Reminisce

Trees as far as the eye can see. Water flowing through the nearby creek. Birds chirping in the mornings. And a nice cool breeze as it rustles the leaves. But the best part was the smell of burning wood from the campfire. The cabin was the perfect getaway home for anyone who wanted to relax and be one with nature. For anyone who wanted to get away from the stress-filled city. Or for a couple who had just gotten engaged.

Larry and Lily had been dating for about three years now. They were not high school sweethearts, but in fact came from opposite ends of the country. It was their equivalent love for adventure and nature that brought them together. They met in the great Smoky Mountains at a scenic overlook. Larry was with his buddies. They had just gotten back from a hike and now he was posing as a strongman with the mountains in the background. Twenty feet away was Lily. She was alone. Sitting on the stone wall with her legs dangling above the drop-off, she was sketching the glorious view. This glorious view also included a glorious Larry posing with his biceps.

Larry and his friends were walking back to the car when he caught Lily’s drawing out of the corner of his eye. 

“Now that is a work of art!” he said as he walked up to her. “Not to tell you how to do it, but I think those muscles need to be a little bigger.”

“Actually, now that I have a closer look, I think I drew them too big,” Lily said with a smirk as she started erasing.

“I’m Larry, would you want to get a coffee or something tomorrow night?”

“Sorry, I’m not free tomorrow. Thanks though,” she said.

Clearly she wasn’t interested, or so Larry thought. “Oh okay, well next time you need someone to be the spotlight for you I’m your guy,” he said jokingly as he started walking back to the car.

“Wait! I’m not free tomorrow, but I am tonight!” Lily shouted.

Stopped in his tracks, Larry wasn’t expecting that. Hiding his smile, he turned around and casually walked back to her.

“Oh, yeah, I guess tonight works,” he said. He was trying to keep his cool but deep down he was ecstatic.

Larry told his buddies to go on without him and instead joined Lily in her car. They went to a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that only a few people knew about. This is where the first sparks happened and they knew it was something special. Jump forward three years, and here they are in a cabin not too far from the spot where they met. Except this time instead of sitting on a stone wall or flexing muscles, they were on the front patio with a campfire going.

The cabin was raised up on a hill so they could see the never ending mountain range in front of them. It was sweater weather and you could hear the crickets chirping as the sun started to set in front of the cabin. This was the perfect moment, Larry thought. Everything was just right. Now was the time.

Larry got down on one knee, “Lily, every second with you has been a gift. I never knew what true happiness was before I met you. I never want to give it up, and I always want to be with you. Will you marry me?”

“Yes Yes! A million times yes!” Lily shouted with pure joy.

This was it. This was the moment that could never be topped. This was the happiest moment of his life. This was the moment that Larry could never forget, or so he thought.

Decades went by. Larry and Lily had a strong marriage, a few bumps here and there, but that’s just how it goes. They were still as happy as ever. Then Larry got the news from the doctor. He had developed an early onset of Alzheimer's disease, a progressive disease that destroys memory and mental functions. Larry’s memory started to fade, and so did his past. 

Lily was destroyed. This was so unexpected, and in time Larry would forget all the good times they had together. Life had taken an abrupt turn for both of them, and it wasn’t looking good.

More years went by as Larry’s condition got worse. He was now 74 years old and usually couldn’t put a name to anyone who walked into the room, not even his wife. Lily was dedicated to visiting and taking care of Larry in the nursing home. She made a vow to stand by his side; she stayed true to that. Occasionally, Larry would recognize her when she walked into the room. But his mind would be in a different time, a younger time, and it never lasted longer than a couple minutes. This only made it worse for Lily.

Then one day Lily had an idea. Something that she hoped would give Larry at least the tiniest sense of comfort. She was going to bring him back to nature. Take him to a place that was calm, filled with trees and animals, and throw down a campfire for old times sake. Larry wasn’t allowed to deviate far from the nursing home, so the nearby campsite was the best option. Lily loaded up their truck with chairs, food and drink for a picnic, and firewood. They arrived just in time to see the sunset while chowing down. Larry still didn’t have much idea about what he was doing or where he was, but Lily could tell he was relaxed. 

As the sun set the temperature dropped, and it was time to ignite the fire. Lily put down some small twigs and dry grass to start until the fire got big enough for the wood logs. It was the classic campfire smell. It’s a scent that is so unique anyone could recognize it, even Larry. Incredibly, the scent of the campfire had temporarily brought Larry back to the moment he proposed to Lily. A moment Lily thought he would never remember. It was unbelievable. After years of being unaware of his surroundings and unable to complete any sort of cognitive capability, Larry had come back. He remembered every specific detail of this very special moment. 

He looked over and said, “Remember the day I got down on one knee? That was the best day of my life!”

Lily was shocked. Out of nowhere Larry understood what was happening and was completely normal. “La-Larry?” she said, “You remember that?”

“Of course darling! How could I forget something as important as that day?” he responded.

Larry may have been mentally aware now, but he had no idea of his condition. To him, everything was ordinary and standard. They were simply having a picnic in front of a beautiful sunset. Lily wanted to tell him, but who knew how long he was going to be like this. She decided it was best that he enjoy the time he had. She leaned over, kissed his cheek, and took the opportunity to have her husband back.

They talked for hours and hours into the night. Being around the campfire had brought back so many things about their past. Sometimes there would be instances that were blurry for Larry, but Lily would find a way to skip over those things as not to bring attention to Larry’s condition. He was as lively as ever, but the night can’t last forever. It was time to pack up. Larry helped load things back into the truck and they both got in. Larry looked over at Lily sitting in the driver’s seat and said, “I love you.” 

Tears welled in Lily’s eyes as she said, “I love you too, Larry. And no matter what happens I’m always with you.”

The two drove off, and as time went by without the smell of the campfire, Larry started to return to normal. Sentences slurred into gibberish, hand gestures slowed to become motionless, and a blank and incoherent stare into the distance engulfed Larry’s expression. He was gone again. Lily was prepared for this, but it still wasn’t easy. They pulled up to the nursing home where Larry was returned to his room for bedtime. Lily sat down in the chair next to his bed. She didn’t start crying, but instead she smiled. She was so in love with this man and so grateful for the amazing night she never thought she’d get to have again. She knew that Larry was still in there, somewhere, and that he would always truly remember her. And that was enough. 

Lily and Larry fell asleep at each other’s side that night, because no matter what was happening, love prevailed and they were always at each other’s side.

The End.