Back to our Love

6

Rosalind and Ben arrived at the long-term care facility and they walked inside.

He watched as some of the nurses' eyes widened. "Hi, can you give these thank you cards out to your staff on my behalf."

"It's so good to see you up. Praise God. I know your wife is extremely happy. She was just here with you last night and now you are up and talking it's just...praise God it's a miracle."

Ben smiled and shook the woman's hand.
Rosalind showed him to the room and he walked in and looked around. He saw the wedding picture of themselves on the nightstand.

There was a crossword book with a pen over the top of it. He opened it and flipped through the pages of the book looking at Miranda's handwriting. It was a 500 hundred crossword book and all of them looked complete except the last couple of pages.

He sighed knowing that she sat here for days on end. Her heels were lined up neatly in the corner and he saw a pair of jeans and blouse folded on top of the dresser.

"You okay?"

Ben turned to his sister in tears. "I'm angry but I can't be. I can't be mad at her because five fucking years. She sat here for five years miserable and lonely. I would have wanted her to be happy and move on. I would have wanted that. She deserves that. But I don't want her to do it now. Don't love no else but me. I'm here now, be with me, love me." He cried breaking down.

Rosalind pulled him into a hug and Ben cried into her neck.

"I want her to leave him but I can't ask her that and I shouldn't. She planned a life with him. He picked up the pieces of her broken heart when she moved on from me. He made her smile. I walked in on them kissing and hugging. She loves him." He explained.

" I am so sorry Benji,"

"It's too much Ros. I feel overwhelmed. Like I'm drowning in my own thoughts. My heart is in pieces and I love her with all the broken tiny pieces.

"It's going to be okay. You feel this way because you found out so much in one day. To you, time has not passed so the feeling is deeper and worse."

"This must be what having broken ribs is like."

"Huh?"

"Nobody can see it but the pain is unbearable every time you breathe." He explained.

Ros pouted and rubbed his back. She started helping him put everything in a box. Ben walked into the small bathroom and looked at Miranda's washcloth. It was a spare toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap. He put it all into a box and grabbed everything before leaving.

"You want to have dinner with me and my boyfriend," Rosalind asked once they were in the car.

"Boyfriend?" Ben asked shocked.

"Yeah of 3 years," she smiled.

"How did you all meet?"

"At a pride festival. He's a guys guy. You would like him. He likes camping, sports, and all of that."

"I'm happy for you and excited to meet him."

"My hair is low. I expected it to be worse than this after that long period of time."

"Miranda cut your hair. I walked in one day and she had a cape around your neck and was sitting on top of you cutting your hair with the clippers. She had a few funny mishaps that I wish you had been awake to see. I laughed every time I saw you when she accidentally used a low guard or messed up the hairline but she learned and cut it every two weeks."

Ben smiled and chuckled. He could picture her face when she'd messed up. That would have been priceless.

Back at Rosalind's house, she opened the door so he could walk inside.