"The Apology"

The light on my phone lit up: the only indicator of an incoming call, keeping it quiet so the roommate may watch baseball undisturbed.

It was my newly acquired friend, Mike, but I missed the call, so I called him back. Why would he be calling me at 9 o'clock at night?

"Did you call me?" I asked.

"Yes, I have something for you."

Knowing this man and his sense of humor, etc., I asked if he was being "naughty," and warned him that my roommate could hear both ends of our conversation.

"Is that what you think of me? I'm not a naughty man," he said. Then he added, "Most of the time, maybe, but not tonight."

He sounded sincere. I walked towards my bedroom and asked what was up.

"Well, Laura, I had to make a trip to Eugene today, and I will be coming through your area, and I have something I want to give to you."

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, "If it isn't naughty, then what is it?"

"An apology."

I was quiet, so he continued, "I want to apologize in person, and I want to share some 'hug therapy' with you."

"Oh, Mike..." I was shaking my head.

"That is what I want to give you: an apology; 'hug therapy' also if you choose to accept it." He finished and waited.

I said nothing.

"JUST a hug, Laura," said Mike.

"Uh, oh, alright...When?"

He told me he would text as he got closer to my city, and we arranged to meet at an easy-to-find location.

The text came that he was entering town, and I left to go to the meeting spot. When I got there, I rolled down my truck window, and Mike told me to follow him, so I did, and he headed down the road to the ATV staging areas, from which people go out onto the Oregon Dunes. It was dark, and he pulled into one of the large parking lots, which was deserted at this hour. We both got out of our trucks, and Mike walked in my direction with his arms extended. I allowed myself to be wrapped in the hug. Mike bore the fragrance of mechanical things, from working on cars, and of the new perfume he and his daughter had given to his wife, Rose, the day before, on her birthday.

"Will you forgive me?" he whispered in my hair.

"Tell me why you think you need to be forgiven, Mike."

His large hand rubbed over my hair as he spoke, "When Rose offered me to you, offered to leave you and I alone to be together in our bed, you looked like you had been sucker punched."

"I had no idea that was coming," I said.

"I know," said Mike, "and I am sorry."

I pulled back to look at his face, "I forgive you."

He tapped his forefinger on the tip of my nose, then pointed it at the sky.

The moon was full. It was beautiful.

"Please don't tell me you can look at that moon and not feel anything. I KNOW what it means to you. It's alright for it to still be special, even though your husband isn't here to show it you," he said.

I began to cry.

He wrapped me tighter in his big, bare arms, and kissed my head.

"Are you cold?" he asked me.

"A little."

"Let's sit in your rig," he suggested, and I nodded my head.

The truck was perfectly positioned to sit in the bench seat behind the driver's and passenger's front seat, and look out at the moon. Since my passenger seat in the front was loaded with things, we sat there in the back seat.

Mike returned me to his arms after we were both in, and we gazed out at the big, white opalescent moon.

I cried, and he held me, kissing my head on top once or twice, rubbing his hand over my hair, my shoulder, and back. But, mostly we simply sat there, for most of an hour.

It got cold.

"I need to get home to Rose, and my bed is sounding pretty good about now."

We got out of my Suburban, and I walked around to say good-bye at the door of his truck.

I squeezed him, and gave him a small kiss on his bearded cheek.

"Thank you, Mike. Thank you."

He held my face in his hands, looking into my eyes.

"Laura, you don't know how much I want to kiss your lips until they've been kissed enough. I want to kiss every part of you.

I want you to know that, and I won't apologize for telling you how I feel."

He kissed my forehead, and the tip of my nose, then released my head.

I numbly walked around and got into my vehicle, and we both exited, headed back to Hwy. 101. When we reached the highway, I turned north to go home and process what had happened, and Mike turned south, headed home to his Rose, the woman he loved that had given her blessing to us if Mike and I wanted to be together.

It was going to be a long night.