Dear Adelaine

Dear Adelaine,

Today I was looking for something in our closet and I found your old picture chest. I took it out and sat down and started looking through all of the old pictures. They were of us mostly. The wood and leather that makes the box is now worn; the metal that holds it together, tarnished and rusty. This box has survived through everything, the harsh heat of the summer, the unforgiving cold of the winter, the drastic weather changes of the spring, and the cold rain and mellow days of autumn. But the pictures inside, safe none the less. Most of them show the age on them. Touching them brings back all of the forgotten memories and all of the small things that we took for granted. Me being me, I of course couldn't resist looking through them.

As I was looking I found a few very certain dear pictures to me that reminded me of some of the most unforgettable moments of my life that I seemed to have lost track of recently. There are four pictures in total.

The first one was when Casper, our first and only child graduated from highschool. In the picture there was you, me, and Casper. You were being the sweet little angel that you were with your beautiful smile and sparkling eyes. You were in the middle of both of your boys. I remember you were trying to look presentable for this picture but Casper and I kept making you laugh. We didn't want a traditional boring stiff picture even though we knew thats what you wanted. You always had to put up with our monkey business. Anyways we kept making funny faces and weird noises and you couldn't stop laughing. And that was how we got that picture. I was doing fish lips and crossing one of my eyes. Casper on the other hand was basically clinging to you like a koala. His legs are latched around your waist and his arm hugging your collarbone bone as to make sure he wouldn't fall off. He is then making the weirdest face. Then the both of us are giving you bunny ears. When we got this picture processed we all took one look at it and started laughing until we were crying. I remember we were in the kitchen, just finshing cleaning up our mess from lunch when we decided to open up the package of pictures since we were all there. We started to shuffle through them commenting on them and looking at how much everybody was enjoying themselves. Then, when we got to last picture it was that one. Everybody was silent for a bit and then we started to let out deepy hearty laughs. Casper and I were rolling on the floor with laughter while you were chuckling and murmuring about how you were the only sane person in our house.

The next picture was when Casper was around 12 and we went to Disney World. It was one of those ones where they take the picture while your on the ride. Once we looked at it we knew we wanted it. So we bought the stupid picture which cost $10 more than what it should have. Looking back at it now, it makes my heart warm. The border around the picture is so faded that I can barely make out what it says with my old eyes. Anyways, I remember Casper wanting to go on this ride. Me, being the child that I am wanted to go on it just as much, if not more than him. After convincing you that we should go, we went and stood in line for about half an hour. The cars were only built for two people. Casper sat in front of us and you and I sat together. You were nervous before while we were waiting in line and then terrified once we got on. You were scared because Casper was young and he was in the cart in front of us and you were scared because you thought something was going to happen to him. Anyways, I remember the ride started and you began to have a panic attack. I calmed you down by giving you a kiss. As the ride went on, you got more and and more relaxed and really started to have fun. Casper and I were having a blast and doing all sorts of weird things. By the end of the ride you had so much fun that you wanted to go again. Casper wouldn't allow it because he wanted to go on more rides. Anyways we heard about the picture thing because apparently it was new and decided to check it out. When we found the picture of us in it, you were waving your arms like crazy even though we weren't going down a hill and Casper and I were doing the weirdest things ever. Your eyes though just showed that you were content and happy. Also, that picture proved just how much you were a part of our crazy family.

The next picture was when Casper was over with his family and you were out in the garden tending to your plants. Little  did you know, the grandkids and I were behind you with a hose. We started spraying you, careful to avoid your plants. You were so shocked at first that you didn't even know what to think. In the first picture (it was actually a frame with two pictures in it)  the water was spraying your back and you have the most shocked look on your face. The grandkids and I are all behind you screaming with laughter. In the second one, we were done spraying you and you were looking at the camera with an unamused face. Then the grandkids and I are looking at you debating on what your next move was going to be. I was hiding behind the hose and the grandkids were hiding behind me peeking out to look at you. I remember after that we had the most ecpic water fight ever. You, Casper, and his wife Emilee were on a team and then our 3 grandkids and I were were on a team. Our team brutally beat yours. After that you put out a ban that said we could never use the hose again and that you were the only person that could.

The last picture was when we were on our first date. We met in highschool and I finally got the balls to ask you out in our senior year. It was towards the end of the school year and we were friends (we just had a lot of tension). We had both been miraculously accepted into the same collage, just for different things. On the last day of school, I asked you out on a date. I had already asked your dad a few days prior considering that our families were very close to each other. He approved and I asked you. I took you out up into the backcountry in my jeep. When I got to the place where I was taking you, you were breathless. We weren't on some cliff over looking a big city but our veiw was pretty close. I had brought you to the top of a bluff and you could see all of the feilds and farms spread out below and you could see the sunset perfectly. I had laid out a blanket and brought some food. I also had my polaroid camera with me. Yes I was one cliche bastard, sue me. Before the sun set we were talking. Then when the sunset started, you became transfixed. The oranges and yellows and purples and pinks set a soft glow on your skin. The wind was softly blowing your hair which was in pretty curls. The sight was so pretty that I had to snap a picture. When I snapped it, it startled you. You looked away from the sunset and gave me a questioning look. I looked away ashamed and you started to laugh. I looked at you like you were crazy and then I started to laugh with you. Then I looked over at you and my laugh died away. You looked at me also and you were smiling. I slowly leaned in and kissed you. Your lips were soft and delicate and it was in that moment that I knew you were the one for me. It might have been a little soon, but deep down I knew. We pulled away and looked at each other. I didn't want to forget this moment so I raised my camera and took a picture. You either didn't notice or didn't care. I then leaned in and kissed you again. That sealed the deal for me. After the pictures had come out I didn't show you. I slipped them into my jacket pocket and forgot about them until I got home later that night. You were beautiful. You were beautifully stunning to me up until the day that you died.

As I was looking through the chest, I got to the bottom. There at the bottom was a large frame filled with pictures and memorabilia from our dates as a teenager and our wedding. There was a picture of you holding Casper and all of our grandchildren. There was pictures of you and me dancing and kissing and hugging and fulfilling our life with memories with our son and grandchildren. As I looked through all of these pictures I was slowly falling apart, but when I got to this last bit, I broke. I remember you making it before you got sick. We were both getting old and you were getting bored. You wouldn't let me see the finished product stating that someday I would see it. Today was that day and I fell apart.

Oh, my dear sweet Adelaine, how I miss you, and how I love you~

Love, Frank