The Mush Man

"There's a sadness in your eyes," he said as he wrapped me in his arms. "And I need to fix it. I'm going to make you an apple pie this weekend. Would you like that?"

I buried my face in his chest and nodded, remembering the weekend that he moved in. I had been away on a business trip. It had been a long flight, complete with an engine that wouldn't start, followed by free cocktails, (to convince us all that the plane was perfectly safe for take off) a two hour wait and finally a new plane. I got in around 3 a.m. to find the biggest, most colorful fall leaves and a love note taped to my front door. Smiling, I turned the key and went inside. I headed up the stairs and there he was, lying in my bed, sound asleep. I cuddled in and fell asleep in his arms. It was the beginning....

I woke up late the next morning to the most wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. And then, there he was again, standing in the doorway of what was now our bedroom. He was holding a plate with the biggest slice of freshly baked apple pie and his big blue eyes were saying, "I'm going to take care of you forever."

And he has. He loves me, that man, who has become my safe place. That man, who loves my children as if they are his own. My Joe.... He is my best friend, the father of my children and my partner in everything. He helps with the cooking, the laundry, the shopping, the homework and everything in between. He is the man that I hope my boys become and my girls will find. Gentle and humble, yet strong and confident in who he is. Always loving us, always taking care of us.

Every fall, when I'm least expecting it, he comes to me. In his hands are the biggest, most colorful, newly fallen leaves. "I'm going to make you an apple pie," he says. And in his big blue eyes, there is a love that will never end.