Shell, in turn, did not run. As Ryan suspected she might, rather she proclaimed the same feelings. The passionate exchange that followed was at a new ...evel. A happiness filled Shell as thoughts strayed from golf to Ryan most of the day.Ryan forwarded Shell one of her stories. It was short.Ryan had rewritten it to incorporate some of Shell's desires. Based on Shell's reply, Ryan was accurately describing something they both would enjoy a great deal.Ryan found it hard to think of not enjoying. Anyone married for as long as us will tell you that after twenty plus years sharing a home and a life with someone, you can become a little overly familiar and accustomed to that person. Too easily, you can take them, their good points and your love for them too, for granted. Altogether too familiar with what it was that first attracted you to them and then catalyzed that attraction into full-blown love.But as I sat there looking at this most unlikely of scenes, I found a warmth spreading. I pulled the blankets up to cover my panty and hid the bra under me just as the door opened slowly.It was Ruth checking on me. She came in smelling of her perfume and bent over me giving me a kiss on the forehead, “sleep well Larry. I need to go to work early tomorrow so you will need to take care of yourself on your own.”When she was out of the room I lay in the dark thinking of all that had happened today and without intending to drifted off to sleep. I woke to the sound of the shower in the. The old man wasn’t impressed—never released his scowl. He could match George hardship for hardship. He fought the battle of the Dustbowl on his Iowa farm long before George went to the Pacific. George was unused to the treatment. He had gold oak leaves on his collar. He was used to salutes, not scowls. He stood his ground. He didn’t need ‘permission’ to marry Helen. He was only showing respect. ‘He warmed up later,’ George admitted. ‘He told me, before he passed on, that he changed his mind.