The Greatest of These (Sequel to Kansas Summer) -- Faith

May 24, 2004 -- Colin

Colin--

        I lie in bed, eyes open.  This day haunts me.  It's not because today is Monday.  Mondays, I can handle.  But today, May 24, is the day I felt my life yanked out from under my feet.  Jenna.  My dad.  The tornado.  I shudder, gripping my pillow as tightly as I can.  Then, I turn over to gaze at my darling wife, lying sound asleep, no doubt aware of this sad anniversary.

        I study her, taking in every inch of her fragile, sacred body, just in case she were to be taken from me again.  I don't fear anything more than that; to lose Jenna would be to lose my lifeblood.  I can't imagine anyone else that I'd rather be with.  Reaching out a finger, I stroke a handful of her curled chocolate hair.  She stirs.  Hesitantly, I slide myself to her side and take her shoulders in my hands, feeling her shudder as our skin touches.  Jenna rolls over and buries her head into my chest and I wrap her wholly in my arms.  We kiss once, twice, three times, each lasting longer than the last.  Then, we stare into each others' eyes for at least a minute, each of us studying the other, thinking the exact same thing.

        Jenna takes her finger and brushes it across my face.  "It's okay, Colin," she whispers, "It's okay to cry about the past."  My eyes water and I begin to whimper as I look back into Jenna's face and as I run my hands up and down her body, knowing that I am not the only one who has touched my wife as I do now.  I feel Jenna's arms on my back as she embraces me; I hear her start to sniffle too.  The alarm clock beeps incessantly in the background, but none of us hear it; we are too busy sobbing, trying to forget what this miserable day has done to us.

.        .        .

        I come in the door from the barn still teary-eyed, but Jenna's are still more red than mine.  However, she still is no less beautiful.  She stands at the counter, rolling out biscuit dough for a special breakfast this morning.  She smiles at me as I remove my boots.

        "Good morning," she says sweetly, flashing her teeth at me before she returns to her kneading.  "Why don't you go take a shower while I get breakfast?"  I hesitate, but she shoos me playfully out of the kitchen.  "You just get ready for work!"  I shrug; there's no arguing with Jenna.  I smile and head for the bathroom, blowing a kiss to Jenna as I disappear from sight.

.        .        .

        "I hope you have something nice to wear tonight, Jen, because we are going on a date!" I announce to Jenna proudly after I am finished with my shower.  Jenna turns around in front of the stove, stirring gravy in a saucepan, and looks at me, flabbergasted.

        "Colin, honey, that's all well and good, but we really don't have the money..." she begins before she is interrupted by a smooch by me.  She smiles and looks down at her feet, shuffling them on the old linoleum.  "I admire what you want to do, and I think that it would be so romantic to go on a date, but we..."

        "Jenna, Jenna!" I tell her excitedly, "We can splurge this one night.  This is a special day!  I remember thinking in the shower how sad and upset we were remembering all of the bad things that happened to us, but that's not what we should think of this day as!  This day needs to be about hope, triumph, love, Jen!  Yes, this day took away a lot, but we are still here!  I absolutely insist that we celebrate!  We need to do this!"

        Jenna's doubt melts into a grin.  I have convinced her.  "Alright, Colin.  I will be ready to go at 5:30.  Will that be enough time?"

        "Sufficient, darling," I tell her, pushing my chin into the top of her hair.  "I love you."