Watercolor by Valerie Millett
I brought her good news and her face lit up. Her soft blue eyes, slightly closed by the huge grin on her weathered and tired face beamed with measurable warmth. To see her smile, I felt a sense of relief. This exact moment in time everything was good in her world made that everything good in my world. She was leaving. She steadied herself, legs unsure for a moment and reached out to hug me. It felt good to hug her. She held on longer and paused to kiss my cheek. She held my face in her hands and lovingly looked into my eyes and told me she loved me. I told her, I love you, back. As she left, she turned around and waved and looked at me as though she'd loved me an eternity. She left me, in tears.
