Love to Last a Lifetime

A subtle breeze tickles the sheer, white curtains that hang from the patio window causing them to dance lightly on the wooden floor below. The peaceful sound of waves crashing against the rocks streams through the window along with the breeze, providing a gentle song that fills the cozy beach house with tranquility. The oceanic interlude is interrupted by a ringing phone in the background.

Patience West sits on the couch in an oversized tank top, oblivious to the ringing phone and seemingly mesmerized by the flickering of the window panels. She fumbles with a plain white envelope that rests in her lap while gazing at the window. The dancing curtains remind her of Leonard. Everywhere she looks she’s being stalked by inanimate objects vying for her attention with the sole purpose of reminding her of him. As if she could ever forget. Being in Mexico with Leonard was literally a fantasy come true. Patience was familiar with the term ‘soul mate’, but not at all familiar with the experience of having a twin flame. That is...until she met Leonard.

Leonard was tall, dark, and handsome, which sounds cliche, but with his six-foot-four frame, Rembrandt smile, and bronze skin tone, the timeless description is rather accurate. Patience was one of a handful of people sunbathing on the beach when Leonard walked right up and introduced himself. There was something familiar about her; he was drawn to her.

“There you are! How’s it going?” He smiled at Patience and took a seat in the sand next to her. She was slightly overwhelmed by his stunning face and perfect six-pack abs. It took her a moment to find her voice.

“Uhh...it’s going...great.” She raised her sunglasses to see if her eyes dared deceive her, but the results were clear; no deception was detected. He was hot. He extended his hand.

“Leonard, but my friends call me Leo.” He held her hand for a bit longer than necessary and smiled at her with a look of slight confusion. She smiled back, but also shared an unsure expression.

“Patience. My friends call me...Patience. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He shakes his head a bit and releases her hand, “I’m sorry but have we met?”

“Besides just now, I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I would’ve remembered you.”

“It seems like we know each other somehow. Where do you live?”

“Savannah, Georgia...born and raised.”

“Okay, well I’ve never been to Savannah...what about college?”

“Savannah State.” She smiles and shrugs.

“Alright, well it’s nice to meet you, Miss Patience. So what’s the backstory behind the name?”

“My mom was in labor for 52 hours and 14 minutes.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said.

“Really? And why’s that?” She was curious to know where he was going with this.

“You can’t rush perfection and anything worth having is worth waiting for.” He winked at Patience and gave her his killer smile.

She smirks and lowers her sunglasses back over her eyes in an attempt to hide the blushing.

“Thanks, I agree.”

They sat on the beach and talked for hours until sunset interacting with such ease that it was easy to forget that they had met less than 12 hours ago. The conversation on the beach led to dinner and drinks, which led to powerful, passionate, lovemaking in Leonard’s bungalow. Patience had never experienced the sensual explosions and uncontrollable climaxes that Leonard incited. As he ravished her body over and over, the ocean breeze caused the sheer white curtains to flicker to the same rhythm as Leonard’s tongue flickering on her most prized possession.

A knock at the door snaps Patience back to the present day. She stares at the door but doesn’t get off the couch until there’s another more aggressive sounding knock coupled with the sound of her neighbor’s voice. John was an older gentleman who along with his wife, Veronica owned the property next door.

"Patience? You in there?”

Patience expresses a heavy sigh as she places the envelope on the coffee table and makes her way to the door. She shuffles along and catches a glimpse of the reflection of her frail frame, which stops her in her tracks. She lifts her hand to touch her face.

“Patience!”

The urgency in John’s voice startles her out of self-recognition and self-pity.

“I’m coming!” She exclaims as she unlocks the door to greet her neighbor. He’s taken aback at the drastic change in her appearance as it had been quite some time since he last saw her.

“Well, there you are.” He looks her up and down. "I was just about to leave this for you.” John is holding a battered box wrapped in brown paper, with packing tape wrapped tightly around both ends. Patience eyeballs the box as if she’s seen a ghost, furthering John’s concern for his neighbor.

“Everything okay? You look a little...out of it.”

“Oh, no. I mean yes, everything’s fine. Just tired, that’s all.”

“Well, if you say so.” Clearly he isn’t convinced but he does his best to mind his own business. “ Anyway, this was on my porch when I came out to walk the dog, but it has your name on it.” John offers Patience the tattered box, but she doesn’t budge. He gestures with the box for her to take it, but Patience feels stuck in time.

“Listen, Veronica’s waiting in the car so why don’t I just put it on the table for you, okay?”

“Okay,” she replies barely above a whisper. She steps out of his way and he slides past her to place the box on the dining room table. Patience keeps her distance and stares at the box as if she’s waiting for it to come to life.

“You know, you really oughta try to get some rest. A good night’s sleep can do you a world of good.”

“Thank you,” she says without taking her eyes off the box. John approaches and places a loving hand on her shoulder to get her attention and the two make eye contact before he speaks.

“Take care of yourself. And if you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.” His sincere demeanor softens something in Patience.

“Thanks, John. I really appreciate that.”

“Neighbors gotta look out for each other. Now, you get yourself some rest.” He makes his way to the door.

“Yes, sir.” Patience follows him and locks the door behind him. She calls her attention to the envelope on the table and stares at it for a moment. As she moves slowly toward the coffee table the soft tapping of her bare feet on the wooden floor adds to the symphonic sound of crashing waves and the occasional call of a seagull. Her tall, slender frame moves at a hesitant pace. She sits on the couch and twiddles her fingers before picking up the envelope. The word ‘PATIENCE’ is written in capital letters on the front. Its contents contain the answer to the burning question that’s been plaguing her for weeks. The irony of the cosmic timing of the arrival of her courage to finally open the damn envelope and the dreaded box is almost unbearable.

For Patience, the horrid box contains everything, and it contains nothing. It’s full of truth contaminated by lies and the revelation of a battered soul draped in a beautiful mask. Poor John thought that he was simply making a delivery, but for Patience what he held in his hands on her doorstep felt more like a miscarriage. Torn paper on the outside of the box mimics a painful representation of the inner contents. It’s almost unfathomable to consider that the most admirable love could co-exist simultaneously with the most devastating heartbreak, packaged in a six-by-nine-inch box and a number 10 envelope.

“You’ve waited long enough.” Patience allows herself permission to open the envelope. She traces the letters of her name one at a time before flipping it over and taking a deep whiff as if the scent would somehow grant access to what’s inside. Patience opens the envelope and there are several pages folded together, the first of which is a handwritten note. Tears fill her eyes as she unfolds the pages and runs her fingers across the words on the paper. She straightens the creases and begins to read.

My Dearest Patience,

My words could never express the depth of guilt, sadness, and pain that I feel for what I have done to you. There is no doubt that my actions have had a devastating impact and quite frankly what I’ve done is unforgivable. Hopefully, after you read this you’ll understand that everything I’ve ever done was out of the purest love for you.

Tears stream down Patience’s face and she uses her shirt to wipe her eyes so that she can continue reading.

The day I met you was the absolute best day of my life and the day you said ‘I do’ comes in at a close second. I never knew a love like ours was possible and I looked forward to us sharing forever. When you got diagnosed, suddenly there was an expiration date on our life together. I couldn’t bear the thought of living without you, and then when we couldn’t afford the treatments, the sadness in your eyes felt like it literally broke my heart. I started racking my brain trying to figure out how I could come up with such an exorbitant amount of money. But I kept coming up empty.

The heartbreak of reading the truth is overwhelming. Patience drops the papers in her lap, covers her face and her shoulders heave as she sobs.

“No...no...no!” It takes her a moment to regain her composure. She uses a nearby tissue to blow her nose before taking a few deliberate breaths to help calm her nerves. She picks up the letter and continues.

A couple of years ago, I took out an additional life insurance policy on myself for $1.5 million, which along with my 401k should be enough to get all of the care you need. Please promise me that you’ll use the money for your treatments so that you can live!

“Oh, Leonard...how could you leave me like this!?” Patience wishes she could go back in time and talk him out of it. She had no idea that he was coordinating such a dramatic exit, although he held her in his arms significantly longer than usual that morning. She had speculated so many reasons, depression, drugs, maybe demons, but never had she considered that she was the reason that her husband decided to end his life. The simple ink on the familiar stationery explained her status as a widow. It was like a dagger to the heart cloaked in undying love, and she had no other choice but to continue stabbing herself.

When I said I would die for you, clearly I meant it. Please know that I’m still here with you and I’m probably stroking your hair as you read this god-awful letter. You are the absolute love of my life and I’ll be waiting for you on the other side for as long as it takes. I promise to find you in the next lifetime just like I found you again in this one.

Forever Yours

Leonard

The tears continue to spill onto the paper and Patience shuffles to the next page to find a copy of the life insurance policy. She clutches the papers to her chest and curls up in a fetal position on the couch. The truth is too much to bear. A phenomenal man with a massive presence sits on the kitchen table reduced to powdery remnants in a plastic bag, inside of a box, wrapped in tattered brown paper, all for the sake of his undying love for a woman named Patience.