Laura's Cardinal Ch. 03

We each looked at my dad, with bewildered looks.

"Yes... soulmates. I saw it the moment you two sat down. You two have a rare gift. It's more than looks of love... it's much deeper. The look in each of your eyes. The way you would look at each other. It's like there's an invisible thread connecting the two of you. I've never seen anything like it. Cherish it and each other. I know a lot of couples that would give an arm and a leg for just a fraction of what you two have."

The rest of the afternoon and evening were filled with old memories of my growing up. Fortunately, my mom resisted the urge to bring out the black-and-white snapshots of my youth, especially the classic naked baby picture on my stomach looking up at the camera.

Cuddling in our favorite position, the love of my life's soft breast pressing against my side, her soft golden forest of blonde pubic hair against my hip, her head in the crook of my shoulder as her fingers idly played with my sparse chest hair. Lightly kissing her hair, I held her in a warm and tender embrace.

"I really love your mom and dad. They welcomed me like I was already part of the family."

I was about to add, 'It's only a matter of time', but decided to hold that thought.

"They're so nice and warm, they really remind me of my mom and dad. I know that they would have gotten along very well."

Snuggling closer, "I can't believe that your dad saw what we have so quickly. I guess that I never really thought that it shows. And I think that you're right. When we meet Laura's parents they will see that what we have is different. And you want to know something else? I'm not the least bit nervous about meeting them."

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Laura's parents lived in the next town over, just outside the city limits in a four-bedroom ranch-style house. Pulling into that familiar driveway brought back so many memories, that I had to just sit there for a moment. Amanda, always in tune with what was going on, reached over, held my hand, and gave me a gentle warm smile, as if to say, 'It will be fine. I'm with you'. 'I will always be with you'.

I didn't even have to knock. The door opened, and Laura's mom and dad, Judy and Mike stood with the warm and welcoming smiles that had always greeted me.

It had only been five months, and they looked pretty much the same as when I left. It always amazed me, but Judy was a spitting image of what Laura would have looked like later on in life. Her hair was a bit darker but she still had her petite motherly shape.

After receiving warm hugs from each, "Judy... Mike... this is Amanda. My girlfriend."

They knew that I had met someone through my weekly emails as it was the reason I had stopped traveling and was staying in Montana. They just didn't know all of the details on how we met and everything.

After receiving warm hugs from each, Judy just stood in front of Amanda, held her hands in hers, smiled, and looked into Amanda's smiling face.

"You sure are a cute little one. You did good Steve."

Amanda blushed. It was cute.

We spent the next couple of hours on their back patio with a couple of iced teas and some chips while we each filled them in on US.

As we were about to leave, Amanda received warm and heart-felt hugs from both Mike and Judy. Judy gave me a tear-filled hug, as she figured that it would be a while before she would see me again. Pulling back, she smiled and gave me a farewell kiss on my cheek.

Taking my hands into hers. Her soft gentle eyes warmed me, like Laura's always did.

"You and Laura had a special kind of love and will always have a connection. And I'm so happy that you have found this wonderful lady. It looks like she has filled the void in your life. And I know that Laura would be extremely happy for you. You and Amanda have a special and different kind of love... a deeper love. Take care Steve, and don't forget to invite us to the wedding."

Sleep was difficult to come to me that night. I knew what the coming day had in store. But, not how it would end.

The moon was in its third quarter... a half-moon. As I sat on the nearby picnic table bench dressed in only a pair of shorts, my eyes drifted upwards to the starry and half-moonlit sky and just stared. For the first time, no words came to me. It wasn't that I needed comfort or guidance. I had that lovely woman inside, sleeping peacefully in my bed to give me comfort, love, and direction in my life. The woman who I planned on spending the rest of my life with. All thanks to one of those bright stars. What more could a man want?

..............................................

Passing through the black wrought-iron gate, the RV crept along the narrow path to that all-too-familiar spot. Taking Amanda's hand in mine we wordlessly walked between the headstones along the path that I had come to know so well. Stopping at the head of the dark gray piece of granite, the familiar lump once again formed in my throat.

Kneeling and placing a single red rose on the grave marker brought another lump in my throat. Touching my lips to the intertwined hearts at the top of the stone, my eyes welled up.

Standing and reaching for Amanda's hand, "Hi, Laura. I told you that I would return."

Quietly a bright red Cardinal glided from behind us and landed on the same branch of the yellow-leafed maple tree that he had occupied so many times. Every color was enhanced by the warm sunlight that filtered down through the golden leaves. Cocking his head sideways looking at us as he announced his presence.

"Chirp"

"Oh my," Amanda whispered as she stood spellbound at the brilliance of the red bird. It was the first time that she had seen a Cardinal in the wild.

"Hi Laura, remember me?"

"Chirp"

"You're so beautiful."

"Chirp... Chirp"

I could see Amanda smile as Laura 'talked' to her.

Reaching for her hand, my voice cracking with each word.

"You have blessed me. If it hadn't been for your guidance and for encouraging me, I never would have found this precious lady, my second soulmate. A lady who I love from the bottom of my heart. A lady who I plan on spending the rest of my life with."

Amanda squeezed my hand with one hand and wiped away a tear with the other.

Cocking his head, as if intently listening to my words.

"We have a love that's deep like the love that we shared, only different. Amanda is my Twin Flame. And thank you for making my heart big enough for two soulmates. Some people go through life without ever finding even one. I have two."

By now, Amanda's body was trembling and on the verge of breaking into major tears. I was barely holding myself together.

"So, again... Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will always love you."

With a chirp, the red bird glided over and gently landed on Amanda's shoulder. Side-walked over to her cheek, rubbed its red crest against her warm tear-streaked cheek, and then pressed its beak against a tear as my Laura's Cardinal kissed and blessed my soulmate with a promise to watch over her. I was about to lose it.

A hop over to my shoulder and he rubbed its red crest against my tear-streaked cheek and then stopped and rested its head against my warm skin as if hugging me. The kiss was followed by a final lingering cheek-rub through my tears and one final slow kiss.

With a final chirp, Laura's Cardinal flew off into the gold-covered trees. He had accomplished his mission... Bringing two lost and aching souls together. Laura's Cardinal may have been saying 'Goodbye' but I knew in my heart that 'My Laura'... My Guardian Angel would always be watching and guiding me, watching and guiding us.

Kneeling at the gray headstone, with Amanda at my side and holding my left hand, my eyes overflowing with tears that ran down my cheeks and fell on the dark gray granite. Tracing each letter of her name. I knew it was my turn to say "Goodbye". To bring closure and to move on with my Twin Flame, which is what I knew that she wanted all along.

Removing the chain that hung from my neck, I held the gold rings in my hand. The rings that we gave each other on that special day, as symbols of our love and commitment to each other. Reading the words "Soulmates - Forever & Always" that were engraved on the inside of each of the plain gold bands brought a lump to my throat and more tears.

One last kiss to the symbols of our love before arranging the chain and rings on the headstone. Each wedding band over her first and last name with her diamond engagement ring over her middle name.

One last kiss to her engraved name and to the intertwined hearts on the gray stone, which seemed to have warmed.

"Goodbye my Laura... my forever Soulmate. You will always have a place in my heart; right next to my Twin Flame."

The end.

Post note. A few years later, Judy confessed that she and Mike had visited Laura's final resting spot later that afternoon, and saw the rings. She knew why they were there and the significance. She also knew that it would be a matter of time before they were discovered and taken by some stranger. So, she picked them up and put them in the safety of her personal jewelry box. Adding that when her time came, and she was finally with her daughter the rings would be mine again.

Amanda and I returned to her ranch and spent the rest of our lives there as husband and wife, raising horses, and yes two sons and a single daughter, Jennifer Laura Swanson, who instantly captured my soul. As I held her for the first time, tears and a lump formed in my throat.

Staring up at me with a gentle and calm smile, with eyes that were so full of life. Eyes that came from the two loves of my life. One eye brown with gold streaks, the Tiger Eye. And the other a soft smoky gray. She would have me wrapped around her finger in no time, she already had.

Little Jennifer was going to break many hearts as she went through life. My only hope was that she too, would also find her soulmate and Twin Flame.