Tammie Fickas
What had possessed Gwen to think sledding down a giant pile of sand was a great way to spend a summer morning?
She stood at the base of the dune, holding her sled tightly to her chest. Her grandchildren had already trekked to the top of the small hill and were waving for her to join them. Those two adorable blonde-haired children, that’s what. Winning smiles and the promises of how fun it would be rang in her mind. She loved those kids, but surely this was insanity.
Despite living just a few hours’ drive from the beautiful Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, she and her late husband had never brought the kids here. Her son was a much braver parent than she had been.
Someone fell against her, jostling her out of her thoughts. “Hey. . .”
“I’m so sorry.” The deep voice came with a steadying touch to keep Gwen from falling. “I guess I haven’t got my sand legs under me yet.”
Despite the corniness of the joke, Gwen grinned. “It’s okay. I’m just here wondering if I’ve lost my mind.” She turned to face her rescuer.
“Roger?” Gwen found herself staring into the deep chocolate-colored eyes of her high school sweetheart. Her heart thumped in her chest.
His face lit up as the wind rustled his now salt and pepper hair. “Oh, my word, Gwen. It’s been ages. Imagine meeting you here.”
“I know. I can’t believe my grandkids talked me into this.”
Roger gently tugged her out of the way of a teen on a sand board careening down the hill. Electricity raced across Gwen’s skin as memories of her first date with the captain of the football team danced through her head. She may be a fifty-four-year-old widower, but suddenly she felt sixteen again.
“Grammy, come on!” Gwen’s youngest grandson’s voice floated down to her.
She waved. “Go on without me. I’ll catch up.”
Roger’s deep rumbling laugh had matured with age. “Oh, to be young again.”
“Hey watch it, mister. I’m still six months younger than you, and I’ll have you know that I’m young enough to sled these hills with the best of them.”
“Feisty as ever. Is your husband here with you all today?”
Gwen looked down and then peered back up into those eyes. “My Michael passed on about two years ago.”
Roger’s chin trembled ever so slightly. “I’m so sorry. I know how hard that is. My wife died when the kids were teenagers. I still miss her every day.”
Pointing to the top, Gwen nodded her head. “Shall we do this? I mean, we can’t let the kids have all the fun.”
Roger took her arm and guided her up the hill. “I’m so glad I ran into you today. I often wondered how you were doing.”
“Me too.” Gwen had been heartbroken all those years ago when she and Roger had called it quits, but Michael had come along and the love they’d shared was strong.
They trudged in silence for a few minutes. When they reached the top, Gwen took in the view. Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes were breathtaking in their enormity. “Remember that summer after sophomore year when we went to the beach at Prospect Lake as often as we could. We thought that little swimming area was just the best. I always came home with sand in my shoes and shorts.”
Roger dropped his sled to the ground and lowered himself onto it, then tugged Gwen down to join him. “Those were good days. I had the best life with my wife, and we raised a beautiful family. But still, I thought of you over the years. You taught me so much about being a good partner. When I’d tell Anne that, she’d say she wished she could thank you.”
Gwen lowered to the ground. “We were so young. I don’t know how you learned anything from me. I felt like I was making it up along the way. But you did show me what was important in a relationship. I dare say my marriage was stronger because of the time we had.”
They sat there, lost in their memories of young love and spouses gone too soon. Gwen felt a fluttering in her stomach. Just like all those years ago.
Gwen’s son kicked up sand as he came to tower over them. “Mom, are you going to sit here all day? Scared of a little sand?” He squatted down to her eye level, mirth twinkling in his eyes.
She tossed dirt at his legs. “Of course I’m not scared. Brandon, this is Roger Cunningham. We ran into each other at the bottom.”
“The high school boyfriend, Roger Cunningham?” Brandon reached out to shake Roger’s hand. “I’m happy to meet you. Mom told me about what a powerhouse you were on the football field, and your picture still graces the memory wall in the main hall at the high school.”
Roger chuckled. “Oh, that was a million years ago.”
“Definitely a lot of years ago.” Gwen giggled. “But let’s do this.”
Brandon stepped away to situate himself on his board as Gwen leaned over and whispered to Roger, “I am kind of scared.”
“You got this.”
“Come on, you old folks, ride the waves,” Brandon yelled as he pushed off and flew down the hill.
Gwen grinned at Roger and pushed off. “We’re not old,” she yelled to Brandon as she slid off after him.
At the bottom of the hill, Roger offered to help her up. Breathless and laughing at the thrill of the ride, Gwen grabbed his hand and stood, feeling the sand in her shoes and shorts. “That was amazing.” Maybe old love could be new again.
She believes everyone’s life holds a story, and even if your current season is unexpected, it can still be meaningful. Her stories depict women embracing all facets of their lives—the good, the challenging, and the unfamiliar.
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Spark Flash Fiction 