Fulfilling a Promise

I have to write this final chapter. There is no one else to do it, I have to do it for Lee.

Lee and I worked together in a medical wellness clinic. I learned that she started writing after her husband (Magichands on this site) passed away.

I have read all of his stories, and all of hers that she posted under "Magichandslee".

In some ways, I think Lee wrote better than her husband did. Although I personally found most of them wonderful, Lee's showed emotion and the pain she went through right up to her death.

My friend Lee and I got as close as it is possible for two women to get and not be lovers. She showed me things about myself that I never even dreamed of. I became a sexual woman and it was all right somehow.

That night I mixed the ashes of Lee and her husband Ted, I felt a closure I simply cannot describe. I know I cried for hours, then I awoke to a resolve, knowing what I had to do.

I knew of just one family member, Lee's brother, Jerry. He was out there somewhere, so I began the search.

I suppose I could have just taken the assets that dropped in my lap, there is a lot of it. After all, Lee had made me the Personal Representative of the estate.

She trusted me.

I found the records for stock funds, bank accounts. There was annual checks coming in from a big Casino win. A home in Reno, another in Portland, vehicles, yes a lot of it.

I tried the internet, no luck. I searched phone books in dozens of cities around New York, nothing. It was like Jerry didn't exist.

I dug through stacks and stacks of records and papers, piles of stories, some published, some still in draft form. Good Lord Lee's husband Ted wrote a lot!

One day I was going through a box and found a Social Security number with Jerry's name on it.

Bingo!

Another month's worth of hunting and I had references to a nightclub where Jerry had worked security. With that key, I quickly had a phone number.

The message machine picked up on the 4th ring, a deep male voice said to leave a message. I gave my name and number, hung up.

It wasn't 5 minutes later, my phone rang.

"Sally?"

"Yes."

"This is Jerry, what is this about?"

I told him about Lee, choking slightly on the words.

He was quiet.

Then. "Damn."

"I am so sorry." I told him. "But I need you to come and take care of some things."

"All right."

I related some information and the address, he said he would be on a plane in the next week. I busied myself getting everything back in order.

I knew Jerry was a big man, I just wasn't ready for what appeared at my door a week later. The doorbell rang, I opened it and just stood there. 6'4" easily, shoulders as wide as the doorway. There was no fat on this man, not even a hint of belly.

Bald. Completely bald, he looked like the guy in the soap commercial.

Just bigger.

We settled into pouring over the records, at one point Jerry stopped and asked me where I kept Lee's remains.

I showed him, he stood for a long time before the Urn. I spotted the tears welling up in his eyes for a moment. That brought mine too. He turned, reached out and held me.

We went back to the paperwork, it didn't take long. I fixed a meal, lots of it, expecting Jerry to put away at least a pound of steak.

He didn't, he ate less than I did.

I asked him to stay the night, since we needed to go to the Courthouse the next day to change some records. He agreed, so I checked the spare bedroom and got it all ready.

I settled in for the night. A sound woke me up, glancing at the clock, it was 3 AM. I heard the sound again, then "Damn!"

Slipping out of bed, I stepped down the hall and looked into the living room. Jerry was rubbing his ankle, apparently he had bumped it on one of the coffee tables in the darkened room. I had neglected to leave the small night light on, since I was familiar with everything's location.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah, just bumped my leg."

"Here let me get the nightlight." I said, without thinking.

I reached over and hit the switch, forgetting that all I had on was the flimsy little pullover nightie top, it barely reached the bottom of my fanny.

Jerry was standing there wearing nothing but a set of briefs, he looked at me, then up and down in surprise. It hit me that I might as well be naked.

"Oh! Sorry." I reached again for the switch.

"No problem." He looked away, then walked across the room to the bathroom.

I went back to bed. I lay there for a long time, thinking of that man in my living room. He was huge, arms so big and powerful. I felt myself getting damp, I pushed the thought out of my mind, slept.

The tap on my bedroom door woke me up again.

"Sally?"

"May I come in?"

I hesitated.

"Sure."

Jerry came in, stood there looking at me. I already knew, but I could see he needed a little push. I sat up, letting the covers fall away from my breasts, only the thin beige material covering me.

Then a smile was all it took, I felt his great weight as he sat on the edge of the bed, reached for me.

I do remember a swirl of panic, if his body was so huge was his...? I reached down, big but not too big. I slid my hand inside his briefs, he was solid as a rock.

We made sweet and tender love, it sounds crazy but I could almost hear Lee laughing with joy in the other room.

No need to go into details of all of that, it wouldn't fit with my intent. It was just normal, easy, and seemed right?

The next morning I woke up in the arms of this huge and powerful man. We looked at each other, I think we both felt a little sheepish about it.

Our conversation all morning was forced, normal. I understood.

Just something that happened, a moment in life. A moment of closeness to cover pain of our surroundings, our joint loss.

I knew once we finished with the paperwork, the trappings of dealing with the remains of a life, he would leave.

I knew that it would be all right.