenzie. I’ll pick you up at five-thirty.

Her protests began anew. You can pick me up and take me to the play, but we don’t have to plan on dinner. I’ll grab a sandwich before I leave.

Todd nipped her objectives in the bud quickly. Having dinner with you will actually simplify things. By eating early at Blanco’s, which is directly across the street from the theater, we can get a prime parking place and avoid the jam of people coming to the play later.

Before she could respond, he walked away calling over his shoulder to Rachael and Josh. I’m looking forward to the play. I hear the two of you are dynamic together.

Chapter Three

The next evening, when Todd drove up to the curb in front of Josh and Rachael’s house, Kenzie was sitting on the front porch. She was staring off to her right and was so lost in thought, she didn’t notice him until he shut the door to his car. Seemingly, the noise from it stirred her out of her reverie and brought her back to the present.

She rose to her feet and headed towards the steps. As Todd studied her, he decided she was much thinner than she had been at the wedding. When she reached the steps, she took a firm hold of the rail and started down slowly—one step at a time.

The act confused Todd. He found it hard to believe the same woman who had walked down twenty or thirty steps at the reception a year ago without ever looking down once, was struggling with only six or seven. His confusion deepened. Upon reaching him at the bottom of the steps, she reached out and looped her arm through his.

I hope you don’t mind if I hold onto you, she said lightly. The combination of this fieldstone walkway and steep slope is giving me fits and I’m simply not in the mood to fall down tonight.

This was said as if falling down was something she did on a regular basis. When she got into the car, she did so in a manner that made Todd think it was a practiced maneuver. After shutting her door, he circled the car and got in on the driver’s side. As soon as he settled into his seat, she began talking.

Before we head off, I want to clarify this situation.

When he turned to meet her gaze, he realized there was one thing about her that hadn’t changed—the depth of her eyes. They were still as deep and green as the ocean and still as soft as the velvety petals of a rose.

The only reason I’m with you tonight, Todd, she stated dejectedly, is simply because I didn’t want to complicate things any more than I already have for Josh and Rachael. They worry about me entirely too much. Though I would have preferred other arrangements tonight, this seemed best for them. Therefore, it’s best for me. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Silently, Todd looked at her as he gathered his thoughts. I understand what you’re saying much better than you’re giving me credit for, he began tersely. Please be assured, Kenzie, I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice.

Kenzie knew immediately he was referring to Rachael and Josh’s reception when he had done a pretty good job of getting out of line with her.

He continued earnestly. You really didn’t need to define your territory again. I heard you loud and clear the first time. He put a hand on the steering wheel and started the engine. He sat still for a few seconds letting the purr of it soothe his nerves. When he turned to speak again, the irritation in his voice disappeared.

I remember, he began carefully. When I flubbed our introduction at the reception, I asked Josh if we could start over. We did, and it went much better the second time. Why don’t we do that now? Why don’t we start over? Why don’t we pretend we just met for the first time? With beginning anew, I’ll remember who I am, and who you are. You will be Josh’s mother, and I’ll be the good friend of his I am. I promise you, he added emphatically. I won’t screw up this time. I will do my very best to make sure I don’t make you uncomfortable in any shape, way, or fashion. And if I do, then just give me a look, and I’ll back off. If we go about this in a sensible manner, I really think we can make the best of what you perceive to be a bad situation. Who knows? he said with a little laugh and a shrug of his shoulders. We may end up enjoying the evening in spite of ourselves! What do you think? He almost held his breath as he waited anxiously for her response.

Kenzie studied his face intently. What she read in it was sincerity. She believed he meant every word. She felt, whereas he may not succeed with his efforts, he really would do his best to not offend her—again. Much in the manner he had done, she shrugged her shoulders and begrudgingly admitted. I guess you could be right. We probably don’t have anything to lose in trying, do we?

Her question was a no-brainer for Todd. I don’t know about you, he said with conviction, but I sure as hell don’t!

They rode to the restaurant, more or less, in silence. Todd pointed out a few of the sights along the way, and they made small talk about the weather, and Marissa’s children—Kenzie’s only grandchildren. She had high hopes Josh and Rachael were going to add to the count at some point in the future, but they seemed in no hurry and she had no intentions of rushing them. They had plenty of time ahead of them.

As early as it was, Todd found a parking place on the street quite close to the restaurant and just across the street from the venue of the play. Again, as she had done at Josh’s house, when they encountered the steps leading to the entrance of Blanco’s, Kenzie reached out and took a firm hold of Todd’s arm and took the steps one at a time. Dear God! He thought in alarm. Has she had a stroke?

Later, as they sat under the cover of an open patio with a good meal behind them, conversation became easier. They sat sipping wine in a very relaxed manner. When she didn’t reach for a cigarette after the meal, Todd figured she had given up the habit. Out of courtesy, he refrained from smoking himself. A few minutes later, Kenzie reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. She fished out a couple and proceeded to wash them down with a gulp of water.

Do you have a headache? Todd asked in concern. As much as he hated doing it, he offered to run her back home.

No, that’s not necessary, she replied, shaking her head negatively. I’ll be okay with taking these. I wish it were my head, though. I think it would be easier to treat. I’m afraid my leg is doing its best to ruin my trip. I guess the drive here aggravated it. It’s the longest trip I’ve made since I hurt it, she offered in explanation. Evidently, it wasn’t as up to the task as I thought it was.

Todd saw an opening and took it. You said, hurt your leg. How did that happen? He sensed immediately she regretted bringing the issue up. He waited patiently for her to offer some kind of explanation, but it was slow coming. Finally, as if she were choosing every word carefully, she began.

I was in a really bad automobile accident. I broke both of my legs, one arm, my collarbone, and about half of my ribs. I also injured my back, had a concussion, and had more cuts and bruises than you could count. The doctors said I was lucky to be alive. There have been a few times over the last few months when I wasn’t convinced this was the case. There were times when I felt I would have had to get better in order to die. It was all pretty bad.

For a few seconds, Todd was stunned beyond speech. His mind raced back to the restaurant when he had run into them the day before, and then forward. In doing so, he was able to comprehend why she seemed different. It was the accident! When he found his voice, he asked her when it had happened.

It happened a couple of months after the wedding.

Were you alone?

No, she began hesitantly. Michael was with me.

Her husband. The nice congenial guy who had told him to dance all he wanted to with his pretty wife. Was he hurt, too? Todd asked.

Kenzie indicated he was by nodding her head up and down, but she refused to make eye contact with Todd. She looked off to the side and chose not to offer any details.

Kenzie, Todd prodded. How badly was Michael hurt?

As he watched her fight for control, a familiar tightness began to build in his chest. Suddenly, he wished he could take back his words. Knowing he couldn’t, he wanted to push back his chair and run away as fast and as far as he could. He knew, whatever she was going to tell him, he didn’t want to hear it. He steeled himself to remain where he was—for her sake.

She dropped her head and proceeded to aimlessly run a finger around the rim of her wine glass. She took a deep breath. When she lifted her head and met Todd’s eyes, she was looking through deep pools of water.

Almost in a whisper, she said the words he didn’t want to hear. Michael died in my arms at the scene of the accident.

Todd recoiled in shock. For a few seconds, he was speechless. Then a low moan escaped his lips. Dear God. He cried silently. Help me! When he spoke, his voice was filled with anguish. I am so sorry, Kenzie. He sat there stunned, shaking his head in disbelief. Without thinking, he reached over and clasped her hand. My heart bleeds for you, he whispered brokenly.

After a few minutes of silence, he regained his composure. You two had something special, but I don’t have to tell you that.

Please, Todd. Kenzie pleaded. I don’t want to talk about it. Can’t you understand?

The sad thing was he could. Then we won’t, he said soothingly. Not now. Not tonight, Kenzie. But one day, he said softly, when the time is right, we will.

She nodded her head appreciating the reprieve.

He realized in retrospect why she had looked so different, and just what it was he had seen studying her. God knows, he should have recognized it sooner. He knew it well. He had seen that same empty look stare back at him from mirrors he had looked into for years on end. And there were days when he still saw it. He just didn’t see it as often anymore. Would it ever go away completely? He didn’t think so. And just