Mourning Doves at Surise

The mourning doves dozed in the sun, basking in the orange glow of the morning, a picture of true contentment. Bart was staring at the ceiling, wearing only the blond wig. No one could see the steel wool coated paunch. And even if they did, he was with this amazing lady, so it didn’t matter. Holly, elfin head covered in baby fuzz, was snoring quietly on his chest. The tumor and subsequent surgery had been discussed while they summoned their courage. The chemo badge was worn with no shame. During the night, the wig was passed from head to head, bringing laughter and more loving. It had been a dream full of surprises. 

 

But it almost didn’t happen.

 

But it did, and he would answer for it. His finger traced along the thin pale scar above her ear and eyes fluttered.

 

“Mmm….Hey, Baby.” blue veined hand glided over the gray paunch. 

 

“Hey, back.” 

 

Kissing deeply, they looked into each other’s eyes. A question began to form on her face.

 

“Do you believe in ghosts? I sort of do, that there are souls that are stuck here for one reason or another.”

 

“Like Amy?” He smiled. “When the wig fell off, I thought you were her.”

 

She smiled at that. Pushing on his leg for support, she sat up. Two wine glasses sat half full next to the bed. Picking them up, she took a sip out one and gave the other to him.

 

“I don’t know, but I did feel another presence in the room.” The voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s creepy, but I think she was looking down at us.”

 

“I know she was. That might be why I was a little…slow.”

 

Holly giggled at that.

 

“Aw, your cheating heart.” 

 

Draining his glass, he shot her a serious look. 

 

“I was cheating on her.” Their eyes locked. “I never looked at another woman while we were together, or really after she was gone. Tonight scared me. It was… too far, too fast. When you came out of the bathroom, I wanted to hide. Especially when I saw you hadn’t…”

 

Holly grinned. “Put my panties back on?”

 

“Yeah.” Tears began to form around the pale eyes he began to shake. “I…I never…”

 

“Oh, Baby, it’s all right.” She lay back beside him, wrapping her thin arms over his shoulders. “You never fall in love to cry.” 

 

His voice shook.

 

“Amy was behind you, smiling, when we were standing next to the bed. It sounds crazy, but I saw her, hands on your shoulders, like she wanted to join us.”

 

Kissing his forehead; the eagle admired her catch with a look of love.

 

“Or she approved of us.” She buried her head into his shoulder. “Amy was a very lucky woman to have had you. You are the best, most wonderful man I have ever known.”

 

“Even though…”

 

She put a finger to his lips; face brighter than the sun drawn across her belly.

 

“Older guys take time.” Finishing the wine, she placed the glass back on the nightstand. “It’s like baking a cake, and I got the sweetest piece.”

 

“But what about…”

 

A finger traced from chin to chest and a warm, wry smile blossomed.

 

“When you screamed her name?” The hand stopped in the center of his chest. “Honey, her spirit is still in your heart.”Taking his hand, she placed it between her breasts. “And she’s is now in mine, too. I wish I was half the woman she was.”

 

Calm set over them. After a while, Bart asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time. 

 

“Why did you get the tattoo?” 

 

Smiling, she sat up.

 

“To hide surgery scars” She flipped the shirt off. “Psycho busted my spleen and some other internal organs.” She brought his hand up to the long raised scar under the word COMES. “I decided anything I did to hide it had to be positive. Nothing more positive than this” 

 

The roughness of the ink was surprising, like raised braille. He traced each of the letters, across the top, then underneath the sun. When he finished exploring, the hand drifted further down, which brought a shudder.

 

“Did you do it so the sun would never come down on you?”

 

Laughing, she flicked the wig off his head. It landed on top of the empty glasses.

 

“Silly!” Pointing at the scar above her ear. “It will set on me sooner than later. We both know that. But, now I can say I went out with a bang.”

 

Bart stood up and brought her close. The waltz from the previous night resumed. 

 

“And I can say you were the rainbow arching through my clouds.”

 

Their lumpy, scarred images were beautiful in God’s eyes.

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Topic-Dave Raider

Pic-Liam McKormic

Pic guesses: Mourning Dove (in blog), peace, Alabaster palace, elfin (in blog), Snow palace, offering, message.