“I been seein’ her like in a dream. She standin’ there smilin’ at me and it’s like she’s waitin’ for me. I thought ‘bout that over and over. Any minute now could be my time. Been thinkin’ ‘bout that, too. Got me a theerie,” he said with a sidelong glace at Nathan. “Mebbe you think an ol’ man like me don’ have no business makin’ up theeries, but I got one anyway. See...” he pinched the skin on his forearm and waggled a finger. “When all this goes back to what it was, each little bit of it will carry a mark. That mark can be made only one way. An’ that way is love. If we love enough,  then all them little bits of us will carry that mark and then when they all come together again someplace, whatever that new thing is - a cat, a baseball bat or a person - will have that love built right in.”

With that, he lifted himself off the seat, and  stood for a moment on the sidewalk stretching his neck as he pushed the car door shut. He looked up at the sky, smiled and with a nod walked slowly, painfully, under the portal and across the grass towards the lake.

 

 

As always, comments welcome!