Anniversary
by Aimless
A warm Spring Breeze ruffled the edges of a blanket spread upon the freshly mown lawn. A dark haired man lay stretched out looking at the white puffy clouds that slowly rolled across the sky. Rain was predicted for later but now the weather was absolutely perfect. Eyes now closed the man smiled a bit and sighed.
“Ya know Ryo, it’s been quite a long haul. I never thought I’d get this far in life. I was raised on the streets and used to get into a lot of trouble. The Penguin, I know I mean the sister, who ran the orphanage could see in me things I never knew even existed. Potential you’d call it. I guess she was right.”
Dee rolled over onto his side and looked towards the man he spoke to.
“Even after I became a cop I still fucked up a lot. I mean I loved the idea of justice and all that but I still didn’t have anything to really care about. Then I met you. I knew the first time I laid eyes on you that it was going to be special. I suppose that is why I chased you so hard. That first kiss even though I know I startled the hell out of you was one of the sweetest I’d ever experienced. Heh…the look on your face I can still see it clearly. Kind of deer caught in the head lights.”
Dee then sat up and opened the wine he’d brought then poured two glasses. It was Ryo’s favorite though it was too sweet for his taste. He saluted his lover, hell if you want to get technical, his husband. Then took a sip and set the glass back down.
“I can’t believe you put up with me all those years. I was quite a handful. You kept me sane though. You loved me back too, fiercely and without reservations. Oh I know it was not perfect at first. We had a lot of shit to sort out before we were emotionally ready to commit to each other.” Dee chuckled fondly. “We also had some knock down drag outs didn’t we? The make up sex was worth every screaming match though.”
Dee opened a long box he’d brought with him and folded back the tissue paper. Inside were a dozen red roses.
“Sappy isn’t it but you always liked the romance. It took you a while to train me but I think I did alright. I just wanted to say Happy Anniversary baby. I love you so damned much.”
Dee looked up when he heard footsteps behind him and the beginning whimpering of a fussy baby.
“Dee we have to go. Katy is tired and needs a bottle. Are you going to stay a while yet?” Bikky stood holding his daughter and Carole smiled at her husband.
Dee smiled when the baby held out two chubby little arms to her grandpa. He stood up and kissed the toddler on the forehead.
“I’ll hang around for a while and get a cab back. You two go on ahead.” They both hugged Dee and he watched them head for their car.
Dee bent over and plucked on perfect long stemmed rose from the box and kissed the petals then laid it on the top of the polished granite marker.
“God I miss you Ryo. Every damned day. You were the love of my life and no one can ever replace you. When… when you died I wanted to give up. I wanted to take out my gun and eat a bullet. Bikky and Carole stopped me from destroying myself. Their daughter made me want to live again. I wanted to see her grow up. I wanted to tell her stories about her other Grandfather. I wanted her to remember you through my eyes. I just wish you could have met her.” Dee sank to his knees and placed his hand on the sun warmed stone. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he remembered the night Ryo had been so cruelly taken from him.
Two punk kids robbing a convenience store and he’d walked right into the middle of it. Ryo had been off duty when he’d stopped on his way home. The hysterical clerk said he’d saved her from being shot. That he’d dove after her and pulled her to the floor when the gun had gone off. It was just like Ryo to be so selflessly sacrificing. Dee had frantically made it to the hospital just in time for Ryo to say goodbye. Dee’s whole world crumbled that night. It took a long time before he’d even consider going back on the job and not let bitterness eat away at his soul.
After that Dee had worked tirelessly to control the gangs that had a strangle hold on the city. Tougher laws, more programs to keep kids out of gangs and stiffer punishments for repeat offenders seemed to halt the tide of violence. Ryo would have been proud of him. He’d made Commissioner just this past year a dream that had always been his lover’s. Dee had made it his own and had made a difference.
He took a shuddering breath and brushed the tears off of his cheeks with the back of his hand. “I know… I’m being pathetic. You’d smack me on the back of the head for that.” Dee managed to smile a little.
He stood up and gathered the blanket, corked the bottle of wine and packed it back in the basket. The glass he poured to honor his husband he placed in front of the stone along with the rest of the roses. Dee briefly caressed the smooth granite.
“I’ll be back soon baby… I love you still.” Dee raked his hair, graying at the temples, out of his eyes and walked out of the cemetery.