Barb

She sighed. I knew she was thinking about Richard.

Barb leaned over and kissed me.

"He's gone and I'm glad I don't have to deal with the bullshit," she told me. "Still, the guy knew how to fuck a woman."

"You want him back?" I asked in shock.

"No!" she said sharply. "All I want to do is live a little sexually before I get too old to do it. So, George, any time you feel the need and if I'm not busy, I'm game."

I suddenly wondered if my truck being parked in the driveway for so long would lead to me becoming the subject of a town-wide rumor. But I really didn't care. After we cleaned up, Barb and I snuggled and talked about life and what we wanted out of it. We made love again before I had to leave. We saw each other quite a bit until I got hired on at a union factory in a neighboring city. I was finally able to move into a small apartment in town. I wanted to see Barb more, but working fifty hours a week took a lot out of me.

Being with Barb was incredible. Our intimate relationship lasted a little over a year. Our age difference was never really a huge deal. But our relationship wasn't all about sex. We just liked being with each other even if we didn't have sex. I wished I was older. I thought about asking Barb to marry me a few times, but I was sure she wouldn't accept and I knew I wasn't ready for marriage. We usually saw each other two or three times a week. I think my parents may have suspected our relationship was more than platonic, but what could they say? I was an adult and I was living in my own place.

Late the following spring, Barb took a part-time job at a local pizzeria. She began seeing man named Victor, who worked for them as a delivery driver. Victor was slightly older than Barb. He was a good guy, and he and Barb hit it off fabulously. One day, Barb told me that she wanted to be faithful to Victor.

"Our times together were wonderful, and I'm thankful," she told me.

"You've been more than a friend, but..." her voice trailed off.

I was sad, of course. But I understood. I began dating a girl named Carrie shortly afterward. Barb met her at the pizzeria and liked her.

Victor and Barb married about six months later and they moved to Victor's home state of Tennessee. We kept in contact over the next twenty-plus years. She came to both my father's and my mother's funerals and I went to Victor's. Even as she grieved his death, Barb came to my wedding, which happened a few weeks later.

Then I didn't heard from Barb for months.

One day, I heard a knock at our apartment door. I opened it to see Jessie Coleman. She looked distraught.

We hugged. "How have you been?" I asked, inviting her in.

"Not good. George, I have bad news. Mom passed away a few days ago," she said as she began crying.

My heart sank.

"Barb? How?" was all I could ask.

"Stomach cancer," replied Jessie. "She was diagnosed a couple of months after you and Tina got married."

"My God, I didn't know she was even sick. I'm so sorry," I said. "Your mom was a wonderful woman."

After a few minutes trying to compose myself I asked her when the visitation and the funeral was.

"We don't know yet," she said. "We'll know later today or tomorrow. You know? Mom always said you helped her out a lot after the divorce. She was happy. Her and Victor made a great couple, too."

Then she sighed and her voice took on a different tone.

"Listen, George. I don't know what happened between you and mom and I'm not going to ask," she said. "But mom always said you were more than a friend to her."

I nearly broke down. I took a deep breath which shuddered with emotion and Jessie held my hand.

"Well, I've got to go, George. I'm sorry to rush off. So much stuff to do," she sniffed back tears.

"Jessie, you know if there's anything I can do..." I said.

She shook her head.

"No. Thank you though," she replied.

Jessie gave me her and Amanda's mobile phone numbers. She said she had an appointment with the funeral home director and wanted to see her father. We hugged again. I called Amanda and gave my condolences and we talked for about fifteen minutes before she had to leave.

My wife, Tina, came home about an hour later. I was still distraught. I cried as I told her what had happened to Barb. And she comforted me. Later that night, Amanda called and said the visitation would be that Monday evening and the funeral would be the following morning at 10:00.

Tina went with me to the visitation on Monday. I hoped that I didn't break down again, but it was difficult.

Laying in her casket, Barb looked at peace. Older, but still very beautiful.

The service was beautiful, too. Both Amanda and Jessie eulogized their mother. I saw Richard Coleman, too. He stoically sat near the back. He hadn't aged so well. He looked to be nearly three hundred pounds and needed a cane. He and Sally were still married, and their son, Tom, was in college. Richard tearfully told me his biggest regret in life was cheating on Barb. They hadn't spoken in years, but when Richard said he heard Barb was terminally ill, he went to her, and they buried the hatchet.

The procession to the cemetery was about a seven-mile drive. By midday, it was very hot and very humid.

Just like another long-ago Tuesday.