A Life Without Water by Marci Bolden

Author:Marci Bolden
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781950348220
Publisher: Pink Sand Press

Carol slowed her pace as she crossed the lobby of the heliport. She and John had been required to sign about a hundred different releases before they were allowed to get near the helicopter, let alone have the pilot release human remains over the summit of Mount St. Helens. She’d taken the papers and the container of ashes to the receptionist and returned to where she’d left John at a round table.

His eyes grew sad as he watched her, as if he were having second thoughts about what they’d agreed to do.

“Are you okay?” she asked, closing the distance between them.

“I was thinking about the first time I saw you at that coffee shop.” His lips kicked up into a lopsided grin. “I swear to God, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. I knew you were out of my league just looking at you.”

She laughed as she sat next to him. “Wish I’d known that.” She nudged him with her elbow. “That was a joke.”

He acted as if he hadn’t heard her. “We were good together back then. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years trying to figure out where we went wrong. My drinking, I know,” he said before she could point out the obvious. “But we went off track before my drinking got out of hand. I think we started a downward spiral when you gave up med school.”

Shaking her head, she disagreed. “We were on a downward spiral from day one, John. You spent our wedding night out drinking with your friends.”

The depression in his eyes deepened. “I remember. Bert kept telling me I was an ass, and I kept telling him you didn’t mind. Boy, was I wrong. Hell of a fight the next day, wasn’t it?”

“We spent the first full day of marriage alternating between screaming and giving each other the cold shoulder. Should have known then. Actually, I guess I did.”

He looked at his hands. “We were kids. That’s all. We were too young.”

“You were twenty-six,” she pointed out.

“And still a kid,” he insisted.

She didn’t counter his opinion. She wasn’t going to be baited into a fight at the heliport while they waited to spread their daughter’s ashes. Drumming her fingers on the tabletop between them, she turned her focus to the framed posters on the wall.

John covered her hand with his, likely to stop her rhythmic tapping. She glanced up to apologize. Tobias had hated when she did that, too, but it was nervous habit she didn’t always have control over.

However, the look in John’s eyes wasn’t one of irritation. He looked sad, almost as if he could cry. “I loved you,” he said with such tenderness her heart ached. “More than anything. I never regretted marrying you. Not once. I regretted not being a better husband. Not being more mature. I regretted not taking better care of you. But I never regretted marrying you.”

Holding his gaze, she tried to think of the right response.

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