His life, his wife

Not alone he woke at 7:30. She was at his side. He watched her sleeping. His bride. His new wife. His partner for life. Her lips curved upward in a smile. What was she dreaming? How he loved her! Last night, she gave herself totally to him.
His mind went back to meeting her for the first time. Her beauty struck him. He knew he could never measure up to her. He was just an ordinary man working in construction. They were at Tron’s restaurant. Al had broken up with his girlfriend last month. This beautiful woman was three tables away, dining with some girlfriends. Their laughter reached his ears. He watched her, almost forgetting to eat. There was no ring on her left hand. After paying for her meal, she stood up ready to leave. His heart beat in his ears; it was now or never. She was about to walk out of his life forever. He didn’t even know her name. He threw some bills on the table and hurried after her.
At the door to the restaurant, he touched her on the shoulder. Startled, she turned to face him.
“Would…would…you…you. Go out with me?” He stammered. His face reddened. “Sorry, it sounded better in my head.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Do I know you?”
“No, but I’m hoping to change that. Would you like to go out…with me, that is? My name is Albert Delton, by the way. My friends call me Al.”
“Al, I’m Shirly Benton. What did you have in mind?” Shirly said, smiling. She offered her hand. Feeling awkward, he shook it. Her girlfriends watched amused.
“You would?” Astounded at how easy it was. “There…there is a concert in the park this Saturday night. Tomorrow…night that is.” He didn’t do this. His best friend introduced his girlfriend to him two years ago.
“I’ll pick you up at your place. That... that is if you…” He trailed off. He felt stupid. She pulled a notepad from her purse. Writing her address on it she handed the small sheet of paper to him. “Here is my address.”
“Great, I…I’ll pick you up at seven. If that’s okay.”
“Sure. That would be fine.” She opened the door. “Good night, Al. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Good night.” He said, smiling. Then, she was gone. He watched her walk down the sidewalk. He just stood there holding open the door to the restaurant. Turning, he saw every eye upon him. Even the servers. He reddened. Hurrying back to his table, he picked up his change and left a five-dollar tip. He hurried out onto the street. She was gone.
The next day he ate breakfast thinking about her. Had this beautiful woman agreed to go out with him? Maybe it was a dream. He pulled out the piece of notepaper. No, there it was in her own delicate handwriting. He wandered around the house, watching the clock, remembering her smile. He did a load of laundry, washing what he would wear tonight. In checking the car, he decided it needed to be washed. Slowly, the clock moved toward 6:35. He suddenly realized that he had not invited her for a meal. He checked the slip again. He didn’t have her phone number, only her address. At 6 PM he dressed and then changed into something more practical. His heart beat fast as he thought of her. At 6:35 he left to pick her up.
Shirly looked at the clock. It was after 6, so he would be here soon. Why had she agreed to go out with this man? What did she know about him? Nothing. He might be a serial killer. One who targets women on the street. She almost called it off. She didn’t have his phone number. She checked the phone book and then the internet. Nothing. Well, at least they were going to a public place. If he proved dangerous, she could run away. At 6:45 there was a knock at her door. She opened it to see him standing nervously on her porch. She had dressed in a simple dress for the park. Nervously, she opened the door to her apartment. He smiled, and all doubt when away.
“Thank you for going out with me.” He said, opening the car door for her. “You look lovely.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you for inviting me.”
On the way to the park, he told her about his family, his upbringing growing up with his one sister. “She’s married and has a little boy. Next week is his birthday. He’ll be 3.”
She opened up to him about her family and her three brothers. “I was the only girl in our family. All my brothers doted on me. Of course, I was the baby of the family.”
At the concert, they found a hot dog vendor. Then, they sat at a picnic table with the sound of music around them. After eating, they strolled through the park. During the evening, he reached for her hand. Back at her home, he asked for another date. She happily agreed. He invited her to his church the next morning. The people at the church greeted her like an old friend.
She looked at him and knew he was the man she had been waiting for. On their third date, she invited him to Saturday dinner with her parents. She prayed that if they approved of him, he would be right for her. During the meal, her father, Kenny, told Al about a problem he had with an old car he was tinkering with. Because of the age of the car, he couldn’t find a spring for the carburetor. “Have you tried a bobby pin?” Al asked.
Kenny looked at him. “I never thought about a bobby pin. That’s a great idea.” Kenny said.
After the meal, they tried it. Al twisted the hairpin into shape. “Try it now.” Al called to Kenny, settling behind the steering wheel of the old car. The 1928 Ford coughed once, twice and started. Kenny was so excited he invited Shirly, his wife, and Al to go for a ride around the block.
To see Al was to see Shirly. He fell in love with her on the fourth date. Maybe he had loved her before, but he wasn’t aware of it. After they had been going together for six weeks, he woke one morning and could not imagine life without her. On that Saturday, he went to Ben’s jewelers. The clerk smiled at him, seeing a young man in love. Al looked over the rings that cost more than he could afford.
“Here is a nice set.” The clerk said, setting a display of wedding and engagement rings before him. “And the great thing is we have a trade-in policy. If you bring it back, you can trade it in for a nicer ring in the next few years.” He bought it. Maxing out his credit card to pay for the rings. It was a foregone conclusion she would marry him, so when he proposed it was not a surprise. He knew she would say yes. After they dined at the restaurant where they first met, he took her to the park. As she sat at the picnic table, he knelt before her. She covered her mouth with her hands. Tears came to her eyes. He had rehearsed what he would say for a week.
“Honey, you have become my life. I can’t imagine life without you at my side.” He took a breath and tried in vain to calm his nerves. With tears in his own eyes, he said. “Will you marry me?” In his right hand, he held the jeweler’s box with the engagement ring sparkling in the moonlight.
She looked at this man on his knees before her and knew the love she felt in her heart would last a lifetime.
She choked up. Tears in her throat. “Yes, oh yes, I will marry you.” On his feet now, he hugged her. Together they danced in the moonlight.
Now as he watched her wake up, he thought of how fortunate he was.
She opened her eyes to find Al smiling at her. “Hi.”
She returned his smile. “Hi.”
“You’re more beautiful this morning than you were yesterday. Should we order breakfast? We can eat on the balcony?”
“Yes please. A private breakfast with my new husband.”
And so they did. Afterward, they walked along the beach. Holding hands and kissing.
50 years later
He clutched the edge of her casket and felt he couldn’t go on. For fifty years she had been at his side. How could he return home without her? Their children would go to their homes to their families. But he would return tonight to an empty house echoing with her love. The very love he felt for more than half a century. When their youngest son died at only seven, she wrapped her arms around him, comforting him. Through the years, she had been there for him in good times and bad. Now he looked on her smiling face for the last time and knew she was with Jesus. Tears fell onto her. He pulled out a tissue and dabbed his tears from her face and then his own.
He felt a gentle hand on his arm. He turned to see his pastor. “She still loves you, Al,” Pastor Jerry said, his eyes moist.
“I know. It was so hard to let her go,” Al said, dabbing at his eyes.
“You’ll see her again.” The pastor said.
“Yes, I know. Did I ever tell you how we met?” Al said as his pastor steered him to a seat on the front row.
“No, I don’t believe you did,” Jerry said, sitting down beside the elderly man.
“I was in this restaurant. When I noticed this beautiful woman………”