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The following Friday night, Marla looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. “I’ve got one hour to get you together,” she said to her reflection. Micah would be picking her up at seven o’clock. Tonight was their first official date, and Marla was feeling anxious. She showered and then laid out several outfits on the bed. Micah had told her to dress casually, so she decided on a pair of dark, skinny jeans, her knee-high, black boots, and a burgundy sweater. She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, put on a little make-up, and added a pair of hoop earrings. The final touch was a small squirt of her favorite perfume. She stared at herself in the mirror. It felt good to get ready for a guy. Charlie hadn’t taken her out for months. She couldn’t even remember the last time.
Marla pushed Charlie out of her thoughts. She wasn’t about to let him ruin her evening. She walked into the kitchen and opened a bottle of Pinot Noir. It was only six-thirty. She poured a glass and sat down on the couch to wait for Micah. The dying embers in the fireplace glistened and sparkled, dimly lighting up the living room. Marla sipped her wine and took deep breaths. She couldn’t calm the nervous feeling in her stomach as she waited.
The empty space on the wall where she had planned to put the grandfather clock glared back at her. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to put anything else there as if deep down, she had not lost hope that she might someday see the clock again. She thought of her grandparents and how they used to sit together in this very room. Oh, how she missed them. In the quiet and stillness of the room, she thought back to the happy memories of the Christmas she and her mother had spent here. I’ve got to put my Christmas tree up, she thought. She sighed, feeling discouraged that she hadn’t completed that task yet. Christmas memories made her feel close to her mother and grandparents, and the tree was a major part of that. She imagined the homemade ornaments on the tree and remembered how much fun it had been to make them with her mom. Her grandmother had baked a plethora of goodies that Christmas. She wished she had her grandmother’s recipe for her peanut butter fudge. It had been her favorite, and she hadn’t tasted it for years.
There was a knock at the front door, and Marla set her glass of wine down on the coffee table. She walked to the door and opened it to find Micah holding out a bouquet of red roses to her.
“These are for you, Beautiful,” he said, wearing a big grin.
Marla could feel her face flush and wasn’t sure if it was from his compliment or the wine. “Thank you. They are beautiful,” she said. “They smell wonderful,” she added as she sniffed the red bulbs. “C’mon in.”
Micah stepped inside, and Marla closed the door. She caught a whiff of him and inhaled deeply. Hints of musk, pine, and cedarwood filled the air, and her senses lit up with delight.
“Would you like to have a glass of wine before we get going?” She asked.
“That would be great. Our reservation isn’t until seven-thirty,” he replied, taking off his coat.
Marla took the roses to the kitchen. She watched Micah out of the corner of her eye as he took off his coat. He was wearing faded, bootleg jeans with dark brown cowboy boots. He had on a black sweater that fit him like a glove. The muscles in his chest, shoulders, and arms were protruding. She couldn’t help but like what she saw. As Micah turned to put his coat on the couch, she couldn’t help but notice how well his jeans fit him. She turned toward the kitchen cabinet and reached for a wine glass, forcing herself to focus on the cup while she filled it halfway. Then she took the glass to Micah, who had seated himself on the couch. She picked up her wine glass from the coffee table and sat across from him in the rocking chair.
“How has your day been?” She asked after taking a sip of her wine.
“It was busy but good. My shift was good yesterday. When I got home, I actually put up a Christmas tree and decorated it. Then today, I bundled up and went for a thirty-mile bike ride.”
“I was just beating myself up for not having my tree up yet. This is my favorite time of the year because it brings back good memories of the Christmas I spent here with my mom and grandparents.” She paused, and her expression turned to one of surprise. “Wait, you rode today in this cold? Didn’t you freeze?”
“It was cold, but not too bad. There was no wind, so that helped a lot. It was a pretty refreshing ride,” he said. He paused for a minute and then asked, “How was your day? You worked last night, right?”
“Yes, I worked last night, and it was pretty hectic. I slept most of today. I ate a late lunch and got some yoga in. It’s funny that you mentioned your tree. I thought about my tree today, but I ran out of time. This year, I want to go get a real tree. We got a real tree the one Christmas I spent here. I’ll get to it eventually.”
“Sounds like a good day,” he said.
She nodded, still feeling nervous and a bit awkward. “Yep, it was.” She pursed her lips and looked away for a moment. Then she said, “So, tell me about this restaurant.”
“Oh, sure. It’s called KC Coyote’s. It’s a quaint little place, has a kind of eclectic feel. I love to eat there because it’s quiet. It’s downtown Guntersville on Main Street. It offers a variety of entrees, and the food is delicious,” he commented.
“Sounds perfect,” she said.
Micah took a few more sips of his wine as he stared at her. He said, “You look great tonight.”
“Thanks,” she replied, feeling flutters in her stomach. “You said casual, so I think this will work,” she said, pointing both pointer fingers at her outfit.
“I think you look perfect. You’re beautiful,” he said.
Marla felt her cheeks start to flush as she rose from the rocking chair. “Thanks,” she said and walked toward the kitchen.
Micah stood up and followed her with his empty wine glass.
Marla set her empty glass down and turned around. She didn’t realize how close Micah was behind her. He placed each hand on the counter on each side of her, trapping her between his arms. Marla gazed up into his eyes.
Micah leaned closer toward her and asked, “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
Marla didn’t respond and instead leaned into him and kissed his lips gently. Micah deepened the kiss, and they stood there, intertwined in each other’s arms for several minutes.
Marla whispered, “I’ve never felt this way before.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” He asked her and then kissed her again.
She pulled her head back and said, “It’s an amazing thing.”
“Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, holding his face only inches from hers.
She nodded. “I’m starving.”
He leaned back and stood upright. “Let’s get going, My Lady,” he said.
At the restaurant, they were seated at a small table for two by a window that overlooked Main Street. The restaurant was exactly as Marla had imagined it. Eclectic was the right descriptor. The table was rectangular and made of wood. Neither of the two chairs matched the table or each other. A vintage lamp was the table centerpiece pushed up against the window. Over the table hung a pendant light that looked like it might have come out of the 1950s. The lighting in the restaurant was dim and romantic. White twinkle lights hung throughout the restaurant on the walls and doorways. There were several sconce lights lit up and jutting from the walls in various shapes and sizes. Christmas music played softly in the background.
Their dinner was enjoyable. They both ordered the filet mignon, though Marla ordered the smaller cut. Marla took a sip of wine and asked, “So you went to college with Ben?”
Micah replied, “Yeah, we went to nursing school together in San Diego.”
“How did you end up in Cincinnati?” She asked.
“It was my first job out of nursing school.”
“And that’s where you met Allie, right?”
He took her hand in his and replied quietly, “Yes. She was a social worker there, and we met in the ER one night.”
“Sounds like it was a sweet story,” she said.
“We were good together,” he replied. He paused and then asked, “What about you and Charlie? How did you meet?”
She took a deep breath, still with her hand in his and said, “We met in the ER like you and Allie. Charlie hurt his knee, and I took care of him.”
“I’m sure he must have had some good qualities at the beginning. I mean, he did get you to marry him, right?” He smiled at her.
Marla smiled back. “Like I said before, things were good with Charlie at the beginning. He just changed.”
“Why do you think he changed?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll ever really know, and I’m not sure I care to know anymore.”
“We don’t have to talk about him. Tell me about your parents and your grandparents.”
Marla said, “Well, you knew my grandmother. She was a sweet lady with a big heart. My grandfather was just as kind. He used to take me fishing in that rowboat. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with my grandparents after my mother died, but being with them at the lake house was my happy place. My mother died when I was ten.”
His face saddened, and he said, “I’m sure you miss her.”
Marla exhaled and looked down at her plate. She said, “She was wonderful. We played barbies and went to the park, and she told the best bedtime stories.”
Micah exhaled and smiled at her. “It sounds as if she was awesome.”
“Where are your parents?” She asked.
Micah lifted his chin and replied, “My parents are still in San Diego. That’s home for them.”
Micah and Marla sat quietly for a few minutes as if they both were trying to digest all the information they had shared. As they sat there, the waiter stopped by their table and asked, “May I get you something from the dessert menu?”
After splitting a chocolate chip brownie dessert, they headed back to Marla’s house. When they arrived in her driveway, Micah turned off the engine to his truck.
“Do you want to come in for a while? That bottle of wine I opened earlier still has two glasses in it,” she asked.
“I’d love to spend more time with you,” he replied.
Once inside, Micah started a fire in the fireplace. They sat side by side on the couch, sipping on their wine and watching the dancing orange and yellow flames of the fire. Micah put his arm around Marla and pulled her close to him. He glanced at the empty space on the wall and asked, “Are you going to put anything in that empty space?”
Marla sighed, “Probably. Someday. I just can’t bring myself to put anything there yet. Part of me hopes that the clock will just magically appear someday. I know that’s silly, but that clock meant so much to me.”
“It’s not silly. The clock is a good and comforting memory for you. We all have those,” he said.
“Do you have a particularly good memory?” She asked.
“I’m sure I have lots of them.”
“Any one in particular, though?”
“Yes, but I’d be talking about my past with Allie.”
“That’s okay. If you want to tell me, I’d love to hear it,” she said, turning toward him and searching out his eyes.
He glanced at her and pursed his lips. “Well, you already know about this, sort of,” he said.
She furrowed her brows.
“My tattoo,” he started.
She tilted her head to look at him better and said, “Right, the one on your chest?”
He nodded. “Allie and I were on our honeymoon. We went to the Bahamas. She had told me about her heart condition when we first started dating. She said that her newer heart valve was good for another twenty years, and she’d joke about how she never wanted me to break her heart. I didn’t think it was very funny, but I also knew I never would. We decided to get these tattoos as a symbol of our shared love. She got hers on her arm. It was a good memory.”
Marla smiled at him. “It sounds like a wonderful memory.”
Micah squinted his eyes as if in deep and puzzling thought.
“What are you thinking about?” She asked, seeing the look on his face.
He shook his head back-and-forth. “It’s kind of strange, but it’s almost like she knew she wouldn’t live much longer. I mean, she never said that, and we talked about our future together a lot, but she never would pin any future events down. She always referred to future possibilities as ‘someday’ or ‘if it’s the right time’ or ‘if it’s God’s will.’ We had trouble making any finite future plans because she wouldn’t commit.”
“You think that deep down ... she knew her days were numbered?” Marla asked.
“Yeah, it’s like she had been to see the doctor and he had told her ‘you have two years to live,’ but she didn’t share that information with me,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling pain in her gut to see him sad.
“I’m okay. I think it’s good to remember happy memories, just as you should. It pushes out the bad and ugly ones. Besides, I’m looking forward to making many more happy memories with you,” he said. He pulled her into his arms and held her close to him. Their lips came together, and they kissed passionately.
Everything suddenly felt right in Marla’s world. She felt tears of joy form in her eyes as she pulled back from the kiss.
Micah stared deeply into her green eyes and said, “You’ve made my heart beat again. Thank you.”