The man deftly cut off the top with his pocket knife, turning it into a makeshift vase. Together, they walked to a nearby stream to fill it with water.
— Thank you so much for your help!
— the man said gratefully when they returned to the graves.
— My name is Michael. This is my grandmother’s grave, Elizabeth Marie. I have to admit, I haven’t visited in a long time and haven’t given it the attention it deserves.
The woman smiled warmly and nodded, replying,
— Nice to meet you. I’m Emily, and this is my mom’s grave. I try to come here every week.
For the past six months, I’ve also been looking after your grandmother’s grave. Michael was genuinely touched to learn that a complete stranger had been caring for his grandmother’s site and thanked her heartfeltly for her kindness and attentiveness. That’s how their acquaintance began, which swiftly blossomed into a warm friendship.
With each visit to the cemetery, they grew closer, jointly maintaining the graves of their loved ones. Perhaps this was the gift her mom had mentioned in that odd dream. The man shared that he barely remembered his grandmother, as he was only three years old when she passed away.
Puzzled, Emily asked why he hadn’t been tending to his grandmother’s grave. Michael explained that he lived far away, right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. So, he had arranged with the cemetery director to have the staff take care of it, for a fee, of course. Hearing this, Emily immediately expressed her indignation, pointing out that no one had been maintaining it, and she’d been doing all the work herself.
Surprised by her words, Michael asked why she’d taken it upon herself. The woman explained that she simply felt sorry for the abandoned grave, and it wasn’t any trouble since she visited the cemetery weekly anyway to see her mom, who had been laid to rest there for a year and a half. One day, Michael offered to walk Emily home and asked for her phone number. That’s how they started chatting on the phone casually.
The woman didn’t even realize how attached she’d become to this serious and dependable man. She eagerly awaited his calls and their next meetings. Six months later, Michael, realizing he’d found the one, proposed marriage to Emily.
And she accepted, and soon she was about to see the ocean for the first time in her life—she was heading to the sea. As their plane began its descent, the woman couldn’t tear her eyes away from the window. She was mesmerized by the vast blue expanse stretching to the horizon.
In the distance, she spotted a white ship gliding slowly across the water. The azure sky, dotted with fluffy clouds, seemed to merge with the horizon, evoking a sense of infinity. Turning to Michael, Emily caught his gaze, filled with warmth and tenderness.
Her eyes sparkled too, mirroring joy and excitement, and Michael couldn’t look away from her face, knowing this was true happiness—being by her side. Emily gratefully leaned into Michael and, hugging him, confessed that she’d never imagined she’d get to see the ocean with her own eyes. Michael hugged her back and whispered softly in her ear to savor every moment, as this ocean was now her gift.
Emily just smiled, basking in this unexpected and serendipitous happiness. But at that instant, the plane jolted suddenly, and frightened cries echoed through the cabin from the passengers. Gripped by fear, Emily clung even tighter to Michael and whispered,
— What’s happening? Are we crashing?
This was her first flight, and she’d never been up in the air before.
Michael tried to reassure her, explaining that they’d probably hit a patch of crosswind. It was a common occurrence. Despite his assurances, Emily only relaxed once the plane landed safely, and the cabin erupted in applause from the relieved passengers.
Arriving home, Michael invited his woman into his modest house.
— You’re the lady of the house now. Make yourself at home, my love,
— he said, kissing her vanilla-scented hair.
At first, Emily saw only a tall fence painted bright orange, behind which lush greenery of a beautiful garden hid. But when Michael opened the gate and courteously let her through first, a charming two-story cottage enveloped in foliage came into view. On the porch sat a little boy who looked remarkably like Michael, reading a book to the dog lying beside him, who listened attentively to every word.
As they drew closer, the dog lifted its head. The boy paused his reading and turned toward them, greeting the arrivals with a curious stare.
— Yay! Daddy’s home!
— the boy shouted joyfully, rushing to Michael and wrapping his arms around his neck.
The dog, excited, ran in circles, barking happily. Michael scooped the boy up and hugged him tightly, then gently set him down on the grass and introduced Emily.
— Johnny, meet her. This is the aunt I told you about. Her name is Emily.
The woman smiled and extended her hand to the boy, gently asking,
— Can I call you Johnny too?
The boy nodded, shyly shaking her hand and glancing at Michael, who winked encouragingly at his son.
To break the ice, Emily noticed the dog.
— And what’s this wonderful pup’s name?
Though she already knew it was Buddy, she wanted to connect with the boy.
— This is Buddy,
— Johnny replied seriously.
— And he’s a boy.
Emily smiled and, spotting the book in the boy’s hands, asked,
— What were you reading?
— It’s about Akbar,
— answered Johnny.
— Can I take a look too?
— Emily requested.
Johnny dashed to the porch to fetch the book. Michael and Emily followed, and when she held it, she noted with surprise,
— I used to have the exact same book.
Johnny proudly explained,
— It was Daddy’s book. Now it’s mine.
— That makes sense,
— the woman replied tenderly.
— Johnny, why are you keeping guests on the doorstep? Come inside!
— a middle-aged woman’s voice called out, appearing suddenly at the door.
She had dark hair tied in a neat bun. Emily felt embarrassed, blushed slightly, and quickly introduced herself. Then they entered the house.
A year had passed since then. Johnny, peering into the baby stroller, curiously asked Emily,
— When will my little sister Annie get big?
Emily just smiled and reassured him.
— It’ll happen sooner than you think, and you won’t even notice how fast she grows.
She suggested Johnny go play with his friends, who were waiting for him on the nearby fence. The boy agreed eagerly and ran off to his pals, shouting something cheerfully along the way. Emily, looking at little Annie, softly suggested,
— Well, sweetie, shall we head home for lunch?
She neatly put away her knitting, rose from the bench, and pushed the stroller toward the house. Once home, Emily lay down on the bed for a short rest and quickly fell into a deep, sweet sleep.