Walking the Dog

"Is this really you John Abernathy? Really you?"

"Yes Captain Bajek, it is me. I promise."

With that, her arms wrapped around my neck and our lips met for the first time. Her lips were as soft and warm as I remember. An explosion swept through my mind. Knowledge I didn't know I possessed burst into being. I now knew who I really was and where I belonged. Suzie and I kissed for a long, long time. My hands caressed her back, her shoulders, her arms. Her fingers mussed my hair as both our passion rose.

"Ahem..." Susan coughed.

Nurse Susan groaned and pulled back from our embrace. We both turned to Doctor Susan and smiled embarrassed. Nurse Susan turned walking to the living room. She stood waiting for us to follow. She sat on the divan and patted the cushion next to her. Susan took the chair across from us.

"Susan, sweetheart, I have a lot to tell you. And what I'm telling you not even John knows all of it as some of the things haven't happened to him yet."

"Okay. You know I like listening to your stories Aunt Suzie."

"Back during the war, you know which one I'm talking about, a soldier under my care started to call me Doctor Bajek. He started to tell me I was his doctor back where he had come from. Where he had come from was today. We never exchanged information except he knew you, when you would be born and which of my nieces would have you.

"After a while his coming and going caused me to do the stupidest and best thing in my entire life, I fell in love with this mystery man. Even though he told me he was in love with you."

I was shocked that she would tell Susan that. Susan was also shocked as she looked at me. I just smiled, embarrassed to be sitting there, as her aunt told her of my feeling for her. Yes, I did love her, but I also loved her aunt.

"John, you know I'm a married woman?"

"Yes, I do, is that supposed to keep me from feeling the way I do? It only keeps me from acting on those feelings. I also love your aunt."

Now it was Suzie's turn to look surprised and embarrassed. I turned to her, looking deep into her beautiful eyes.

"I have loved you from the time I stole that first kiss from you," I told her.

"John, I'm an old lady, what would you want with someone like me?"

"Susan, you are still the young nurse who was taking care of me, when I was there. I look at you and see a beautiful young vibrant woman. I look at your niece and I see you as you were back then, when it used to be I'd look at you and see her. Things have changed. I have changed. And that change was because of you. And besides, I'm not spring chicken."

"Oh my, I don't know what to say."

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you."

"Wait a minute," Susan said.

"Why?" her aunt asked.

"You just met."

"No, we met back in nineteen-forty-two," Suzie told her.

"No you didn't..."

"Yes we did," I chimed in.

"I'm really confused."

I rose, went to Susan's chair. I took her hands in mine and pulled her up. We stood facing each other. I looked into her eyes, searching. She was unflinching as my gaze intensified. I nodded, leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. A new knowledge burst in to my mind searing itself in my brain. She didn't jump or pull away. I closed my eyes and remembered. Pulling away from her, I opened my eyes.

"Well?" Suzie asked.

"Just like yours. Soft, warm and full of passion, she is you, you are her."

"Good. Susan, I want you to go home and open that envelope I gave you so long ago I bet you have forgotten. Read the letter I put in there. Then take the necklace and put it on."

"Why?"

"You will see when you put it on. Now go, I want to spend some time with John alone. I'll call a cab for him when we are finished. Now come here and give me a hug and kiss good-bye."

Susan walked to where her aunt now stood, waiting. They embraced and Susan gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. Suzie grabbed her niece's face and gave her a hard kiss on the lips. After pulling back, she smiled and winked at her niece.

"I always wondered what it would be like to kiss myself," she teased as she hugged Susan again. Susan smiled with embarrassment. I walked her to the door.

"You better behave yourself," she scolded me.

"Susan, I promise I won't do anything to your aunt that I wouldn't do to you, if I could."

Her eyes widened with shock as I pressed my lips to hers and put my hand on her ass.

She jumped back pushing me away. She had a smile on her face as she turned pushing the door open and leaving. I went back into the living room. Suzie was standing just as I had left her, she was smiling as she looked at me. I took her in my arms and hugged her to me.

"It's time to go," she whispered in my ear.

"I know. Will she be happy?"

"Yes, even more so now."

"That's good, that's really good to hear."

"You did lover her?"

"Yes, just as much as I love you. Where's the transport?"

"We are standing in it, darling."

"Where to this time?"

"Future, I think. I want to see how my niece turns out."

"You just like watching yourself."

"So do you."

"No, I like watching you."

"Brace yourself."

A little used path led up to a slight depression in the ground. A lone mailbox stood at the curb. A red SUV turned left out of the dead end street and slowly drove away.