"An Incredible Love Of A Lifetime"

Blogging Friends.... This particular fictional story was not what I initially planned to post on 'Minuscule is good!' for the month of July. No.... I had an emotionally autobiographical/fictional story that I was working hard on. {Look for it in August, Lord willing!!} But then.... After posting 'A Cautionary Tale' last month, me and my dear Blogging Friend, Adelaide Dupont, exchanged some comments on 'Minuscule is good!' which went like this.... I am so glad that Elizabeth and Ellington are friends. {Adelaide}. Well.... Elizabeth and Ellington are a little bit more than just friends!! Maybe I should start writing their love story? {Me}. It would be great if you did write Elizabeth and Ellington's love story and the way it evolved. {Adelaide}. I am currently working hard on another fictional story.... However. I am already writing Ellington's and Elizabeth's love story in my head, which is a good start!! To quote Bruce {Springsteen}.... 'I can't promise, as I don't want to disappoint.' {Me}. Well, Adelaide, here it is!! Ellington and Elizabeth's unlikely love story.... What on Earth did I walk myself into?! Thanks, Friend. By the way, I finished writing 'An Incredible Love Of A Lifetime' past midnight on July 5th, because I was sitting in our recently remodeled 'Boy's Bathroom' {which I affectionately call a 'bomb shelter'} with my poor, frightened, noise phobic dog, Rosalita as bombs--I mean, booms--literally exploded all around us outside because of Independence Day. Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.... And then, as soon as I finished writing 'An Incredible Love Of A Lifetime' and I thought.... The cone is silent.... There were several more consecutive booms after, like, twenty minutes or so of absolutely nothing!! It was 1 AM when I finally fell asleep that day.... 'Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive', Raelyn

"An Incredible Love Of A Lifetime"

Made for each other. That is exactly what Ellington and Elizabeth are. One year ago, they met amidst perhaps the most unlikeliest of circumstances. Ellington's girlfriend, Lucia, had committed suicide and Elizabeth served as his kindhearted, compassionate, understanding police detective.... Who found Lucia's corpse drowned in Rocky River. Then, the two immediately became friends, found like-minded commonalities, and they fell in love!! It was destiny, it was fate, it was.... Magic!!

But Ellington was in love with Lucia before she killed herself. And that simply does not happen twice. For Lucia was 'the one'. And you just cannot grow a new heart. Or so Ellington thought!! That was, until he met Elizabeth!! And, although Ellington misses Lucia for obvious reasons? He just emotionally clicked with Elizabeth!! It somehow felt as though she had been missing in his Life all these years.... And {unbeknownst to him}, Ellington had been waiting for Elizabeth to arrive in this existence all his Life!! So.... Falling in love does happen twice after all, and you can grow a new heart!!

"Are you working today, Lizzie?" asked Ellington--who is an adventure-seeking, adrenaline loving guy--one Saturday morning, while Elizabeth was at his house, "I do not remember."

"I am off-duty today!!" answered Elizabeth, "Why?"

"Do you want to go skydiving with me?!" asked Ellington.

"You and your wild, dangerous, adventurous dates!!" exclaimed Elizabeth, "Just the other day, we jumped off of Mermaid Falls together!! And it was so romantic!! Because we kissed each other underwater!! I mean.... We were just like real Life mermaids ourselves!!"

Ellington smiled at that sweet memory.

"So, do you want to go skydiving?!" repeated Ellington.

"Yes!!" said Elizabeth, "Are you freakin' kidding me?! To quote Simba from The Lion King.... 'Danger?! Ha!! I walk on the wild side!! I laugh in the face of danger!!'"

"'Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!'" laughed Ellington, as he finished Simba's line.

I appreciate that Lizzie is an adventure-seeking, adrenaline loving girl!! thought Ellington, with a smile written on his face, Just like me!!

Ellington drove Elizabeth in Lucia's 'old' 1970's baby blue-painted Ford pickup truck--which her parents gave him after she had committed suicide--toward Cloud Nine Skydiving Company. Once they arrived, an instructor strapped equipment onto their bodies. She dutifully gave them rules, expectations.... And even instructions on what to do if--during the rare event--their parachute failed to open while they descended planet Earth. A pilot revved up his airplane's loud, rumbling engine. Excited, nervous energy flowed through Ellington's and Elizabeth's veins!! She lifted up, up, up, up, up high into the Heavens. This was it.... Ellington and Elizabeth were going skydiving!! Then--while their airplane was eighteen thousand feet above ground level--her doors swung open!! Together, Ellington and Elizabeth jumped, flying free as birds!! They yelled, they screamed, they flashed the 'peace' hand sign!! It was definitely an incredible chance of a Lifetime!!

"Ell," said Elizabeth one Wednesday morning while he was at her house, "Do you really, truly, literally want to 'take a walk on the wild side'?"

"Yeah!!" exclaimed Ellington, "But what do you mean by 'really, truly, literally 'take a walk on the wild side'?"

"Well...." Elizabeth mysteriously said, "What is your very favorite zoo animal?"

"The lions!!" replied Ellington, "Why? Are we going to the zoo, or something?"

"The lions!!" exclaimed Elizabeth, "I thought so!! No, it is even better than that!! How would you like to pet an actual lion?"

"Wait. What?!" said Ellington, with excitement in his voice, "We can get up close and personal.... With real Life lions?!"

"Yes!!" said Elizabeth, "Males.... Females.... Cubs.... You name it, we can pet him or her!!"

"No way!!" exclaimed Ellington, "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go pet some lions!! What is this place called?"

"Lion Around Petting Zoo!!" said Elizabeth.

Ellington laughed.

"Lion Around Petting Zoo?!" he said, "That is a pun!! Lion Around!! I love it!!"

So Elizabeth drove Ellington in her 1990's white-colored Subaru station wagon toward Lion Around Petting Zoo!!

"You know what?" said Ellington, on their way to Lion Around Petting Zoo, "When I was a kid growing up, our 3rd Grade teacher, Mrs. Mennes, gave us all writing assignments!!"

"What was it about?" asked Elizabeth.

"Mrs. Mennes asked us.... 'If you could have any wild animal for a pet, what would it be?'" answered Ellington, "We all had fun with that writing project!! One kid chose an elephant, another picked a zebra...."

"Let me guess...." said Elizabeth, "You chose a lion!!"

"Correct!!" exclaimed Ellington, "I wrote in my writing assignment that he was a male lion!! I filled my kitchen refrigerator with raw zebra, antelope, elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, crocodile, giraffe, buffalo and wild hog meat!!"

"Ewwww!!" said Elizabeth, "That would be so gross to open your kitchen refrigerator and see nothing but raw wild meat all the time!!"

Ellington laughed.

"His bushy mane was an afro!!" continued Ellington, "And he also slept on my living room couch!!"

"Did your pet lion have a name?" asked Elizabeth, "You know.... Like Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?"

"His name was Mufasa!!" answered Ellington.

"From The Lion King!!" exclaimed Elizabeth, "Of course!!"

Then Ellington and Elizabeth arrived at Lion Around Petting Zoo!! There were, obviously, well-trained wild animal handlers nearby, people who have clearly known those big cats forever. And Elizabeth was absolutely right.... There were male lions with bushy, tangled, hair-like manes. Adorable, cuddly, irresistible cubs. There were lionesses with muscular bodies. Neither Ellington, nor Elizabeth felt frightened, despite those big cats' sharp teeth, huge paws and wild animal instincts. No, they were awe-stricken, captivated, enamored by the lions!! Their fur coats felt rough, bristly, coarse and oily to touch. Ellington scratched the lions' pelts. Elizabeth rubbed them. Because of the lions' oily skin, their fingers became black. But there were hand sanitizer stations nearby and restrooms with soap. It was definitely an incredible chance of a Lifetime!!

Just like with Lucia, Ellington felt as though Elizabeth is 'the one'. But still.... Ellington worried about Elizabeth's mortality. Not that she would ever commit suicide.... For Elizabeth is happy, successful and does not even suffer from Depression. No, Ellington worried about losing her, about living--once again--without his lover....

"Lizzie....?" said Ellington one evening, as they were on a date at Servito Con Amore {Served With Love} Italian restaurant, "You are a police detective...."

"Yes, I am!!" Elizabeth confidently said, in between bites of her chicken broccoli alfredo.

"Well, police detectives die in the line of duty...." said Ellington, as he took a tiny bite of his macaroni and cheese, "They get shot.... You hear about it on the news frequently...."

"That is true...." Elizabeth said sadly, as she drank her water, "My partner, Conner, was shot, critically injured and, ultimately, killed in the line of duty six months ago.... We still miss him to this day...."

"I remember...." said Ellington, "And that is exactly what I am talking about.... If Conner can die in the line of duty.... Then so can you.... I cannot stand the thought of losing yet another lover like I did with Luci...."

Ellington blinked back wet, hot tears.

"Lizzie...." he said, "I cannot make it without you....!! Promise me.... That you will stay alive....? Please....?"

"Have you held all of these thoughts, feelings and emotions within yourself for six months?" Elizabeth asked, in between bites of her garlic bread.

Ellington silently nodded, as he sipped his strawberry lemonade.

"I cannot promise that I will never be killed in the line of duty like Conner was," Elizabeth gently said, "For my job as a police detective is, obviously, very dangerous and risky. You knew that going into our relationship. Right?"

Ellington blinked back wet, hot tears.

"Life is infinite," continued Elizabeth, "There are absolutely no guarantees that I--or you for that matter--will still be here on Earth tomorrow. We could have...."

She paused for a nanosecond. Elizabeth remembered how Lucia had committed suicide by drowning herself in Rocky River. Elizabeth understood that--under those circumstances--the next thing she was going to say would hurt Ellington emotionally....

"....Drowned when we jumped off of Mermaid Falls," Elizabeth gently said, "Did you know that?"

Ellington quickly looked up from his plate of macaroni and cheese.

"Or bashed our heads against a sharp rock," continued Elizabeth, "We could have died while skydiving. Our parachute may not have opened, or something bad. It happens. We could have been eaten to death by the lions. They do, after all, possess wild animal instincts. It happens. I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop. Life is uncertain. We do not have tomorrow.... We've only got today--this very moment--to live, love, laugh, cry and celebrate our lives together!!"

Ellington smiled at last.

Elizabeth is so profound.... She is so introspective.... She is so wise.... thought Ellington, as he ate his macaroni and cheese, I am in love with an old soul....

"Lizzie!!" said Ellington one Saturday morning while she was at his house, "I have a brilliant, beyond brilliant idea!!"

"What is that?" said Elizabeth, with a smirk written on her face, "We obviously cannot switch places like Hallie Parker and Annie James did in The Parent Trap!!"

Ellington laughed.

"No, let's go bungee-jumping off of Peterson's Bridge!!" said Ellington.

"But...." Elizabeth gently said, "Peterson's Bridge is located at Rocky River.... Where Lucia drowned herself...."

Ellington swallowed hard.

"I know...." said Ellington.

"Have you ever returned to Rocky River since Lucia committed suicide there?" asked Elizabeth.

"No...." answered Ellington, "I have not.... And that is exactly why I need to go back.... Luci died one year ago.... That was three-hundred and sixty-five days.... I mean.... We found Luci's body in Rocky River one New Year's Day, one Valentine's Day, one St. Patrick's Day, one Easter, one Independence Day, one Halloween, one Thanksgiving Day, one Christmas Eve, one Christmas Day, one New Year's Eve, and, of course, one birthday ago...."

Ellington blinked back wet, hot tears.

"If I do not go back to Rocky River, then I never will...." continued Ellington, "Ever.... And then Rocky River--the memory, the nightmare--of seeing Luci's Lifeless body drowned there will haunt me forever...."

"So...." Elizabeth gently said, "By bungee-jumping off of Peterson's Bridge into Rocky River it will give you a positive, happy, lighthearted memory there?"

"Exactly...." said Ellington, as wet, hot tears streamed down his eyes, "Right now, whenever I go to bed at night, all I see is Luci's beautiful, bright-as-a-red-sunrise hair.... Her fair, snow-white skin.... Luci's green-as-jade eyes that sparkled like diamonds.... But she is dead.... In Rocky River's cold, rushing waters.... I have to go back.... I just.... I have to...."

"Alright...." Elizabeth gently said, as she blinked back wet, hot tears, "Let's go.... And bungee-jump off of Peterson's Bridge into Rocky River!!"

"I will face my past...." said Ellington, "Embrace our future together.... And find emotional healing, find mental closure.... That is my brilliant, beyond brilliant idea!!"

So, bungee-jump off of Peterson's Bridge {yes, into Rocky River} Ellington and Elizabeth did!! He drove his lover in Lucia's 'old' 1970's baby blue-painted Ford pickup truck toward Take A Dip Bungee-Jumping Company. When they arrived at Rocky River, Ellington was, obviously, overwhelmed with emotion.... Both negative and even positive. Healing, wet, hot tears silently flowed down his face. An incredibly sympathetic, compassionate, understanding smile spread across Elizabeth's face. Once they arrived at Peterson's Bridge, an instructor strapped equipment onto their bodies. He dutifully gave them rules, expectations.... And even instructions on what to do if--during the rare event--their cord disconnected. This was it.... Ellington and Elizabeth were going bungee-jumping!! Excited, nervous energy flowed through their veins. As Rocky River's serene, beauteous, partially snow-covered mountains and towering trees surrounded them, they plunged head-first into the waters!! Up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down.... They yelled, they screamed, they flashed the 'hang loose' hand sign!! It was definitely an incredible chance of a Lifetime!!

But one more happy event occurred on that unforgettable day....

"Lizzie...." said Ellington, when they were finished going bungee-jumping together, "At first I felt ambivalent, worried, doubtful and afraid about spending.... You know.... Forever.... With someone whose job as a police detective can lead to losing you. But.... It is like you so wisely said.... 'We do not have tomorrow.... We've only got today--this very moment--to live, love, laugh, cry and celebrate our lives together!!' And then I also realized, that I do not want to lose 'the one' if you ever broke up with me!! Lizzie.... I want to spend forever with you!! I mean it.... Will you marry me, my love?"

"Yes!!" exclaimed Elizabeth, "I want to embark on years and years and years of wild, dangerous, adventurous dates with you!!"

"Me too!!" said Ellington.

He paused momentarily.

"Wait a minute!!" Ellington suddenly said.

"What?" said Elizabeth, with a quizzical expression written on her face.

"Just.... Wait a minute!!" repeated Ellington.

He then quickly ran toward Lucia's 'old' 1970's baby blue-painted Ford pickup truck. Because hidden safely inside her glove compartment was an engagement ring for Elizabeth!! Ellington then returned and finished his proposal.... Yes, at Rocky River!!

"No proposal feels right without an engagement ring!!" exclaimed Ellington, "In my opinion, anyway!!"

"I agree!!" said Elizabeth.

Because it was definitely an incredible love of a Lifetime!!