Blue Ribbon.. part I

Every summer he would send her letters.

Evelyn was thrilled when they arrived. The anticipation of receiving them after the long winter would bring a smile to her face knowing that they had traveled far. Sometimes the paper he wrote on would carry the fragrance of distant lands. Her mind would imagine the exotic sights he gazed upon and the wondrous scents of sandalwood and frankincense. She especially loved it when he would sprinkle lavender oil from Spain or France on the paper. She in return would send him dry flowers from her garden or send the delicate miniature still life's she painted on wood. They might have been miles apart, but there was always something tangible to remind them of each other.

Their history was one that was long and well traveled. No secrets were left between them. Most people thought of them as husband and wife. But the romantic side of their relationship had ended years ago. Distance can be a cruel ending to a relationship, and even crueler when someones heart refuses to move on. Evelyn had always thought that. That she herself was stuck in some romantic time capsule, only to awake to the fact that it was she that had refused to go with him. To accept his proposal of marriage.