A Briefly Different Love

On Saturday I took Amanda out for dinner. I chose a small, family-run Italian restaurant in a village near us. It gave me a chance for a relaxing drive through the country both to get there and again after our meal.

'We must phone the kids tomorrow,' Amanda told me almost as soon as we're seated.

'When you told them about the weekend, did you tell them when we were coming home?'

'I think I just told them it was a long weekend.'

'Some weekend,' I replied without thinking. Immediately I saw a smile cross Amanda's face.

I quickly handed her the menu. 'Do you need this or are you going to have your usual.'

She took the menu and hid behind it for a couple of minutes. When she put it down, she just smiled at me. 'Yes.'

It turned out to be a very nice evening, the food was excellent, the wine was refreshing and we chatted amicably about our return to work.

Late Sunday morning, Amanda phoned our daughter. I was listening in as usual but only hearing Amanda's side of the conversation I had to guess what Susan was saying.

'Oh, my God, really, when,' screamed my wife before turning to me. 'Darling, we are going to be grandparents.'

Then she was back on the phone bombarding Susan with one question after another, while I just stared at her. Me, a grandfather, after all these years. 'What's it going to be,' I asked as calmly as possible, not sure if it really mattered. 'They didn't know yet.' I was told.

Finally, I got the phone off her and was able to congratulate my daughter. As soon as I put it down Amanda fell into my arms. That night there was a lot of cuddling, a few tears and some very nice lovemaking.

All that week Amanda was another person. I knew she had always wanted to be a grandmother. Some of her friends already were and I knew they told her all about it. I also knew a couple of grandfathers, one had a grandson and the other two granddaughters. I didn't think it mattered to me but I knew Amanda favoured a granddaughter. Another shopaholic in the family, I thought.

At the weekend I took my wife, daughter and son in law to a very nice restaurant. I had proposed it as a celebration evening together. What I really hoped was that by encouraging mother and daughter to spend some new baby bonding time together, Amanda's other female interest would become less important.

It seemed to have worked because before the evening was over they had already arranged a day out together.

Epilogue

It was on the following Wednesday that I saw a small paragraph in the newspaper my secretary gave me with my morning coffee.

Business couple die when their private jet crashed. Grayson and Jocelyn Penrose, joint owners of Penrose Hotels, Penrose Perfumes and Penrose Fashions, both died when their private jet crashed into a mountain in Northern Italy while returning home from a weekend on their yacht, Aquarius. The pilot and crew also died in the crash. The families have been informed. The cause of the accident had been attributed to a violent storm in the area at that time.

I asked my secretary to cancel all my appointments for today and tomorrow. I then left the office and went to where Amanda worked. When I got there, I was known to the receptionist so when I asked her if she could discreetly find out if my wife was in a meeting or in her office, she took one look at me and made a phone call without saying anything.

'Mrs Sterling is in her office, Mr Sterling.'

I thanked her and took the lift to the fifth floor. I was not looking forward to showing my wife the newspaper report about Jocelyn and Grayson.

Her secretary gave me a brief smile and opened the door to Amanda's office. 'Amanda, your husband is here to see you.'

As I entered, Amanda looked up in surprise. I had occasionally been in her office, but never mid-morning and without phoning her first. 'Sorry to barge in on you like this, darling,' I told her, as I approached her desk. 'There is something I need to show you.'

'Tim, this is a surprise, why didn't you let me know you were coming?'

By now I was standing beside her and took the page I had torn from the paper out of my pocket. I spread it out in front of her and pointed to the report as I squatted down beside her with my arm around her shoulder.

I waited as Amanda read the report, not knowing how she would react. Her hand went to her mouth in a gesture I was familiar with. 'Oh my God, all of them, dead.'

'Yes, I doubt that they knew anything,' I told her, hoping to offer some comfort.

I watch her read the report again, then she turned to me and I saw the tears in her eyes. 'Hold me tight, Tim,' she whispered almost inaudibly.

I hugged her as tight as I could, it was awkward from my squatting position. 'Come on.' I stood up. 'Sit on my lap.'

I felt her sobs for her lost lover. I also knew I'd lost a friend in Grayson, I had really liked the guy.

Amanda's intense hug broke into my thoughts. 'I love you so much, Tim, darling.'

'I love you very much too, Amanda,' I replied, hugging her tighter.

Amanda gave a big sobbing sigh. 'Thank you, Tim, for allowing me the brief time we had together. It's just us now, darling. No one else. Not ever again.'

All I could do was hold this wonderful woman I loved so much, as close to me as was possible.