The Routine

He and his wife were married for fifty eight years, and lived in the same house longer than that. They lived in a nice town just outside of Nashville. Every morning they would walk and go to the bakery,  have a cup of coffee and order a bagel from this lady that worked their everyday. She was an older woman, in her mid 50’s. But she cared about this couple a lot. This was their daily routine. Even when he didn't wake up on time to go for their morning walk, she would bring back a cup of black coffee, with just the right amount of cream and an everything bagel. He always had a smile on his face. They did this everyday, but as time went on he would walk alone to the bakery and one day the lady asked, “Wheres that energetic girl of yours?” She said in a humorous voice. “Her time has came ma'am, she is up there with Daisy.” The old man exclaimed with a smile on his face. “Oh, you had a good one mister.” She spoke chuckling.

After he went to the bakery he walked back where he lays alone in his empty house with just his thoughts. Throughout the day he would go to his backyard where his wife planted many assortments of vegetables. He would try to plant some more with what he has learned from her, but as he was doing that it didn't seem to work out. After he tried that he goes back inside, gets dressed with his polished dress shoes that he spent 15 minutes working on and his long grey button down jacket. He grabs his broken down, rusty bike and rides it down to the bakery to see the lady again. He arrives there 15 minutes later with a couple of his wife's belongings, waiting to show them off. He walks into the bakery and gets this warm hearted feeling like a bunch of puppy golden retrievers are licking his face in excitement of seeing him. “Hello again sir.” She says. “Please, call me Marty.” He said in his old worn down voice. “Alright Marty, what brings you here?” “As you can see I brought a bunch of Betty's things when she was a teenager, would you mind looking at them with me?” He said looking at her with wondering eyes like he was a cat looking for a string. Four hours later, now 9:30pm the lady says he better get going because the shop is closing soon. “Okay ma'am, but I have my bike, I don't know if i will make it home if it's this late out.” He says to her with a very unsettled voice. “I guess I could take you home, Marty.” She says winking her eye.

“Alright thanks again ma'am, have a wonderful night see you in the morning.” He says while getting out of the car. “Call me Rosie.” The man smiled and walked into his house. He moved slowly into his bedroom where he puts his striped pajamas on with his brown slippers and moves into the bathroom to brush his teeth. By 10 he is in bed, laying on his side facing the other side of the bed. Thinking about her, saying goodnight, and saying I love you. The next morning, it's 7am and he is already up doing the few dishes he has, the couple shirts he got dirty with digging in the backyard and spilling coffee to now go into the washer and dryer. After he does the laundry he then walks to the bakery where Rosie will be. Twenty minutes later he arrives and walks into where he thinks is complete paradise. Cups clattering, people chatting amongst themselves with smiles and the early morning sun shining through the windows all around the bakery. He has finally found his way of getting used to his new life now.