The Sweetest look.(Kevin Hughes) “Cheryl, what is it? You look like you just had the best dessert ever made or something.”

Cheryl shook her head, still feeling the euphoria of having witnessed that brief interchange between the old couple.

*****

“I’m sorry Mrs. Burns, but visiting hours are over. Your husband needs his rest. You can have another minute.”

Mrs. Burns turned towards Cheryl…slowly.

“I want every minute I can have with him.”

Cheryl heard the pain in Mrs. Burns voice. It almost made her cave in with another five minutes of time. Rules were rules, and she had already bent them twice for Mrs. Burns today.

“You can have just one. Then, you have to say goodbye.”

Something turned in Mrs. Burn’s eyes. She looked at Cheryl with such intensity that Cheryl instinctively backed up a step.

“I will never say “Goodbye.” I will say: “Until we meet again.”

Cheryl nodded, pointed to her watch:

“One more minute.”

Just as she turned to leave the room, Mr. Burn’s opened his eyes. He saw Cheryl first…nodded, blinked and then saw his wife. His eyes grew warm, open, loving. His face seemed to drop sixty or seventy of his eighty four years. He became young, innocent, unafraid. Cheryl watched as Mrs. Burn’s leaned over to gently hold his hand, while still holding his eyes with hers.

Cheryl let out a gasp. It was the most intimate look she had ever seen in her life. A lifetime of love, trust and kindness in a single long look. She didn’t want it to end. She wanted to drink from two lives that created a pool that could be that deep. After a minute, Mr. Burns closed his eyes, and his hand slipped from hers. He was asleep…again.

Mrs. Burns turned to walk out. Cheryl held the door. Pretty sure that Mrs. Burns didn’t see her. That look was lingering in her eyes…softening everything around her.

Cheryl watched her walk down the long hallway to the elevators. A prayer slipped out without conscious thought…and a thank you for letting her see what sixty years of loving, forgiving, surviving, and growing does to a couple. She walked back to the Nurses station feeling like someone had melted hot fudge over ice cream, leaving that same velvety feeling of joy.

The Head Nurse saw the look on Cheryl’s face. So wistful. So peaceful. Like she had seen God, or at least a Miracle. So she asked her:

“Cheryl, what is it? You look like you just had the best dessert ever made or something.”

Cheryl shook her head.

“I just saw the sweetest thing.”

She smiled.

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