It had been a year and a half since our final divorce meeting. Since I had the rights to the tree, I would come and sit, grading papers after school was finished. Every now and again I could feel Howie looking back at me. There was so many times that I missed him and I wondered if he had missed me. Then there were the days that I was so angry with him for being a quitter and wondered if the other woman was sleeping in my bed. It wasn’t until one day that I had stayed under the tree for an entire day that fate decided to play a game with us.

            The rain was pouring down. The willow wasn’t giving much protection from the rain. It was cold but I was hot with anger. I didn’t care. It was my damn tree and I could sit by it whenever I damn well pleased.

            The lights were on in the house. I almost wondered if he was looking out the window laughing at me. Did he change the house? Are there any memories of us on the walls? Probably not, being that it almost seemed we hated each other’s guts. I wished I had remembered my umbrella.

            I suddenly heard a loud bang and looked toward the side patio. He had just walked outside and looked right at me.

            “Willow, will you get your stubborn ass inside the house?”

            “Ohhh! Name-calling! That makes me want to jump right up and walk in!”

            He leaned over the railing, smug look on his face.

“I know your car is parked at least a mile away so just come into the house would you?”

            “Not my property anymore. Can’t step into it.” I shuffled papers trying to ignore the insect only a few feet away.

            “You can if you plead insanity.”

            I looked at him, eyes a blaze with rage.

“Damnit when are you gonna let this go!? You know I am never gonna stop coming to see this tree. So stop being so damn pissy about it.”

            Thunder rolled in the distance. It wasn’t supposed to be a thunderstorm!

“Will you please come in before the storm gets here?”

“No!”

As if God heard me at that moment and didn’t like my answer, a bolt of lightning came down and almost hit the tree.

“Willow!”

He came running down the steps as I tried to compose myself and make a run for the house. We met half way and I just looked at him. His eyes were full of fear yet they were hauntingly beautiful. I let him take my hand as we ran toward the house. Once we got inside, he gave me a once over. He was genuinely concerned whether I was all right.

“ Howie, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine. The lightning didn’t even get close enough to me.”

“God Willow how could I not worry? You almost died tonight! Here let me get you some dry clothes to change into. I don’t want you to get an ammonia.”

He left the room. I was tempted to say something combative but thought better and held my tongue. I was going be there for a while and there was no use in trying to fight him.

He came back with some clothes. He handed them gently to me before he went back toward the bedroom. Of course he would change there. It was his house. I walked toward the bathroom then closed the door. I thought I should take a warm shower before I changed. Everything was still the way it was before it all happened. I missed him. Deep down I did and I wasn’t even sure if he would ever feel the same way again. The warm water had felt so good running down my back.

After I created a steam chamber for the bathroom, I quickly got a towel and dried off. I began to look at the clothes, feel them. Those pajama pants were his favorite. I could never get him to stop wearing them. I put both the shirt and pants on and I was over-whelmed. It smelled of him, something that I had missed for so long. Tears came to my eyes as I realized how much I still loved him. I couldn’t stop myself. I thought it was so foolish and commanded myself to stop but it was no use. I sat on the counter sobbing when I suddenly heard a knock on the door.

“Willow, are you ok? What’s wrong?”

Deep down I wanted to yell ‘ just leave me alone’ when he started opening the door. I let him come in. He had true concern on his face as he walked in front of me.

“Willow, honey what’s wrong?”

My break down had just taken a turn for the worst. I started to lean toward him, resting my head into his chest. He held me gently, combing his fingers through my hair. I knew that I had to tell him and I knew I would then be rejected. I just had to. Through my sobs I tried to say it.

“Howie…I ….I still love you.”

He stopped combing through my hair.

“What did you say, honey?”

            He lifted my head from the comfortable position that I did not want to leave. By now, my eyes had to have been bloodshot and I was a total mess. He cradled my head with the palms of his hands.

            “Howie, I still love…”

            He had softly kissed me. I didn’t know whether to break down in tears again or fall deep into him. I kissed him back, his hands on my back. He lifted me off the counter and walked toward the bedroom. He laid me down and started kissing me passionately. I wanted him, I needed him but something inside was being cautious.

            “Howie, I want this to mean something. I don’t want this to happen if tomorrow we’re gonna start yelling back and forth to each other again.”

            “No. No this has meaning Willow. Because even though all this happened, I knew it was because of me. I realized it was my fault and not yours and the divorce was a big mistake because I still loved you too.”

            I got up a little bit, my eyes searching his soul. He meant it. He meant it all. I reached for him and began to unbutton his shirt. As he took it off, I noticed I gasped. I don’t know why but I did. I traced a hang gently across his chest. He was watching me. I could feel his eyes burning. Although we had made love before, this was going to be like the first time. I reached up and kissed him. My hands graced over his back. He laid me back down on the bed. He started to unbutton the shirt I had been wearing. I had taken it off and relaxed again back on the bed.

            “God you’re beautiful.” He murmured.

            He started to kiss my neck, planting kisses everywhere. I gently bit my lip as I felt his lips gently brush over my flesh. Starting to kiss down my stomach, he had my mind swirling in ecstasy. He looked at me, eyes burning with passion. Minutes later, we both collapsed into each other’s arms. Everything felt the way it should be or at least the way it was before the big mess.