Deja-Love

 These short stories are written as practices in writing and all are unedited and are not proofread

His Day

The winter cold snapped at him for a few minutes before he woke up, rolling onto his back he looked at the familiar room. The cornices were the shape he had always known, rounded with a small bump right before they reached the ceiling.

There on the ceiling itself he saw the five dots, in the same place they had been since he had painted the roof so many years ago. As he looked around the room, everything came into focus and he could make out the details as wakefulness came to him.

There were several things that were new to him but as he recognized the white shapes, the poles supporting them, and the pipes running from them he realized. He wasn’t in the hospital, but he was certainly being taken care of, having converted the mansion he built into a hospice.

After a while he pushed himself upright and with a few blinks he swore there was something he had to remember. Shaking his head he just assumed it must not have been important and swung his legs over the side of his bed.

Before he could get up a nurse was at the door, he greeted him with a smile and quickly they got him into comfortable clothes. He assumed the brown pants and brown shirt that he wore were bought for him, but he couldn’t quite remember when that would have happened.

After making sure that he was dressed properly the nurse led him to the dining hall, where he was allowed to get his own food. They had a buffet of food for them, and he was sure he would get something of everything.

Slowly but surely worked his way through the buffet, chatting with the servers that helped him scoop everything as needed. To his surprise there was only one other person doing the same as him, scooping some of everything.

Although she seemed to be scooping much less than him, which explained her figure, which he caught himself admiring even as they danced around the buffet tables. She shot him a smile and he smiled, politely, back at her.

They didn’t sit close to each other and she seemed to be chatting with a few of the other residents, he sat next to the two guys playing chess. He observed their game as well and quickly decided that even if he could remember all the rules he would get bored within minutes.

Once he had sampled all the breakfast options he decided to meander around the house, mostly to see how it had been changed to accommodate all the residents. He was surprised to find that the bathrooms had all been fitted with hot tubs bathtubs.

Making a mental note to try them later he moved outside and was surprised to see that various different families had come to visit. He slowly made his way under the tall, bare trees and found the same woman who had danced around the buffet tables with him sitting on a bench.

He greeted her with a smile and got permission to join her, he eased himself into the chair and they slowly started to talk. To their surprise much of their lives had been spent in the same town, in fact they had even worked at a few of the same places.

How they had never met each other before was a mystery they both decided could wait for another day. Instead, she convinced him to go for a walk with her to the frozen waterfall, a place she said was more magical than anything she could ever remember.

At their shambling speed, it took them a while to get to the waterfall and what he saw there was indeed something out of dreams. She walked out ahead of him and as she turned to look at him a breeze came through and threw her hair into a halo around her.

He swore then that he would never forget the look on her face, she was simply the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. They spent the next few hours together, talking and walking, eventually, they moved back into the house, the winter cold starting to ache their joints.

She led him to a room with a TV he had never seen before and after some help from a nurse, they were watching a show he vaguely remembered. They sat next to each other on the couch and only after she made a move did they start quietly cuddling.

She fell asleep with her head on his shoulder and after a few more episodes two of the nurses came to escort her to her room. They made vague promises to meet again the next day, and the nurses promised they would make sure that happens.

He sat and watched the show for a few more episodes, enjoying the memories it brought back, eventually he felt tired and started searching for his room. The same nurse that greeted him in the morning came to escort him, making sure he got into some pajamas before relaxing.

Drinking some pills he leaned back on his bed, he would remember this day, it had been so long since he had fallen in love. Yet somehow, his heart didn’t seem to agree with that.

 

Her Day

She woke up the same way she had been waking up for the last 80 years, by swinging her legs off the side of her bed. It wasn’t cold in the room but the tile floor made he toes slightly curl up, she smiled at the joy of sensations going through her.

She felt a tug on her arm and looked at a drip that was leading to the other side of the bed, she cocked an eyebrow at not having noticed it before but thought it would be there for a reason. A beep from a machine brought in a female nurse, with long blonde hair and jade-green eyes, she greeted her with a smile.

Together they removed the drip and went through the available clothes, choosing a nice sundress that complimented her figure, and tying her hair into a long, loose pony. The nurse led her out of the room and into the dining hall where she was pleased to find a breakfast party.

The nurse made sure she was okay and then drifted away, leaving her to do as she pleases, so naturally she grabbed a plate and started piling onto it. She would try everything at this buffet, how else would she know what was truly the best?

With her first plateful, she grabbed a seat at some ladies that were talking animatedly about some dance coming in a few weeks. She joined in merrily, talking about dresses, fits, and dances they could still comfortably do.

As she finished her first plate she noticed a man in khaki pants and a shirt walk in, heading straight to the buffet. He filled his plate and sat down with the chess brothers, seemingly taking interest in their game.

It was on her third plateful, this time fruits and yogurt, that they moved in sync with each other, each grabbing and sharing. Sometimes he would plate for her and then she would plate for him, all the while moving around each other without so much as bumping their feet.

They shared a smile and went back to their seats, sharing one last smile before enjoying their meals. She finished before him and made to leave the dining hall and she decided to take a walk through this hospice, she knew she liked it here, but could not say why.

She found the outdoor bathhouse and was shocked to see that it was filled with a bath nearly the size of a pool. Knowing she would have to try that one evening she promised to wait until winter when the hot bath would feel the best in the cold air.

Satisfied that the place looked amazing she made her way outside, noticing a clock on the wall she saw it was nearly noon. For some reason, this made her anxious and she made her way outside, heading through the gardens she found that the trees were green and filled with life.

It was definitely a hot summer day and the sundress would be keeping her cool and comfy, she let out a laugh as she went along and barely noticed all the others in the garden. After only a few minutes of walking, she saw the man again, he was sitting on a bench staring up at the leaves, a cane leaning against his leg.

She decided to talk to him and he greeted her with a smile, she plonked down next to him and they almost immediately started talking. Where they lived, where they worked, and what they loved doing, to their amazement they had lived close to each other most of their lives. Even working in the same fields for long periods of time.

They simply laughed at how small the world was when he asked her if she had seen the deeper forest. Naturally, she said no and he immediately stood and bowed like a knight of old, offering his hand to her, saying whimsical words like “May I take thee on an adventure?”

She giggled softly and off they went, the man flagging down a nurse to walk with them, apparently the forest trail could be tricky. After walking for only an hour they found the entrance and they started walking through woods so dense only streams of light could be seen.

Once in they found a few small steps that led them to a lookout, she saw the most amazing thing as the light shone through the gaps in the leaves. Each beam alighting a new shade of green, creating a fairy wonderland where they got lost in the mystery.

They talked as they watched, building imaginary stories of knights and monsters moving through the forest undergrowth. They discussed their fantasies as they left the forest, the sun starting to set over the far horizon once they reached the edge.

Walking back to the mansion of a house they decided to spend the evening eating dinner and watching a movie. The same nurse that helped her in the morning ensured they had a nook of privacy while eating, and then another nurse the man seemed to recognize took them to a private room with a massive TV.

They never really watched the movie, instead whispering softly into each other’s ears, until eventually, she leaned against him. The smell of him set her mind at ease and she found complete comfort in resting her head against him.

She was nearly asleep when the movie ended and her nurse came to get her, greeting the man, whose name she could not now remember, they promised to meet again the next day. Back in her room the nurse helped get her into pajamas, light and cool for the hot summer night, and then placed the IV drip back in.

She thought of the day she had, the magic she experienced, and fell asleep, promising to herself she’d find him again.

 

Their Story

They woke up just before 6am, as usual, they would have to be at work before the people there woke up. Kissing each other softly they reaffirmed their love through sleepy eyes and she snuck off to take the first shower.

It was fall and that meant that some of the elders would need to be dressed warmer than usual, not taking changes in temperature well was always a problem. Once he was showered they locked the house and got in the car, taking the short drive to the hospice.

They didn’t really need to work, both having inherited large estates, but they chose to do so for private reasons. Before they entered the building they gave each other another kiss,  and smiling they immediately went off to the only two patients they cared for.

He made his way to Mr. Smith’s room and she made her way to Ms. Smith’s room, both needed special care when waking up and going to bed. After another hour they met again on the third floor, where no patients lived but all the staff took their breaks.

“She dressed in pink and blue today, I thought it would look odd, but it fits perfectly.” She said once he rounded the corner.

He smiled and nodded, “It’s fall, so we finally move on from khaki, and into deeper browns today.”

They giggled a bit before she responded, “He truly is the most consistent man on earth.”

“Well, he did raise me, and I can only aspire to be so consistent.” He beamed.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, “Well, you are exactly what I needed. I heard from one of the nurses that your mom made her way to the bench a full 20 minutes earlier yesterday.”

He nodded, “Sometimes she seems to remember things a bit faster than he does. Though, neither of them has enjoyed the baths.”

Taking a look at her watch she piped up, “I have to go get the kids soon, be sure to let them watch the recording again tonight, they haven’t watched it in a few days.”

He nodded and kissed her back as she stood to leave, their kids could get to school on their own but after-school activities needed a chaperone. As he enjoyed her figure moving down the hallway he tore himself away from the most wonderful sight on earth and grabbed the recording.

It was an hour-and-a-half-long video, made from all the moments of his parents' lives, ending with the promise they made before their dementia properly set in. A promise to love each other, to meet on the bench, and see something wonderful until the day that they die.