Together Forever

By Jesse Eric Whitehead

I hold her hand, barely able to see her closed eyes in the dim light as she sleeps, so peaceful and still. I marvel at her sight; she is every bit as beautiful now as the day she said “I do,” those many years ago. 

“Together forever,” I promised her as we stood before God and man. She squeezed my hand and whispered back with a joyful, teary smile, “together forever, my love.” 

I kept that promise, through the years of good and bad, happy and sad, laughter, joy, and pain.  

Through the college years, early careers, and her first job teaching school. Oh, how she loved children! We soon made plans to start a family of our own. 

I kept that promise through her brutal fight with cancer that nearly snuffed the light of life from her eyes. She won, weakened, damaged and bruised, but lost the ability to have children of her own. 

I kept that promise, through the dark times that followed, when I battled the bottle, and she battled depression and despair. We cried a lot and suffered a lot and we mourned our unfulfilled dreams. “Together forever,” I would comfort her, and she would reassure me, “together forever, my love.” 

We had good times too, when we laughed and danced and celebrated our love of life, and love for each other. I’m grateful for the life we’ve shared, and I never want us to be apart. 

I caress her face and kiss her forehead as she sleeps in eternal bliss. I close the lid. I’ve kept my promise. And until my dying day–with the help of the basement freezer–we will always be “together forever.”