RUDY'S ANGEL

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in  buying groceries.

I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 37 years was  still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

Rudy often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always  spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

Rudy knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since Rudy had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two. Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how Rudy had loved his steak. Suddenly a woman came beside me.

She was blond, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large pack of T-bones, dropped them in her basket,  hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again  reached for the pack of steaks. She saw me watching her and she  smiled.

"My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't  know."  I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale  blue eyes. "My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her.

Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble  in my voice. "Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you  have together."  She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes  as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should  buy. A quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream section  near the front of the store. If nothing else, I could always fix myself  an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward  the front. I saw, first ,the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady  coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face  was the brightest smile I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo  encircled her blond hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes  holding mine. As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. "These are for you," she said and placed  three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. "When you go  through the line, they will know these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again.

I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision. I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

"Oh, Rudy, you haven't forgotten me, have you?" I whispered, with  tears in my eyes.  He was still with me, and she was his angel.