Eternally Happy

Once upon a time, many centuries ago, there lived an old couple. The man loved his wife and they had been married for over 50 years. They were a happy couple and seemed to spend all their time together. It was in their cottage that they learned they would live forever.  

The man and his wife lived in a cottage on the property of the Irish King. Their cottage was modest compared to the King’s castle, but the man and his wife were very happy. In the evenings the couple would open their French doors off their parlor and drag out two comfy chairs. They would have tea and sometimes tell each other stories. The couple would sit outside until one of them declared it was time for bed.  

It was on a late evening in the summer, when the couple was sitting outside enjoying the fresh air, they were talking about their upcoming anniversary, wondering what they should do to celebrate. They threw around a few ideas and then the man said, “Let’s stay inside that night, we can have a quiet night inside.” His wife agreed that this change of pace would be a nice way to celebrate their upcoming anniversary.  

The night of their anniversary the French doors stayed closed. No chairs were brought outside from the parlor. No tea was made, nor were any stories told.  

The next day the King wondered what had happened to the couple, since he had not seen them sitting outside as usual. He went to their cottage and knocked on the door. Perhaps they were not feeling well. When no one answered, the King let himself in, seeing it was he who owned the cottage. On the table in the kitchen was a bottle of wine, uncorked, with two glasses. There were snacks on a tray next to the wine. He walked through the rooms of the cottage, calling out to them, but no one answered. Finally, the King went to the Parlor. There, sitting together on the couch, the couple had entered eternal peace at precisely the same time, leaving them looking like they would enjoy each other’s company for eternity.  

©2020 CBialczak

Written for Fandango’s Fiction Challenge: https://fivedotoh.com/2020/03/16/fandangos-flash-fiction-challenge-57/