Email

*****

Susan handed him a bottle of cold water and then sat down, looking out the window at the hazy sky filled with smoke and then passing over a dish of chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven.

"We've come a long way," she said, "now that everything is so much better. I'm sorry that I put you through such a time..."

"It wasn't your fault; it was that bastard that hit you and tried to kill you and Crystal. He's got his, though. The judge gave him life in prison; serves him right. I would have killed him."

He never told her about the money he gave to her rescuers; it was all in the past, a nightmare not to be relived.

"I'd like to make a trip to the high school. I'm not giving them any more money, just a visit. Want to come?"

"Yes, I would. Shall we bring the baby?"

"I don't know. Is that a good idea, with the virus and all?"

"I guess you're right. She can stay here with the nurse and you and I can go by ourselves." Susan stood up and went to Mary to tell her of their plans.

An early lunch and then they were off to the beach cities, finding the easiest way to the high school, arriving there a little over an hour later.

"Jerry! And you must be Susan!" Vince got up from his desk and offered the woman the best chair he had, finding another one for Jerry. "What brings you here?"

"Just thought we'd come by. I wanted to show Susan the school."

"By all means, let's go for a walk."

They went down the promenade next to the beautiful lawn used for outdoor gatherings and then entered the long hallway toward the science wing. They peaked in the door to the biology lab, seeing the line of aquariums holding various fish and amphibians.

"We've divided up the money you generously donated into five years' worth of scholarships."

Jerry was glad that they were going to be wise stewards of the money.

Next door was the art room, the teacher strangely enough someone that Jerry had gone to high school with. They shook hands and then hugged carefully, the instructor not wanting to cause Jerry to fall. "What brings you here?"

"I thought I'd see the old place, you know. Vince is showing me around. I'm sorry, this is my wife, Susan. Susan, this is Tim. We went to school together. He played football."

"Pleased to meet you," said Tim, shaking her hand. Like all the other teachers, he was unaware of Jerry's generosity.

After talking for several minutes, they left the art room and slowly walked south along the hallway, looking in to rooms that had their doors open. "It's going to be lunch pretty soon; would you like to eat with the faculty?"

"Sure, why not?"

They turned around and headed back toward the faculty room, finally finding a place to sit with the others who were now entering the room, Vince introducing the couple to each new arrival.

Jerry was interested in talking to the history teacher, wondering where she stopped in the scope of things, keeping the modern wars from the students, probably only getting to World War II or maybe Vietnam.

Sadly, she was on duty in the cafeteria and so he wasn't able to talk with her. Maybe, next time, he thought. His leg was tiring him out and soon he bid everyone goodbye as they slowly left.

"Would you please drive?" he asked his wife, giving her the keys.

*****

At the old house he went to the bedroom and took his clothes off, getting under the covers with the light off. Susan came in and lay next to him, holding him to her as she closed her eyes. She felt badly, wondering if he was going to get better. She was worried for him.

Hours later, he woke and reached for her in the late afternoon silence. "Susan," he quietly called out in the dark. "Susan, I love you."

*****

She put her arm out and touched him on the cheek. She moved over onto him and lay on top, feeling his warmth. "Baby, what do you want to eat?"

"I don't know; what do you want?"

"Something simple... Cheryl can make a salad, maybe, and some sandwiches. How does that sound?"

"Fine. I'll tell her." Susan got out of bed and went to the kitchen where the cook was sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine. "Jerry would like a salad and some sandwiches, please."

The cook got up and set about fixing an early dinner, listening to the radio while she worked. Soon, it was ready and Susan went to get Jerry from bed. The nurse was feeding the baby.

They were all sitting around the dining room table eating, the baby now asleep in her room. "This salad is very tasty," said Jerry, "thank you."

He got up and went into the bathroom to spray his leg with the Lidocaine, the pain bothering him more than he wanted to admit.

*****

Jerry went through the yellow pages looking for a pool contractor. He wanted to put in a fish pond in the side yard. By the end of the week he had three estimates for the work and decided to go with the middle quote.

Two weeks later the work was finished and the landscapers were starting, putting in semi-tropical plants to match what he had in mind, including the water lilies. It wasn't too long before he was sitting on a bench overlooking what he had envisioned, watching the goldfish swim around the plants. The pond was ten feet by twenty feet in an irregular pattern. Susan came out with a glass of ice tea for him and sat down next to him.

"It's beautiful. When did you decide you wanted it?"

"I've always wanted one, especially after college but I went into the Army and that was that. Now, here we are." He leaned over and kissed her, his arm reaching for hers. "I love you," he said. "More than anything."

"The goldfish will get big," she said, "just you watch."

"That will be fun. I have to put up a fence so the kid doesn't fall in. An iron fence should work; it will be pretty but safe."

*****

He sat there, his arm around his wife, knowing that the whole thing had started with a lost email.