1. Max and Rosie Pt. 2


    Date: 7/6/2016, Categories: Love Stories, Author: Sisyphus, Rating: 18, Source: LushStories

    the ice cream to Rosie’s lips. “You like this ice cream, don’t you, dear? Remember when we always went to Russell’s Ice Cream Parlor on Ridge Avenue after a movie?” He knew she had no idea what he was saying but hoped somehow his words registered. He also knew he was holding on to the tattered remnants of their life. He turned to Robin sitting next to him. “That was a ritual—going for ice cream after the movies.” “Nice,” Robin said, nodding and smiling. After Rosie went to bed and the kitchen was cleaned up, Robin and Max sat in the living room. He read the latest issue of the New Yorker and Robin made a list of the vegetables they would grow and drew a little plan. She read him the list and Max nodded then said he would get the tools from the garage and prune the peach tree. At breakfast the next morning, he saw that Robin had dressed Rosie in a white blouse with ruffles and a flowery long pink and blue skirt, one that she hadn’t worn in many years. She’d put lipstick on her and combed her hair so that it was smooth. “Happy Anniversary,” Max said, kissing Rosie’s forehead and cheek. He lifted the vase of flowers. “Leah brought these here yesterday. They’re snapdragons. Aren’t they pretty? Leah knows how much you love snapdragons.” Rosie looked at the flowers and at Max and then looked down at the skirt she was wearing. “We’ve been married for thirty-seven years.” He looked at her hoping for some sign that she understood what he was saying. He moved the flowers closer to her ...
    nose. “Smell the flowers. Don’t they smell good?” She continued looking at the flowers then up at Max and Robin watching her. “Happy anniversary,” Robin said. “Would you like some oatmeal for breakfast?” “Oatmeal?” Rosie repeated. “I’m going to make oatmeal for you.” Max poured her a mug of coffee and brought it to her. He put in a spoonful of honey and stirred it, then held it to her lips for her to sip. Just then the phone rang and Max picked it up. “Happy anniversary. Let me talk to Mom.” “It's Leah,” Max said, handing the phone to Rosie, who held it to her ear, listened, then handed it back to Max. “I just wanted to wish you and Mom a happy anniversary. Give her a kiss for me.” “I will. Thank you for the flowers.” Max looked down at Rosie sitting next to him in the wheel chair and could see she had no idea what was going on, but she stared at the flowers and had a slight smile on her lips. When he hung up, he leaned over and kissed Rosie. “That’s a kiss from Leah.” Rosie's smile broadened. It was the first time she had smiled like that in a long time. He looked up at Robin. “She smiled.” “I saw. That’s nice...sweet.” She poured the oatmeal into a bowl, brought it to the table and fed Rosie. Two days later, Max pruned the peach trees and Robin started turning over the soil in the garden, digging up the weeds and placing them in an old compost pile she found in the corner of the yard. “We'll start composting the garbage.” Each day, while Rosie slept, Robin and Max worked in ...
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