Death, Taxes, and Change

She didn't tell him that was an understatement of epic proportion.

"Let me worry about that, okay?" he said so tenderly it made her tear up.

"Thank you," she whispered as she blinked a few times to clear her eyes.

"That's one of the roles I enjoy as a man," he said without sounding macho or like he was bragging.

There was a part of her that didn't want to admit she agreed with him as it made her feel weak to be dependent on a man, but there was another, more fundamental part of her that loved having someone to take care of her, and for now, anyway, that part won out.

"Caleb?" she said as she recovered.

"Uh-huh?"

"I...I really like you, too."

She saw his smile and his eyes lit up as he again reached for her hand.

"Well, hot dog!" he said, doing the southern drawl thing again. "You done made my whole day there, little lady."

She almost said, "And you've made mine," but didn't.

Instead, she sat there and stared at him and thought again, this time more deeply, about what it would be like to be with him. In every way. In his arms and...in his bed. The thought caused her body to react, and she felt herself getting wet, something that hadn't happened spontaneously for at least a year before she found out what her husband had been hiding for so long.

"Before you go may I get your number?" he asked.

"Of course."

She took his phone after he unlocked it and entered her 'digits' along with her name.

"May I have yours?" she asked, feeling good about whatever this was for the first time.

He gave her his number, too, then turned toward the dealership.

"So I'll be staying with my friend until I find a place. And a job."

Caleb asked if he could know her friend's address and she told him without even thinking about.

"That's only a few houses down from my parents' home," he told her.

"You're kidding?"

"No. Not at all. It's a very nice neighborhood. Took my mom and dad 20 years to save enough for the downpayment, but they moved into their dream home about four years before he passed away."

"Wow. Talk about a small world," Stephanie said as she wondered about the 'cosmic coincidence' of this happening before saying, "what are the odds?"

Caleb laughed and told her, "Too small to imagine, and yet rare things happen all the time. They just don't happen to the same person very often."

He laughed then told her about a man he'd recently read about who'd been struck by lighting seven times.

"And he's still alive?" she asked, unable to imagine such a thing.

"Yep. And he's mentally okay, too. The guy is a forest ranger out in the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia."

"That's insane!"

"I know, right? Who says lighting never strikes twice?"

They both laughed and looked at one another in a way that said, "This is real, and this is happening, no matter how long the odds might be," and, at that moment, at least, neither of them had any doubt that it was.

*****

Sunday morning. Santa Fe Tennis and Swim Club.

Stephanie was more than a little surprised when Caleb told her where he played tennis. She'd never been to a 'country club' before, and while it wasn't exactly Malibu, it was still a little intimidating. She sat in the parking lot for a minute looking at the building and thinking back to the first time she met him.

Her friend wanted details the moment she mentioned having met someone.

"On your way here? You met someone before you even got to town?"

Stephanie laughed with her, but the feelings she'd had about his age came back when she started describing him.

Her friend surprised her when, after dragging out how old this new man in her life was, by saying she'd recently watched an old episode of Friends in which Monica was trying to avoid telling the other friends that her new guy was a senior. In college. She was 26 and he was 22, but even then, the others made comments about burping him when they were done, etc.

"Turns out Monica lied and told the guy she was 22 only to find out that he'd lied, too, when he told her he was a senior. Just not a college senior.

"So there was maybe an eight-year difference," her friend said. "But who cares, right? And so what if this gorgeous, brilliant, business-owning man is 22? I just don't see the problem unless I'm missing something. Am I?"

"Um, no. That about covers it."

"Then I say 'go for it'!"

Stephanie felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders until she thought about all the other people who would be a bit more judgmental and ask 'what about that'?

"What? Who gives two shits...sorry...a darn what they think?" her friend said with authority. "They're not dating him. You are."

"I...I'm not...dating him. Not exactly."

"Please. You like this guy. A lot. And from what you say this isn't something you're looking at as a fling. I'm not saying it's serious, but you don't sound like you just want a good shagging and be done with it."

"Shagging. How very British of you," Stephanie said with a nervous laugh as that wasn't at all what she was wanting, although he was so attractive that a little shagging wouldn't be hard to take.

As she sat there looking and thinking she took another look at herself. She wasn't wearing any makeup at all, and as she looked at her face she thought that Caleb could well be scared off seeing her like this. She consoled herself by thinking it might not be a bad thing to get this over with before it started. If there was anything even being started.

Stephanie hadn't played in a very long time nor had she worn anything to play tennis in. Fortunately, her friend was the same size as her, and she was able to borrow a white top and a white skirt and even a white visor. She did have some white tennis shoes, but she also needed to borrow a racquet to play with as most of her stuff was in storage and wouldn't arrive until she found a place of her own.

Her house in Las Vegas was on the market, and because they'd bought before the market went up, she had high hopes of having a fair amount of equity, money she'd need for a down payment on a new home in Santa Fe.

She turned the mirror away, sighed, then opened the car door and got out. She was reaching for her racquet in the backseat when she heard her name. It startled her so badly that she nearly hit her head.

"Caleb. Hi," she said as she turned around to see his smiling face.

He, too, was dressed in white, and he looked so good it nearly took her breath away.

"Wow, you look incredible," he told her as he walked up, the smile still there.

"Me? Um...that's you."

"Ha! Guys are just...guys. But you? Um...wow!"

She had her hair in a ponytail, and while she knew she'd taken good care of her body, because she was so much older than him she still felt, well...inadequate.

"You remember my mom," he said before she could play off his compliment as Donna joined them.

She looked cute in her tennis outfit, and she was all smiles when she saw her former customer.

"I hear you got your car back and that all is well?"

"Yes. Thank you so much! It was just some oxygen sensor thing and it was covered by the warranty."

"Wonderful!" she said as she gave Stephanie a once-over before saying, "You are too cute!"

"See?" Caleb said as the smile reappeared.

"Well, okay. Thank you. Both."

"You ready?" he asked before getting her racquet for her.

He handed it to her after she closed the door and locked the car then extended his elbow. She saw Donna looking but didn't get any kind of negative vibe so she slid her arm in his as he led her inside.

They played two sets which she and Caleb won, but at least 80% of that was due to him. She was a decent player but out of practice, and Donna was still an excellent player herself. Between her and her partner, a gay man who'd been friends with her late husband for many, many years, it was a very lively match; one that Stephanie thoroughly enjoyed in spite of her numerous unforced errors and the fact that she would be very sore for the next few days.

Her opinion of him rose even higher because no matter how many mistakes she made Caleb told her, "That's okay! No worries!" or something else positive. When she made the occasional good shot he praised her enthusiastically which made her feel even more wonderful. Then again, just being near him and watching him play, him and his amazing body, was quite a treat. When they won a tough point and he hugged her, it set her entire body on fire.

They ate lunch at the club after the match, and by the time they got ready to leave Stephanie felt like she'd known Donna for much more than a few days. She was kind, friendly, and as upbeat as her son. Even better was how she made Stephanie feel so welcome, never once mentioning her age or asking her intentions regarding Caleb.

It was evident from things she said that she shared her son's take on death, taxes, and change, and it felt like the only thing she wanted was for him to be happy.

As Caleb walked her out to her car she mentioned her thoughts about his mother to him.

"My mom is an amazing person. So was my dad. And...she really likes you."

"I like her, too," Stephanie said.

"And if it isn't obvious yet, I also like you, Stephanie."

He stopped them then looked at her and added, "A lot," before saying, "but if you're not ready for a relationship yet I understand."

"Is that what you want?" she asked, her eyes wide as she looked up into his. "A relationship?"

"Yes. Very much. I wanted you to know how I feel, but I didn't want to scare you off, so I hope I said that in the right way."

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

"Is that a 'yes'?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," she told him as a smile broke out on her pretty face. "I like you, too, Caleb, so...yes."

"I can't tell you how happy that makes me."

"I'm still a little unsure as to why you want to be with me, though," Stephanie admitted.

"I honestly can't think of a single reason why I wouldn't," he told her as he ran his fingers across her cheek.

"Caleb. I'll be...37 in a few months. That has to matter."

"It does?" he asked as he put his arms around her. "To whom?"

The way he said that took any negative wind she had in her sails away, and as she looked up into his very handsome face she knew she was hooked. All there was to do now was hold on and hope she didn't get hurt, because she was 'all in' on this relationship, as crazy as that sounded. And as he kissed her she didn't want to think about what was sane and what wasn't. She only wanted the kiss to last forever.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he both asked and said.

"Okay," came her soft, sweet reply.

He told her he'd text her the time and the address then walked her to her car and kissed her again. As she got in and started the car she had a moment of doubt thinking she'd lost her mind. It was only a moment, however, as her mind told her it was still there. Alive and well. She wasn't losing it, she was gaining a new love.

That night as they ate and talked, Stephanie asked how his idea about 'change' and entropy applied to a relationship.

"As an analogy, what happens if you work outside in the heat or play tennis...."

"You...smell awful."

He laughed and told her she was right.

"If you want to stop the slide into...yuckiness...you have to expend energy, right? Soap, hot water, elbow grease, etc. Then as soon as you're fresh and clean again...."

"More...entropy?" she kind of asked in response with a little chuckle.

"Bingo. The same is true in a relationship. If you don't regularly put energy into maintaining order it degrades. Neglect it long enough and it disintegrates."

"Why do I feel like you're not only smarter than me but older than me most of the time?"

"Just most of the time?" he teased while trying not to laugh.

"Ha-ha!" she said back as though she was hurt. "But yes, just most of the time."

When he didn't bite she said, "The only exception is when I look in the mirror."

He got serious as he said, "Stephanie? Please don't ever say that again, because I think you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known. Okay?"

Barely able to speak, and on the verge of tearing up with happiness she was just able to say, "Okay."

"And let me also say that I promise to put in as much energy or work or effort as it takes to make our relationship as wonderful as it can possibly be. Every single day."

Those words were too much, and tears began to fall.

Caleb took her hand and squeezed it.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded then grabbed a napkin and dabbed her eyes.

"I just can't believe my...good fortune. If I hadn't broken down on the way here, we'd never have met, and I'd...."

He leaned over and kissed her then said, "But you did. And we did. And...."

He waited for her to look at him then said, "I...love you."

Stephanie had believed in love at first sight for most of her life, but after finding out about her husband's secret life, her entire perspective changed. But now, at that very moment, she believed in it again. With all her heart.

"I love you, too, Caleb."

******

Stephanie stayed with him that night. A month later she moved in with him and never left. Her house in Las Vegas sold, and she put the equity away until she knew for sure this was for life. At that point she would help buy a wonderful house to make a home in for them both.

Unable to find a decent job, Donna surprised her one day by asking if she'd like to have her job.

"What? Why? What will you do?"

"Travel. I've never been anywhere further away than Las Vegas. Nevada. One time."

They both smiled as Donna continued explaining.

"I'll stay as long as you need until you can run things on your own. So unless living and working with Caleb is too much then...."

"No. I'd love that, and I accept," she said without hesitation.

Donna spent the next four months with her working all day at first then leaving early on occasion then coming in late and leaving early until Stephanie knew as much as she could teach her.

A month after that Donna had tickets for an around-the-world tour that included a two-week cruise that left from San Diego and ended in Alaska. She would also visit Japan, Sweden, France, Italy, and Iceland before returning to the US and taking a train from Washington DC to Chicago and then flying home to New Mexico.

The day before she left, Caleb took them both to dinner, and that same night he asked the recently-divorced woman he loved to marry him. Both of the women he loved cried and hugged and told each other they would miss the other person.

"Welcome to our family, honey," Donna said after a warm hug and many tears.

Some 18 months later Stephanie Freeman looked back on her life and how it had changed. She'd gone from feeling bitter and betrayed to loved more than she could have ever dreamed by a man she could never have imagined meeting let alone falling in love with.

Just as he'd promised, every day Caleb put in the 'energy' needed to prevent their relationship from experiencing entropy. Stephanie knew by then that no matter how much effort they exerted that one day it would end, but she also knew that until that day came she would relish every moment of the new lease on life...and love...that she'd received the day her car died on the Interstate.

Her handsome, much-younger husband was right. Everyone and everything was in a constant state of change. But sometimes things changed for the better, and the day she met Caleb Freeman her life took a dramatic change in the right direction.

It got even better when, at the age of 39, she learned that was pregnant for the first time in her life. That happiness reached a crescendo the day their little girl was born and Stephanie held her as her father and grandmother stood near her hospital bed.

She no longer needed Caleb to tell her than in the blink of an eye their little Sarah Michelle would be graduating from high school and then college and have a family of her own. And that thought no longer scared her as Stephanie had everything any woman could ever want and planned to take each day at a time until she drew her final breath, knowing that the man who loved her would be there beside her every step of the way.