A Fight to Remember

Star Light, Star Bright

Qualicum, January 2031

Derek

It was the third time in a month I passed the house. Sarah's house. Not the one I built, but the one we first moved into. Last month before Christmas I finally drew up the courage to knock on the door. There was no answer, no one was home. I asked Bob about her, if he'd seen her or heard from her, but he only shook his head. Not since I'd been back from therapy... and then I stopped going. For seven months I avoided coming to Qualicum and tried to justify it, but...

Last night...Nanaimo

"Are you ready?" Lynn asked through the phone.

I peered at my reflection in the mirror, everything was good except for the tie, I couldn't figure it out, which was ironic because I could tie all sorts of knots on a fishing boat. "Yeah, I think so. You know how to tie a tie?"

A soft chuckle came over the line, "Of course, I do my husband's all the time."

Relief coursed through me, I was nervous but happy. There was a formal staff party for hospital employees and she'd invited me:

"You need to get out... meet new people, stop being such a hermit." Lynn said.

"Am I really that bad?" I asked when she invited me a week ago.

She smiled thoughtfully. "Sometimes, yeah."

"I get mopey," I said, using her words.

"Yup."

Well I had to prove her wrong. Mopiness was a bad character trait. "Alright, I'll go."

"Great!" Lynn exclaimed with a clap. "I already invited Sherry."

"Sherry?"

"Your date."

So I found myself standing in front of a full length mirror on my houseboat, adjusting my suit and waiting for Lynn to arrive. Only a few minutes later, the double tap of the car horn alerted me to her arrival.

"You look great," Lynn said when I finally exited the car in front of the hotel.

"Thanks," I nervously ran my fingers through my thick hair. Lynn adjusted my collar and quickly tied my tie. "So... Sherry?"

Lynn shrugged, "I work with her... she's single. Look, I'm not trying to set you up or anything, I just don't want you to be by yourself. Charlie will be here with me any minute and I didn't want you to feel like a third wheel."

"I guess I can appreciate that," I smiled.

Lynn looked at me and shook her head.

"What?"

"You have a great smile..." She trailed off.

It only made me smile more.

xxx

The event started off without a hitch and I was shuffled to a large round table and seated with Lynn and Charlie. Sherry joined us a little later, she was a trim woman with blonde highlights and light green eyes. She was a bit younger than me, but that was alright. "Can I get you a drink?" I asked her.

"White wine?"

"Coming up."

We enjoyed dinner and conversation, Sherry was well versed in nearly everything, making it easy to talk to her. Even when the music started and the rest of the table left to dance, we were still talking. I looked over at the dance floor and sipped the last of my wine. "Wanna dance?" I offered my hand.