Moonlight Dance.

He sat on her chair, the one she sat on when she needed some space. He could close his eyes and picture her fidgeting with her handkerchief wiping a tear from her eyes. He had yelled over something stupid, and his anger that should have been left inside spilled out to her. She was a gentle soul, one who never rose her voice in anger, a trait he wished he had.

Her scent was still in the room they shared for over fifty years. Just saying that made him realize how blessed he truly was. He didn’t deserve her, not for a minute. How many times did he tell her that he wondered? Probably not enough. She prepared for the day when their times together wouldn’t be as clear to them, so she made a photo album that portrayed their life together and brief descriptions of each memory.

He didn’t hear their daughter come into the room and sit next to him. He smiled at her, always amazed at how much she looked like her mother. Together they looked through his memories in the big red book, sometimes he faded away, but he came back. The last photo in the book was taken two months ago. They were dancing under the moonlight at the small outdoor band-shell  they had danced at for so many years. The caption read, “Our last dance until we meet again.”

He sometimes walks into town, having a seat at that old band-shell. He closes his eyes and hears the music playing all their favorite songs. Passer byes must surely think he’s crazy this old man dancing alone but looking like he was holding someone. He didn’t care what they thought, how could anyone understand?  He took a walk one day and was late getting home. His daughter worried but thought she knew where he might be. There he was on the band-shell stage, dancing his way across the floor, alone, of course, but not to him. She waited a few moments then gently put his arms around her as the music he heard continued.

‘Don’t you look beautiful tonight” he told her,”Have I told you that lately,” She nodded and let him guide her across the silence of a bright autumn moon.

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