Can't Help Falling in Love

Sussex, 2023

Arthur strolled down the narrow cobblestone street with his hands stuffed into his brown slacks. His fingers fidgeted with a small chainless silver heart locket he persistently carried around. The stones were slick from rain that fell not too long ago. Light droplets sprinkled and Arthur admired how they looked like a bunch of shooting stars in the glow of the street lights. Few clung to his thick lenses framed with thin silver, but he didn't mind.

He preferred the rain, a preference his daughters and doctor disliked, due to his old age and poor balance. His youngest daughter, Alice, bothered him each time on her weekly visits to purchase a new pair of shoes with better traction. Arthur, though, refused. He loved his worn-out slippers, with indents inside of the soles of his feet.

Arthur strode along the crosswalk, but his attention diverted to a familiar tune emerging from a street to his left. He stopped in his tracks, earning a muttered curse from the middle-aged man walking behind him.

Arthur peered to his left and saw a young woman--no older than twenty--sitting at the bench of an electric keyboard. Attached was a microphone that she gently sang to. A small crowd surrounded her, mostly couples who were bundled together. He changed his path and walked over to join the bystanders.

"Wise men say..." the young musician sang. Her voice was airy and soft, almost a whisper, yet her tone was strong and defined. Her eyes remained mostly closed in concentration as she sang.

Arthur recognized that song anywhere, for it was the song of his heart. The song of his love.

Liverpool, 1961

"Hurry, Arthur, we're gonna miss them!" Henry dragged Arthur down the concrete steps into the main room of The Cavern Club. Hundreds of people crowded together. A few stood on the sidelines against the brick walls. The air was stale and humid. Arthur felt his clothes clinging to him as soon as his foot touched the ground.

Henry tried squeezing them to the front of the crowd. He had been trying to see The Beatles perform here for weeks, and they finally had their chance. The heads of bouncing fans obscured their vision as they continued to make their way to the front. Arthur considered jumping just to get a glance of the band, but his head was only a few inches from the ceiling with both feet on the ground.

The clash of the drums and Paul McCartney's amplified voice saying "Thank you, Liverpool! Have a great night!" signified the end of their performance.

Arthur and Henry managed to find a spot just two rows back from the stage, only to see it now emptied.

"Shit!" Henry cursed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Maybe next time, mate." Arthur patted Henry's shoulder in consolation.

"I need a drink," Henry announced before disappearing back into the crowd.

Music spilled from the speakers, filling the space between the chatter of the crowd. Arthur danced to himself until he felt eyes on him.

He glanced to his right to see a woman with straight, long brunette hair smiling at him. Her red lips were decorated with two soft dimples, and filled with nearly-perfect white teeth. Arthur returned her smile and waved her over. She glanced behind her only to see her friends were conversing amongst themselves, paying no attention to her. She shimmied her way between dancing strangers over to Arthur.

"Hello," Arthur said, still swaying his hips to the song.

"Hi," the woman said with a giggle. The sound made Arthur feel alive--like his whole purpose in this world was to hear that small noise of joy.

"Your friends seem kind," Arthur remarked, sarcastically.

"Well, I don't see yours here."

"Guess we both need some new company."

"Guess we do." Her eyes twinkled.

"Arthur," he said with an outstretched hand.

"Evelyn." She placed her hand in his. It was cold and half the size of Arthur's, but he recognized them as pure perfection.

"So, who're you here for?" Evelyn asked.

"My friend really wanted to see The Beatles, but we just missed them."

"Such a shame, they were really good." She smirked.

Arthur playfully rolled his eyes, "Way to rub it in."

The song switched to a piano ballad, one Arthur had not heard before. Elvis Presley's deep voice broke through the instrumental.

"Wise men say..."

Everyone around them coupled up and swayed to the tune.

"May I have this dance?" Arthur reached his hand out again, this time upturned towards the ceiling.

A faint blush crept across her pale cheeks, but Evelyn said "You may," confidently, and placed her hand in his.

He held their hands in the air to their side and gently placed his free hand on the slope of her waist. Her's rested on his shoulder.

For the entirety of the song, the couple only gazed into each other's eyes. Neither spoke a single word. They just waltzed with the momentum from the other. It was the moment they fell in love.

Liverpool, 1964

"Now, please welcome the bride and groom as they share their first dance as a married couple!" Applause filled the small banquet hall and echoed off the wooden dance floor.

Arthur and Evelyn strode through the entrance to the center of the room. Arthur focused on not stepping on Evelyn's dress. Evelyn focused on not tripping on her dress.

The pair turned to face each other, mirroring the same position as they first did years ago.

A familiar piano ballad began playing. Elvis Presley's decadent voice filled the hall.

"Wise men say..."

The couple gazed into each other's eyes throughout the entire song. Evelyn only moved her hand from Arthur's shoulder once to wipe a tear from his eye.

It was no surprise when they announced they were going to get married. Since the first night they met, it was clear to all friends and family that they were soulmates. Arthur would've proposed that night at The Cavern Club, but Evelyn told him she would only marry after she finished university. So, for three years while they both studied, Arthur worked with every bit of his free time to save for an engagement ring and their future home, and the second Evelyn stepped off the graduation stage, he was waiting for her on one knee.

Their wedding was the second happiest day of their lives. The first was the night they met. That was until the birth of their first daughter, Emily.

Sussex, 2017

Arthur pulled a stiff chair over to the side of Evelyn's hospital bed. She smiled over at him, as she always did, and he smiled back, as he always did. He brushed her white hair out of her face and cupped her cheek, gently rubbing it with his thumb.

It had only been two weeks since Evelyn was placed in hospice, so for two weeks, Arthur has lived with her in the hospital. It was her decision to rescind extraordinary care, and although Arthur did not agree, he remained silent and supported her opinion, like when she told him she wanted to move to a smaller, quieter city.

The second worst day of his life was when his wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The worst day of his life was when the doctor told them it had spread to her other organs. Or at least it was, until today.

"I wanted to give you something." Evelyn's voice was coarse and just above a whisper. Even with poor hearing, Arthur understood every word.

"What is it, dear?"

She shakily lifted her grayed hand and pointed towards the nightstand beside the bed. "In the top drawer."

Arthur pulled open the drawer and saw a silver necklace with a heart locket. He grabbed it and held it away from him to get a better look.

"Open it," Evelyn muttered.

He opened the heart locket to see a picture of each of them on either side from the year they first met. Tears filled his eyes and threatened to spill over.

"You aged like fine wine, love," he said, looking at his wife.

"I know." She smirked.

Arthur unclasped the necklace and slid the locket off.

"You should have a piece of it." Knowing she could barely lift her head, he carefully worked one end of the necklace around her neck and clasped it together.

"Selfless, as always," she whispered.

"Always for you."

Only thirty minutes later, Evelyn fell unconscious and peacefully passed away with a silver chain around her neck and her husband's hand in hers while he sang to her.

"Wise men say..."

Sussex, 2023

Arthur closed his eyes and held one hand in the air to his side while his other hovered below as he swayed with an invisible partner. He quietly hummed along with the busker.

The small crowd's attention shifted from the performance to Arthur. A few of the couples mimicked him and began to dance together.

The singing young woman opened her eyes and did not close them again as she watched Arthur dance.

No one dared to bother him, they only made sure he wasn't dancing alone. He knew he wasn't.

When the busker played the last note, a majority of the crowd tipped her and went about their nights. Arthur opened his tearful eyes and his gaze met the young woman's. He walked over to her, desperate to thank her.

"That was my wife and I's song," he explained.

The two talked briefly and some of the crowd listened to the story of his love.

Afterwards, he tipped her and before turning away, asked "What is your name, miss?"

She smiled and responded, "Evelyn."