Half a World Away

"I m sorry John, but I cannot let you spend the years we had planned for traveling to take care of me or to eventually waste your money on a nursing home instead of traveling. I Love you too much to have you waste your remaining years. I want you to be able to enjoy the retirement you worked so hard to have.

"I know Sandi will travel with you if you ask her. She may initially argue against it but I m sure you can convince her without too much trouble. I've asked Carol to help get you both out and on the road. If nothing else, tell her it will help you both heal. She came out of her depression from Bill s death by traveling with us and sharing our lives. Now you can help each other. You share a special bond and a special love. Trust in each other and enjoy life together.

John, Be happy and enjoy life.

I loved you more than life itself.

Good bye my love.

Diane.

Till you return,

And until your way is clear

I will be here

Not half a world away.

For Diane, the way had been clear. Only she would never return.

I was crying when I finished the letter. Before that, I was in shock and was unable to express my grief at my loss. Sandi had walked up behind my chair as I read. She didn't read over my shoulder but leaned over the back of the chair and hugged me as I crumpled the letter in my hands and the tears fell, wetting the paper. She came around in front of me and sat on my lap as we held each other and shared our grief.

Sandi never told me what was in her letter. And several months after the funeral we did manage to start traveling again. My three children, especially Carol, urged us to travel, reminding us that was what their mother wanted. Our first trip was to Mt Rushmore. Sandi used her usual bed in the bunkhouse and I used the master bed room. For the first time in months we were able to laugh. We found ourselves walking hand in hand, giving mutual support to each other. It was not romantic. It was just something we did, just as we did when Diane was with us and the three of us would hold hands.

On our return, again my three children, especially Carol, pushed us to go out to eat and go dancing. We got back to living our lives. But always in the back of my mind was my love for Diane.

Sandi:

It was several months since our trip to Mt Rushmore and eight months since Diane's death. John and I had gone dinning and dancing many times. Carol, along with Jack and Karen, her brother and sister would not let up. They were constantly pushing us to go out together. It was as if they had an ulterior motive.

One evening, we returned to his home or maybe I should say "our home" since I still lived there, after a nature walk. John put a CD on and we talked about the birds we saw and looked at the pictures he had taken on his digital camera. There were several close-ups of me I didn't know he had taken. When I asked about them he just blushed and stammered, "I thought they made a great picture. I couldn't resist the way you looked."

"What do you mean the way I looked?"

But John dodged the question. "I just thought it would make a great picture of you. The lighting, the background and angle were perfect."

That sounded good, but since there was no background in the pictures, just a close-up of me from the side. I suspected more then he would admit to.

A song I really liked started playing and I pulled him from the chair and made him dance with me. After seeing those photos I just wanted his arms around me. We started dancing and I put my head on his chest and he held me close. I felt his erection against me and held him tighter. Suddenly he realized it too. He immediately pulled away and said he was tired and was going up to shower and go to bed.

Over the past few months I had felt a gradual stirring in John when we danced. Whenever he felt it, he would pull away from me. Tonight was different. The look in his eyes was different. There was something there that wasn't there before. It wasn't lust. It was love. I don't know when it started because I wasn't looking for it. I knew what I suspected from the pictures was true.

As I watched him go up the stairs I sat down and considered all the evidence I had. Sure, it was circumstantial, and pretty flimsy, but I felt it was good. After about fifteen minutes, I made a decision. I slipped off my tennis shoes and socks and began walking toward the stairs unbuttoning my blouse and removing it as I walked. I dropped it on the stairs and as I climbed the stairs. I unsnapped my bra, taking it off and dropping it on the stairs as well. I began to undo the snap on the top of my jeans as I reached the top of the stairs, and unzipped them as I walked down the hall. I stopped outside John s bedroom door and slid them down over my hips and down my legs. I slipped them off and left them there on the floor outside his bedroom.

If I was wrong I would be very embarrassed. But I knew I was right. Besides I thought the risk was worth it.

I stood at the door to John's room wearing only my panties. I knocked lightly and listened for a response. Not getting one, I opened the door quietly and entered the room and heard the shower running. I approached the bathroom. The sound of the shower covered the noise as I opened the bath room door. Years earlier, John, with Bill's help had removed the tub and installed a large shower that filled the space left by the tub giving plenty of room for two people in the shower. They then did the same at our house.

I saw him through the frosted glass. He was rubbing himself. I took a deep breath, removed my panties and opened the shower door and stepped in. John heard the door open and close and turned and looked at me. Before he could say anything I asked, "Why don't I help you with that."

"Sandi, we can t."

"Yes we can John. I never told you what was in Diane s letter to me. You can read it later. But she told me that she hoped the love we shared as brother-in-law and sister-in-law would blossom into the real thing. She also told me I would have to make the first move because you never would. You would be afraid of betraying your love for her and damaging our relationship. She even gave us her blessing. I believe our relationship has changed and now I'm making that first move"

I reached out to him and hugged him close and kissed him. Initially he resisted then held me closer and really kissed me for the first time with a rising passion. For the first time we were kissing as lovers, not as friends or in-laws. We kissed with a new passion.

"I love you John."

"Sandi, I don t know if it's right or not, but I love you too."

"It is right, John. Dane even gave us her blessing. This is what she wanted for us."

We began to wash each other. John spent a good amount of time washing my breasts. Diane was a C Cup. I'm only a B Cup. But he seemed to love them as they were. As he washed my abdomen his hand slid lower until it was at the junction of my legs. For the first time since before Bill died, I felt a man s hand on my vagina and a finger other than my own rubbing my clit. Then I felt a finger slide into me and I held another man s erection in my hand.

We dried each other than moved to the bed and began to make love. I felt a tongue on my pussy for the first time in years. John brought me to orgasm and then moved up and entered me. He made slow, tender love to me. After we shared a mutual climax, we slept in each other's arms. He didn't give me multiple orgasms but the one I had was far better than multiple orgasms because of the love we shared.

The next morning I gave Diane's letter to John to read. John read the part where Diane hoped we would fall in love and share our lives together. "Sandi, nothing would make me happier than for you and John to love each other and spend your lives together. But you will have to take the initiative. John will let it pass by if you wait for him. He will be afraid of being unfaithful to me and damaging your friendship. Please, don't let that stop you if you do fall in love with each other. Take care of him for me and I only wish happiness for you both."

He looked at me and in shock and some disbelief and said, "She planned this. She wanted this for us."

"John, she loved you and didn't want you to be alone and unhappy." And so our lives together began.

John

Once Sandi and I became a "couple", my daughter Carol knew what was going on. She sat us down one afternoon and opened an envelope as she said "In her letter to me, Mom left me two envelopes along with her letter. She asked me to explain to Jack and Karen what she had done and why. She also left instructions to open envelope number "1" if, and when it appeared that you two were falling in love. which I believe you have."

Sandi and I looked sheepishly at each other. "Carol, where did you get that idea?" I asked

"Oh come on. Anyone who knew you both the way I do, could see you love each other. Besides, I stopped by the house 3 weeks ago and found Sandi s clothes spread from the den, up the stairs and outside your bedroom. Even Jack and Karen know it and approve. We re all very happy, for you both."

She opened the envelope marked with a "1" on it. She read the contents and then showed one page to us. In large letters it said "JOHN AND SANDI, GET MARRIED ASAP. DON T WAIT." Carol then read from the other page. "Don t waste any time apart. Get married and share the rest of your lives together."

So here I stand, with my son Jack at my side as Carol goes to the lectern to read from the envelope marked "2" that Diane had left in her letter to her.

Carol stood and faced the people gathered in the church and said. "I know it is unusual to make announcements before a wedding but I'm following my mother s instructions. My mother left me several letters when she died. Two were to be opened in the event that specific events occurred. The first occurred several months ago. This wedding is the second one of those events." She opened the envelope and read, "If I am right, and I hope I am, it is a short time between my death and this wedding and I guess some are wondering why John and Sandi are not just getting married but are getting married to each other so soon after my death. I can imagine the rumors that are going around and I want to put them to rest. The reason is simple. It's what I want. I love them both and I hoped that they would fall in love. I want them to be happy together. They have my blessing and hopes for a wonderful life together. A life filled with joy and happiness. Where ever they go Bill and I will be there in spirit."

Carol signaled the organist and as the music started, my son, my best man, elbowed me in the ribs to break my reverie. Sandi s daughter, Lois came down the aisle as the maid of honor followed by Sandi.

As Sandi stood across from me, in my minds eye, I saw Diane and Bill standing next to her. I saw Diane smile and wink at me. I mouthed a silent, "I will always love you. Thank You." Then I took my bride's hand in mine and turned to face the priest.