Gift of Life

"Hmmm. I have to tell you that hearing you say that makes me very happy."

Eric kissed her softly then put a hand on her cheek and said, "I've often wondered what it felt like to be in love, but I couldn't even imagine that before."

"It's the most amazing feeling in the world, isn't it?" she said just as sweetly as before without asking him if really was in love.

"Yes. Yes, it is," Eric agreed before kissing her one more time then going around to open her door.

They spent two hours eating and sipping champagne, and there was no lull in the conversation any longer than it took their server to ask a question.

While they didn't delve into deep, heavy philosophical issues, they got into many areas most couples don't talk about for weeks or months after meeting. But each time something came up, both of them wanted to know as much as they could, and that meant sharing feelings. And feelings had always been strictly off limits and something Eric had never done before with anyone.

And yet with Renee, it was like she'd tapped into this huge reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and emotions that were screaming to get out. And the best part of it all was that he not only didn't feel 'weird' talking about such things, it was as though this was the most natural thing in the world to him.

By the time they drove back to her place, both of them were becoming aware that they might really be falling in love with each other. Neither of them mentioned it, but there was no need to do so.

When Renee asked if he'd like to come in, he told her, "Yes, but I'm afraid if I do, I may not be able to resist wanting to, you know..."

"Why would you want to resist?" she asked with a happy, playful smile.

"Because you are the first and only woman I've ever known who's made me feel like waiting was more important than...not waiting."

Renee's smile slowly faded, and her eyes began rapidly darting back and forth between his as though she were trying to look into his soul.

"Is everything okay?" Eric asked.

"Yes. Sorry. It's just that what you said is quite possibly the most wonderful thing any man, including my late husband, has ever said to me."

"It's true, Renee. I do not want to mess this up, and if not waiting could even possibly change things, then I'll wait as long as needed."

"Not waiting would change things," she told him, her eyes still searching. "But I can't help but think it would change them in the most wonderful and amazing kind of way."

"Renee? Please don't say that unless you mean it, because I can't—I won't—risk doing anything that might..."

"It won't. I promise," she whispered as she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him in a way that told him she was ready in every possible way.

"You're sure?" Eric whispered back.

She smiled happily, kissed him again then said, "Positive," as she opened the door.

An hour or so later, as she lay in his arms, Eric asked if things had changed.

"Uh-huh. Very much."

"For better or for worse?"

Renee laughed then raised her head to look at him and said, "Better. Much, much better, by the way."

"So no regrets?" he asked her as he gently brushed her back; hair that was now worn down and cascading around her pretty face.

"Only that we haven't done it a second time yet," she replied with a happy smile.

"That I can fix!" he told her as he pushed her over and got on top.

Renee laughed a happy laugh then pulled him to her and moaned with pleasure when he reentered her.

Over time, Phillip had become a skilled lover, but Eric was already far beyond everything her husband had ever even dreamed of being. Many women would be jealous of their boyfriend's past experiences, but Renee was thrilled to be the beneficiary of that experience as she came a total of five times before he left.

Eric offered to leave after their third 'go', but Renee reminded him she wasn't one of his 'girls' and that there was no need to rush off.

"No. You most definitely are not," Eric told her as he looked into her eyes.

"So that means you don't have to leave. Unless you want to."

"I don't want to," he assured her.

"Then stay. With me," Renee told him as seriously as she'd ever told him anything.

Eric left very early the next morning for work knowing the woman he now knew he loved had a date with another man. But he also knew that it was going to be a heartbreaking date for someone named Ben who most likely still loved his former flame. And there was no way Eric could blame him for that because he couldn't understand any man not feeling that way about her.

Renee texted him just after 1pm and told him Ben took things as well as could be expected.

"I almost feel sorry for him," Eric texted back. "Almost."

Renee smiled happily at his words then wished with all her heart she could tell him how she really felt. She was fully aware she'd really just met Eric Rust, but she also knew she'd already fallen in love with him. And while she didn't know for sure, she was fairly confident he felt the same way about her, too.

But there was still one person she loved even more than Eric who didn't even know him yet, and Renee suddenly felt an overwhelming need to have her daughter's approval.

To her very pleasant surprise, her daughter called around 3 o'clock, and asked how things were going with her new 'man'.

"Dezzie? Can we talk about that?" her mom said in a way that made her daughter think she'd had her heart broken already.

"Momz? Are you okay? Did something happen?" a very worried Desiree asked.

"I'm fine, honey. And yes, things have happened," she told her daughter, knowing she would never actually say what one of those things was.

They Facetimed for over an hour, and much of that was dedicated to discussing their feelings about Eric, someone Desiree hadn't even met. By the time they hung up, she told her mom she was glad to know she was happy and also promised to withhold judgement until she'd met and gotten to know him.

"That's all I can ask, honey. I can't imagine how this must sound to you, but I'm very grateful to have such a wonderful, mature daughter who's also my best friend on earth."

"I can't say I'm as thrilled about it as you are, Momz, but right back atcha with the BFF thing."

"Dezzie?" her mom said just before they ended the call.

"Uh-huh?"

"A&M isn't that far away. We could drive down for a visit if you'd like."

"I have a couple of big tests on Friday, but I'm available the rest of the weekend," she told her mom.

"So...would that be okay?"

Desiree smiled at her mom then said, "I've gotta meet this guy sometime, so...sure. That sounds like as good a time as any."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. And even if I don't like him all that much, at least I'll know who he is, and I'll get to see my Momz."

Renee was on the verge of crying and didn't want her daughter to see that, so she smiled and said, "And your Momz can't wait to see you, either, Dezzie-Dez."

"So text me about the time, and we'll make it happen," her daughter agreed before signing off.

It was a little after 5 when she texted Eric.

"I have something to discuss with you!" she wrote.

"Why don't you come to the station around 6:15 and we'll go to dinner?"

Renee bit her lip as she thought about the people her much-younger boyfriend worked with seeing her for the first time then wrote back before realizing it was now or never.

"Okay! I'll see you then!"

Renee couldn't remember being so nervous in many years when she walked up to the station house door. It was a warm day so she chose a cute, sleeveless top and a pair of shorts and now wished she'd worn something nicer. But just as she opened the door, Eric spotted her and came to say hello. Which meant kissing her hello which meant everyone else who was there saw them.

"Everybody? This is my girlfriend, Renee. Renee, this is the crew!"

Without exception, every person there was friendly. She heard someone named Phyllis tell someone, "I never thought I'd see the day when this guy would call any woman his 'girlfriend'."

She leaned closer then told that same person, "But I can see why he threw in the towel."

She also loved finally meeting Eric's best friend who made her day even more when he said, "Dude. She's smokin' hot!"

When Eric gave him a look that quieted his friend down, she tried not to laugh. Randy saw and said, "See? I'm telling you. This guy is a changed man. He doesn't go out, he doesn't even look, and he won't even swear anymore. Hell...er...heck, I'm not even allowed to swear."

"Just around my girlfriend, okay?" Eric said as he jabbed his buddy in the ribs.

As they got in her car to go find a place eat, Eric asked what was going on. Renee told him how nice it was to meet his coworkers then recounted her latest conversation with Desiree. To her happy surprise her new boyfriend told her he'd go anywhere, anytime with her.

"I just want her to meet you."

"And I want to meet her. But I'd like you to meet my parents at some point, too."

"Oh," Renee said quietly.

"Yeah. I get it," Eric told her, knowing it might even be harder to be the 'older woman' trying to win over disapproving parents. But she also knew that unless they did meet, this would always be hanging over their heads.

"No. I think that's a great idea," she said, sounding more positive.

"I'll set it up!"

Neither case was an easy sell, but in the end, both Desiree and Eric's parents were persuaded, at least tentatively, by what they saw. It had nothing to do with the physical although each family member understood the attraction. It was more the way that the new person had changed their loved one, and in both cases it was for the better.

By the time they left College Station, Desiree told Eric, "I haven't seen my mom this happy since my father was alive. So while I still don't really get the younger guy thing, I do get my mom being happy, and if this does it for her, then...I guess I'm okay with it."

Considering how things might have gone, both Eric and Renee agreed that wasn't bad at all.

At the Rust home a few nights later, it was Eric's mother having the more difficult time. His father warmed up to Renee by the time dinner was over, but Lyla was still concerned about children, which, for her, meant grandchildren.

As they had a second glass of wine after dinner, she finally brought it up.

"Renee? It's obvious my son cares about you. A lot. That said, I have to admit I've wondered quite often if he'd ever settle down. So from that standpoint, this seems like a...good thing."

It was hard for her to say those words when she thought it was a mistake, but she was doing her best to find a connection.

Renee never objected nor did she try and tell Lyla how she should feel. She accepted her comments, and a time or two, her criticisms, with grace.

"But I just have to ask you something. What about...I mean, if Eric wants to have children...can you?"

"Mom? The bigger question is does Renee even want to," Eric gently said, hoping that would help.

"No, your mom has a very valid point," Renee quickly said. "And the truth is I don't know. A part of me can't imagine late nights, crying, and diapers, and yet another part of me would like nothing more than to have a beautiful, sweet baby in my life."

She knew Lyla really meant, "Are you physically able to even have them?" so she tried to address that.

"I have actually done some reading on women my age having children, and..."

"I didn't know that," Eric said with no small amount of surprise.

"You know. Just in case," his beautiful, older girlfriend told him before finishing her comment.

"But yes, it is very possible for a woman in her mid-40s to safely have a healthy child."

Lyla raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything, so her husband asked if anyone would like more wine.

Everyone agreed to a top-off, and before the newish couple got ready to leave, Lyla said something very similar to what Desiree told Eric.

"I can't say I understand this, but all I've ever wanted was for my son to be happy, and the truth is, I've never seen him this happy before."

She then hugged the woman who was only 11 years younger than her, and when Lyla Rust saw the approving smile on her son's face, she knew this was out of her hands.

What she didn't know was that she and Renee would soon find out how much they had in common after Lyla invited her back for coffee one day when the two of them sat and talked alone.

That visit led to them going shopping together and later they signed up for a class at an arts & craft shop they both thoroughly enjoyed.

The only really unhappy person in all of this was Randy who no longer had his wingman and drinking buddy, but he knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. He'd just assumed it would be because he'd found someone, but so far, he hadn't had any better luck than before. Still, he was happy for his best friend and let him know that on several different occasions, but only after rubbing it in about how he was going out yet again all by himself.

The solution to the problem came after Renee joined them a couple of times. On the second such occasion, she noticed a girl looking at Randy and went over and talked to her for a few minutes. Neither he nor Eric knew what was going on, but when Renee came back, this other girl came with her.

"Maddy? This is Randy. Randy, this is my new friend Maddy."

The chemistry was immediate, and within a few weeks, Randy was no longer going out to bars alone. He was spending his free time with Madison Olson who thought he'd hung the moon.

The Christmas holidays gave everyone a chance to get better acquainted during a time when most people's better angels were on display, and when the new year rolled around, even Desiree was feeling better about her mother's beau.

While meeting and falling in love with Renee was by far the biggest and best surprise for Eric, he was almost as surprised to find out he really, really liked mountain biking. His initial 'cheapo' bike was good enough for a couple of months, but as Renee introduced him to more challenging courses, it was obviously he was going to need something a whole lot sturdier.

The second time around he spent a little over a thousand dollars on a bike that was good enough for almost any trial on earth, and that included a trip to nearby Boulder Park MTB which had some very challenging trails and obstacles.

Eric normally took the lead, and Renee loved hearing him hoop and holler each time he navigated some kind of jump or other intentionally-placed bump in the road. Then again, he enjoyed hearing her shriek with happiness at doing the same thing every bit as much as her.

Once the weather began turning warm again the following Spring, Eric suggested a trip to Moab, Utah, one of the top 10 mountain biking destinations in the country. In fact, Moab had been named 'the mountain biking capital of the United States."

Renee didn't even hesitate as she asked, "When do we leave?"

They arrived the toward the end of April, and it was at the end of the most difficult part of their very challenging ride when Eric stopped them a high bluff with a beautiful view. When she asked what was going on, he told her there was something he wanted to ask.

She had no idea what that might be until he got off the bike. When he did, her smile disappeared so fast it made him laugh, because he knew that she knew. Even so, when he produced the tiny little white box, the woman he loved started crying as he told her how much he loved her.

"Renee? Honey? I had no idea I would, or even could, ever meet someone like you, nor did I ever dream that getting certified for organ transport would play any role in doing so."

He paused, then with great respect said, "I never got to meet Phillip, but I know what a fine man he was. And were it not for his willingness to give the gift of life, I would never have met you."

He paused again, then as he looked up at Renee, he said, "I know I can never replace him nor do I want to. But I would be honored to stand beside you the way he did, you would make me the happiest man...in Moab, Utah...if you would agree to be my wife."

Eric's words touched her deeply, and to Renee, they were emblematic of all that he stood for and why he meant so much to her.

"Nothing would make me happier," she told him as he placed the large, diamond ring on her finger, stood up, then kissed his fiancé and told her again how much he loved her.

"And I love you with all my heart," she told him as she held him and tried to take in her good fortune to be loved not once but twice by such wonderful, giving men.

When they returned home, Lyla immediately offered her house for the wedding, if, of course, her future daughter-in-law approved. Eric shrugged when she looked at him, but she new he'd love that, and as close as she now was with her future mother-in-law, Renee happily accepted her very kind offer.

"I would love that, Lyla," she told her new friend as they hugged and cried together.

Desiree graduated during the last week of May and returned home for a summer wedding in which she was honored to serve as her mother's Maid of Honor. It was still hard for her to understand how her mother could fall in love so fast and already be married, but then again, the smile on her mom's face answered that question every time it arose.

Randy was the only choice to be Eric's best man, and by then it was obvious to all that Maddy was at the point where she was looking for something more than a dating relationship. So as she helped Lyla and Desiree with the planning, Maddy began dropping the occasional hint which made its way to Eric which got back to Randy who proposed to his girlfriend the day after his best friend's wedding.

It was a hot topic of debate as to who was happier when Renee told everyone she was pregnant just three months later, but it was quite possible that person was her. She'd done even more research, talked with three different doctors, and in the end, she wanted another baby so badly it hurt.

At first it hurt figuratively, and later, when Matthew Phillip Rust was born, literally.

Matt was perfectly healthy, and after just a few weeks, he proved to be a very easy baby who rarely cried, and, to the relief of his 46-year old mother, one who almost always slept all night.

Renee Rust had no idea why life had been so good to her, but maybe it was in exchange for the one horrible, painful event it had inflicted on her. She would never know the reason why that had happened or if there even was a reason.

All she did know was that thanks to her first husband's amazing gift, the gift of life, she'd been given the chance to have a new life with another man she loved just as much as she'd loved Phillip, as well as allowing her to once again hold a precious, new life of her own in her arms.