Life Happens Again

Allison was a creature of habit. She always sat in the same spot on the couch. She slept in the same spot on the bed. Time solidified her routine like it had been written in stone.

Until one day while helping at her church's bazaar one of the members,Mrs. Betty Perioux, stopped her and handed her a flier.

"Oh, Allison, please come to our Ballroom dancing lessons, we'll be having them here at the church. There will be snacks and drinks, it'll be fun." Betty said, grabbing Allison's hand and wrapping her hand around the pink paper.

" I dont know Betty. I think those days are behind me." Allison stepped to the right trying to get back to setting up a booth. Betty stepped with her still holding her hand.

"Oh, stop, Allison we're old, not dead. A little dancing never killed anyone." Betty tried to give her best convincing smile.

"It killed my husband." Allison said with a dead panned expression.

Betty lightly wacked Allison on the shoulder "It did not, and you know it. Come on Harold would've wanted you to." She tried her toothy grin again.

"Oh, stop smiling at me like that and I'll think about." Betty let go of her and clapped her hands in victory.

"Ill see you tomorrow evening." Betty turned, her yellow skirt swishing behind her.

"I said I'll think about it." Allison called after Betty, who responded with backhand wave.

"You're old not dead. You're old." Allison mocked under her breath as she rummaged through a box of decorations.

"Crazy, old, twinkle toes." Allison continued.

"Hey, I may be crazy and old but I can assure you I do not have twinkle toes." A man said on the other side of the booth. Allison startled and fell forward into the box.

"Oh, shoot, I am so sorry." The man said between laughs."Let me help you."

Allison pushed streamers out of her face."I'm fine" she said straightening herself out. "You shouldn't sneak up on people, you could give someone a heart attack. That's how my husband died."

" I am truly sorry." The man said.

Betty came back having "overheard" their exchange. She swatted Allison. "Stop saying that, he didn't die from a heart attack, Sam, Allison's yanking your chain." Sam looked to Allison bemused.

"Sam, I was just looking for you." Betty said sweetly. "I wanted to invite you to our ballroom dancing lessons tomorrow evening, here at the church." Betty swayed side to side, looking between Allison and Sam. "Thanks, thats very sweet of you Betty."

He said with a wink.

Betty's smile grew bigger. "Well with you being new to Hanover i figured maybe you'd like to get to know some people... better." She said turning her head to Allison. "I'll see you two there." Betty sashayed her way through the courtyard, leaving Allison and Sam alone again.

"I SAID I'LL THINK ABOUT IT!" Allison yelled after Betty, who didn't turn around this time.

"Well, I hope I see you there, Ms. Allison." Sam said with a wink and he walked away.

Allison twisted her face curling her lip like she smelled something foul. Even though she watched as Sam walked away leaving a trail of rubber necking women. Betty stood by the gate of the courtyard, arms crossed and wagging her eyebrows at Allison.

Sam wasn't Harold. Sure he's aged like fine wine, still holding on to a good head of peppered hair and a sturdy frame, but he was not Harold.

Allison rubbed her fingers over the glass of the picture on her nightstand; A woman in a flouncy white gown being dipped low by a man in a sailor's uniform. Her hand on his cheek, anticipating the kiss that comes after. Both smiling at each other like there wasnt a photgrapher right in front of them. Like it hadn't rained just moments ago and they had to run out outside while the sun was out, feet soaking wet.

Allison wiped the single tear that fell from her eye. Fifteen years had passed and she still felt the coldness of his absence.

It was suppose to be forever. 'Til death do we part, but what happens when death comes at twenty-seven?What happens when your one true love was cut off at the beginning of forever?

What happens when death only takes one and forgets the other, for many, many years?

Allison turned off the light and waited for sleep.

Betty stopped by the next morning for coffee. They bantered through their usual gossip. "Can you believe the mouth on Lydia's daughter... she's gonna be a handful that one." Betty said.

She snapped her fingers in front of Allison, who had been stirring her coffee without saying a word. "I think you turned it into cheese."

Allison put down her cup, "Sorry, Im just somewhere else, I suppose."

"Does that somewhere involve Sam." Betty said with a sly smile, "I saw how you looked at him. "

"Betty you old corndog, No." Allison scoffed at the thought.

"Oh come on, he'll probably ask you to dance tonight." Betty said

"Im not going." Allison picked up her cup and took a sip of her cold bitter coffee, trying to avoid eye contact.

"You said you would." Betty's brows knitted and her lips pushed out.

"No I didn't." Allison stood up and walked to the kitchen putting her dish in the sink.

"But you love to dance." Betty pleaded.

"With Harold. I loved to dance with Harold."Allison said pressing her palms into the sink

"Oh, Allie," Betty walked towards her, "All this time. I had no idea. You always seem so,you. But don't do that to yourself."

Betty turned her friend around and hugged her. "You dont have to dance, this time. But, one day you have to let someone else sweep you off your feet. You deserve that. You deserve to love again."She squeezed her tightly. "Im going to go but I'll call you later."

Allison nodded holding herself tightly.

Allison pushed open the church hall doors. She had her ashy brown hair pinned up loosely, bits of wavy strands fell out of the pins. She wore a sleek satin dress that gathered at the hip and had a slight slit on the side showing silver strappy short heels.

She could hear the echoes of music, "and one, two three, one , two, three and rise on toes. Lower, and slow quick, quick. Beautiful guys."

When she reached the dance room, Betty was at the front of the room with Sam as her partner. Seeing that everyone had a partner Allison quickly tried to back out before she could be seen.

"Allie! Come in, come be Sam's partner, he didn't have one." Betty said with a smile so big it hurt Allison's face.

Allison walked up to Sam who was dressed in a button down white shirt, black slack and shiny black dress shoes. She placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his palm. She looked straight into his chest but she knew he was smiling. "I'm glad you were able to come. Betty said you got caught up something."

"Betty has a big mouth." She said in the same dead pan voice she used when they first met.

Sam chuckled and said "Well, I asked about you."

"Well, you have a big nose." She said pleased with the opening he left her.

He laughed a real laugh "I happen to like my nose, its my best feature." He said feigning indignation.

They continued their banter while they twirled around. Sam's hand firmly on her waist guiding her through the melody. Eventually, when they stopped poking at each other. She did look up at him. He had deep blue eyes that she swore were brown when they met but she knew she wasnt looking at him then.

Now she saw him. His strong jawline, his full lips and deep blue eyes that she noticed never looked away from her. Even after the music stopped and people started to shuffle out the door. He didnt want to take his eyes off her.

Allison tried to hang back for Betty but Betty shooed her off saying she was going to call Tom, her husband, after she was done packing up.

Sam was waiting by the door.

"You didn't have to wait." Allison said holding her heels by her side.

"I have a confession"he said.

"Well lucky you, you're in a church." She said as they began walking to the parking lot.

Sam looked down and smiled. " i feel like ive been waiting my whole life for you. " the both stopped everything felt very quiet all of a sudden. "Gotcha." Sam laughed as he saw the shock slip from her face.

"Haha funny." She pushed him off the curb.

"Come on i got you."

"Alright alright you got me. that was pretty creepy." She said.

He pumped his fist at her admission. " I had to get you back for the whole husband thing."

They reached her car.

"But seriously i do have something i want to confess. You probably dont remember this but, a long time ago your mom use to babysit me. I lived two doors down from you. "

Realization dawned on her face like a door long shut had just been opened. "Stinky Sammy. That's you.?!" Her mouth hung open looking at like he just transformed before her eyes.

"Uh, well its Mr. Stinky now." He said his cheeks starting to blush

"Im so sorry." She laughed harder than she had in awhile.

"Me too, I was going to ask you to dinner but who would want to go out with Stinky Sam." He said now laughing and kicking the gravel of the pavement.

"I would love to go have dinner with you Stinky Sam." She said as she tried to stifle her laughter.

What happens after life asks you to dance? What happens when life happens again? You move one foot at a time.