A Walk Around the Neighborhood

I see them hand in hand walking slowly, carefully watching step after step. This couple who are elderly and apparently have been married for decades.

He opens the door for her, she turns ever so slightly towards him and smiles at him while saying thank you. He goes to the table near the window and pulls out a chair for her; again she says thank you as she clutches her purse into her lap as she takes her seat. He starts to turn around and head to the counter but instead looks back at her and asks her if she would like anything else?

"No, just the coffee." she says to him.

He walks straight up to the counter and asks for "two black coffees." He asks the young girl at the counter for "two creamers, please" and "that will be all" he tells her. She smiles back at him as she hands him his coffees and creamers.

"You got it?" She asks him.

“Yes, yes, I do, thank you!” he says.

She tells him to "have a good day" and he says “Thanks! I will! I am with that beautiful woman over there!” as he points to her at the table “She is my wife!”

The young girl smiles at the elderly woman, sitting at the table. She smiles back, knowing her husband must have said something to the young lady. He liked to make sure everyone knew she was 'his' wife. You could see the love pour out of this man for his lady.

He walked slowly back to her and set the coffees down as he pulls out his chair and sits down. He begins to open the creamers, one for each coffee, he takes the stirrer and stirs her coffee first and then he takes a napkin from the holder and placing the empty containers and stirrer on the napkin. While I am getting my coffee, I can't stop watching this couple. I find a seat facing them so I can drink my coffee and see them talk to each other.

The woman picks up her coffee and sips it slowly, watching him as he sips his.

“It is really hot, today!” She laughs at him as if she has heard 'his joke' before.

Looking at the two of them for just a moment, I can see when they were young, Maybe even dating back in college? My mind wanders...maybe they both went to school here? Do they have children? Grandchildren? How long have they been married? The way he looks at her, I guess I never paid that much attention before.

They are both dressed nicely; maybe they were taking a walk and decided to stop here for coffee? I had just followed them in here and was just going to grab some coffee to go, but when the girl asked me, “For here or to go?” I found myself saying, “Here!”

They are both laughing now. I missed what was so funny! There it happened again right before me a young couple in love, smiling and flirting with each other.

What did he do for a living? He looks rather intelligent.

She was a beautiful woman with big blue eyes that kept him almost dazed and in a trance. They quietly spoke to each other barely audible really? They looked over to me, and I just smiled and put my head down into my coffee. They must have felt me watching them. That’s great now I am a stalker of seniors.

They have finished their coffee; you can see he is asking if she is ready to go and she nods. He gets up first and walks over to put their empty cups and napkin into the trash receptacle and goes back over to her and gently helps her scoot back her chair and offers her his hand so she can get up. Her arm is securely locked into his, and he puts his hand on hers as they head out for the door. He lets go of her arm to open the door for her and once again her sweet smile, a nod and a thank you from her and a nod back to her from him and they both laugh.

I follow right behind them as I look to watch them walk the opposite way. As they look into the store windows and comment on what they see. I see a young couple once again, hand in hand, smiling as they walk the streets of the city.

.Lily