The Promise~~A Short Story, By Randy Nicholls

                                                         
The fog had a soft quality to it. But with the coming sunrise I was having
problems adjusting my eyes to the light of the coming day. I could hear music
filling the air from some where. A love song. Nat King Cole's 'When I fall in
love'.

Then I saw her. Coming out of the fog. Like a ghost at first. Fog swirling
around her. Softening her look. As she walked toward me it seemed she was
floating above the fog. The sun rising behind her sending light in my direction.
Was I meeting an angel? Am I dreaming? Is this the next life we had talked
about? So many questions invading my mind. And yet there she was, walking toward
me. That smile. That glorious smile.

As she moved closer the fog parted exposing a path behind her. She stopped, and
without saying a word I knew that this path was there for me to follow. She
reached out her hand and I took it. Her touch so soft and gentle.  She was
smiling, That smile that brings me pleasure and a sense of safety.

Slowly we moved down the path. Not a word passing between us. But the look that
came over her face spoke volumes of her love for me. I felt tears on my cheeks.
A love that does not need words. Affection and love passed between us with our
eyes.

As we moved down the path the fog was slowly lifting. On each side of the path
flowers came into view. Our beloved tulips. So many colors. They seemed to be
lighting our way with their glow.

The path meandered through fields of these brightly lit tulips. I could not see
where it was leading us. I did not care where it lead me. I was being drawn
along by the hand of my angel. That is the only reality that mattered.

After a short walk we came to a hill over looking the ocean. It seemed we
floated on air down to the beach. At the waters edge lay the flowers we passed to each other
over the tides, in our first lives. They still had the bright colors that were
present the day we sent them to each other over the waves.

We stopped walking and faced each other. Our arms reaching to embrace each other. A
soft kiss passing between us. The words "I love you" being spoken.

We both realized. We both felt it. The promise we made. It was here. It had come
into our lives at last.

We lived our First Lives. We shared our Second Lives together. And now! Yes now!
We have found our next lives. Our Third Lives.

And the song just playing. When I fall in love. I will love forever. The
promise fulfilled.