Night Swimming

by Robin Schwarz

  And with that she deplaned.

  Standing in the middle of Gate C with an arm full of flowers awaited none other than the only actor in Hollywood. Gene Hackman. Charlotte began to laugh uncontrollably. How perfectly perfect, she thought. Gene Hackman welcoming me to Hollywood, no less. Hackman walked over to Charlotte and extended his hand, presenting her with a dozen deep-red roses. Charlotte smiled as she brought them to her heart, thinking, Ahhh, how fitting. Dolly’s favorite. Just then an odd feeling passed over her and she was prompted to look around the room. But what the eye could not see was achingly clear to the heart. The roses relinquished their exquisite scent as they had done a hundred times before and Charlotte knew. She just knew. These roses were from Dolly. She didn’t know how they were but she absolutely knew that they were. And if she knew Dolly, Charlotte thought, she delivered them herself.

  In memory of my dear friend Ric Wylie, who remains alive in my heart and forever loved. You are not gone... you’ve simply gone ahead.