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"For You, For Me and For the Rest of our Lives"

She craves experiencing that once-in-a-lifetime all the time.

By Ghezal AmiriPublished 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read
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"For You, For Me and For the Rest of our Lives"
Photo by Serge Esteve on Unsplash

She vigorously wiped her damp hands on her new pair of faux leather pants for what seemed to be the fortieth time of the night.

"Ugh. Of course I wear these sauna trousers on the hottest day of the year," she muttered under her breath. "Trying to be adventurous? Who do I think I am?!"

They were seated outside in a crowded patio on their very first date during the beginning of a horrid Toronto heatwave yet despite this less-than-ideal circumstance, not even the beads of sweat protruding in areas sweat should not protrude from could distract their growing fondness for each other.

He warmly chuckled as he offered his (equally soaked) linen napkin to her, "I don't know how much help this'll be but, here you go!"

She couldn't contain her laughter as she gladly accepted the first gift he ever gave her; she offered the napkin back after using it, he respectfully declined.

"Honestly if I knew the weather would be this bad tonight, I would've brought you to an ice-making facility or something," he remarked.

"Aw, it's alright. Although that definitely would've been n-ice..." She proudly displayed both finger guns after her quip.

He stared blankly at her for a split second before busting out into hearty laughter following the implementation of such a terrible pun. While she never bought into the idea of "love at first sight" prior to that night, there is no denying the universal effects of "love at first pun."

By SJ . on Unsplash

She continued looking adoringly at him throughout the night when she eventually raised a glass of her favourite delectable Merlot and proclaimed, "for you, for me, and for the rest of our lives!"

She then managed to finally get out the words she'd been aching to say from the moment she saw him walk into the restaurant wearing his light green Henley that perfectly matched his eyes.

"I love you," she said.

A puzzled look came over him when his mind suddenly recalibrated.

"I love you too," he gently smiled.

She finally felt that warm sense of comfort and security she constantly dreamed about rapidly expand from the pit of her chest to her entire body. She never took her beaming eyes off him despite the tears beginning to form.

"Attention Headset... please end First_Date_Simulation and begin Growing_Old_Program," the bustling environment and her benevolent love instantly turned into a sea of pixilation.

She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks and awakened to see the elderly version of him she was never able to meet look longingly back at her. His snowy-white mustache curled as he chuckled, "you look like you've seen a ghost, my sweet!"

**

Before she went out with him during that boiling July evening, she did what any reasonable person would do prior to meeting someone they connected with through a dating app: the "Family Emergency" escape plan. Her brother Bill would call her at exactly 9pm and if the date was as invigorating as a tax seminar, she would remark how chilly the weather was which meant she required a swift getaway.

When Bill promptly called explaining how aunt Rita had cold-like symptoms, she responded with "in my professional medical opinion: take her for a walk... it's insanely hot outside."

The couple became inseparable afterwards and when he eventually proposed to her using an ice sculpture with the words "I promise to never have cold feet" engraved in it, she looked forward to spending decades with her truly hilarious partner.

A few days following their Alaskan honeymoon, she received a phone call from the hospital she was spending the day off from with news she never would have expected to hear about her young groom:

"Oh honey, I am incredibly sorry to call you with this... He suffered a severe stroke at work today. It was so sudden and we did everything we possibly could've done but... I'm so sorry."

She’d go on to cherish him long after he took his final breath.

Every Saturday afternoon since the funeral, she visits his grave site and wipes away any residue on his tombstone that reads "Beloved Son, Brother and Friend. Devoted Newlywed gone much too soon."

When she learned that the funeral home offered a virtual reality headset for a hefty fee called Never Having To Say Goodbye, she immediately jumped at the opportunity to relive any sort of experience with him again.

The grounds-keeping staff had to politely ask her to exit the premises following her initial experience with the technology because they had to lock up the gates for the night.

She has become a familiar face at the Fisher Family Funeral Home where she greets other grieving strangers and praises the merits of the cyber program. After bringing snacks for the staff, she heads to the spot where she sets an alarm for a half an hour before closing and visits her simulated sweetheart every week for the past year.

**

She never tires seeing the adorable octogenarian seated in front of her, regardless of it being a digital imitation programmed by a mega data processor.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I look startled. I just... I love seeing you. It feels real. You're here with me right now."

His delightful warm chuckle only makes her more weepy as he replies, "of course! Where else would I be?"

She smiles as she begins to pour the Merlot and offers it to him.

"Hey sweet this is your favourite, isn't it? What's the occasion?" He asks.

She gazes at his aged face and replies, "on this day exactly three years ago, we had our first date. Today was the day I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Do you remember what my toast was at the end of that night?"

He looks at her as a million layers of intricate code convene together to answer, "yes. I remember."

He raises his glass, "for you..."

She raises hers, "... for me..."

They both fondly smile at each other and proclaim in unison, "and for the rest of our lives."

***

Thank you for reading! Make sure to check out The Vocal+ Fiction Awards for some incredible entries from other Vocal creators.

If you like anything found in this piece, please click that little heart and possibly consider subscribing if you're so inclined! Follow me over on Twitter for my many ramblings.

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About the Creator

Ghezal Amiri

Afghan-Canadian writer who enjoys witty quips and BTS, proper grammar and Jodie Comer.

I tweet with @MrsBananaPhone because it's the best and beats the rest.

I also have designs: https://www.teepublic.com/user/designingsimple

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