"Always."(Kevin Hughes) “You there?”

She was scared. The car just turned in front of them without warning. She could feel the blood running down her head. She couldn’t see anything. From the front seat she heard the sounds of her older Sister’s screams.

Next to her, she felt her hand looking for her boyfriend’s hand. They had known each other since First Grade.

Now, some eight years, and nine Grades later, they were close. In fact, boyfriend and girlfriend since Sixth Grade. She couldn’t hear, her head hurt, and she was afraid for her sister. She repeated a little louder:

“You there?”

She felt something touch her hand. It was his hand. She felt better, safer, stronger. His hand squeezed hers:

“Always.”

A part of her relaxed. He was there. It would be alright. Her world went black.

*****

He had grown so fast, that everything he ate went to height, not weight. She would tease him about it all through High School. Not in Public. Just in private. She called him String Bean. He called her “Hersheys.” It was because he always wanted to kiss her. To be honest, she did have the beginning shape of a Hershey’s kiss. As they used to say in the old days: “She’s a bit bottom heavy.”

It didn’t bother her, because it didn’t bother him. He liked her just fine…just the way she was. He made her feel beautiful in every way. He also listened to her…and thought about what she said. And that, she had told her Mother once in a “girl’s only” talk, is reason enough to Marry him someday.

But today, he looked not like a string bean, but gaunt. His skin lost its color, his spirit drooped. He looked…lost. He was only 19 years old. Too young to lose a Mother, unexpectedly…to a heart attack no one saw coming. His Dad was practically comatose in shock. Her boyfriend was the only thing holding that man, and Family together.

She stood up as he came in the door. He stopped to kiss her gently on her forehead. Then he looked into the room where his Dad, two older sisters, and his two younger brothers were sitting in despair. He whispered down to her:

“You there?”

She gripped his hand, and squeezed.

“Always.”

He straightened up, as they walked into the room. Five sets of eyes looked up with hope.

“Dad, here is what we need to do…”

*****

The Church was full. There was a bigger crowd than there was at their Graduation from College. Everyone wanted to be there for that. They were just such a kind, loving couple- albeit those were strange adjectives to give a young man and young woman barely into their 20’s. It was a small college, and everyone knew them. So they all showed up.

Now, it was their Wedding Day. He was all of 26 years old. She was all of 25 and 1/2 years old. They had no memories of life without the other.

She walked down the aisle, her Dad sweating more than her. He waited for her like a drowning person looks at the surface of the water inches away, with a look that said it all.

It made her quiver inside. He whispered when he took her hand to face the Preacher:

“You there?”

She squeezed his hand.

“Always.”

*****

Life isn’t fair. People who want a baby, can’t have one. People who don’t care, seem to have them in litters. She had no choice. The disease took any chance of being a mother from her. The surgery merely confirmed it.

She came out of recovery with such a scattered mind she couldn’t quite get focused.

“You there?”

She heard her voice. She couldn’t open her eyes, but she knew it was her talking. His hand slipped into hers. She heard him whisper softly:

“Always.”

*****

Life went along. The pain had been growing for months. She had ignored it. He had not. So off to the Doctors they went.

The Doctor was kind, but honest.

“I can recommend a good Hospice Program.”

His words faded away…so did her world. She was only able to utter a single sentence:

“You there?”

“Always.”

*****

The Funeral Home had to open all three of the extra rooms, and even that wasn’t enough to hold the number of people that seemed to grow every hour they were open. Whomever she was, she had been truly loved.

The Wake, as all good Wakes do; had laughter, tears, memories, and quiet long hugs, where words would have been an intrusion.

That night he lay down alone for the first time in sixty nine years. He couldn’t sleep.
Finally, he sat up in bed.

“You there?”

He heard her.

“Always.”

The Paramedics found his body, slumped over in bed. A smile on is face, one hand clutching a pillow that said: “Hershey’s” on it. They put it on the gurney with him.

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