Paige

"What happened today?"

"Quite a lot actually, Sandy had her baby this morning at 3:27;42. Why can’t kids be born at reasonable hours? Seems like all of ours prefer the early morning. It’s a girl, they named her after you, love. I'll get to see it next week when they come to visit. I love new babies, those tiny new beings in my old hands and dream of “Maybe’s” and “What will you become?”

"You have since we married. Forty-five years together. That's a long time, half a lifetime."

"I remember preparing and feeding you a home cooked meal then getting on my knees in the dining room and asking you to marry me."

"That was the most romantic thing that ever happened to me. Thank you David, I love you."

"I love you too, Paige, I always will."

"How's Erin doing? She was supposed to get her MSEE last year."

"She's a consultant now. It took an extra semester after . . ."

"I know that was a very bad time for everyone. You've told me. I'm so glad we can still sit on 'Our' fountain and talk. I was so confused for a time, but you've cleared it up for me."

"I'm glad I could. Here, I brought you a Sun Flower, you always loved them. I'll lay it here between us and you can look at it."

"Thank you David. You always were so thoughtful. I'm so sorry I put you through that."

"Don't apologize, it was not something you had control over. I was devastated for a time, but I'm better now because we can have these conversations."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry it had to happen like that."

"I love you, I always will. Please don't apologize . . ."

*****
"Excuse me sir, are you okay?"

"What . . . where . . . oh, sorry, I sit here and talk to my wife a lot. The Sun Flower is for her, a favorite."

". . . but . . . where . . ."

"Oh, sorry, she died six years ago. We used to come here a lot so I come back to remember and talk to her. You have a great day. I think I'll linger here for a bit longer.”