text: (WP) First Love and Second Chances It had been so long since his beloved wife had passed away that Mark barely remembered what it was like to truly *feel.* True, he had his house, his animals, and his friends and children. His life wasn’t empty, by any stretch of the imagination. His head knew that, but his heart had a harder time accepting that. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t miss Alice, with every fiber of his being. In those first days without her, it was like his life had lost all color and joy. Of course, as much as he’d wanted to surrender to the darkness that had stolen his wife, he could not. What would his children do if he just gave up? Mark was interrupted from his thoughts of the past by a quick and urgent knock on the door. Cursing his old bones, he got up out of his armchair, grabbing his cane. Another rap, quicker, impatient. “I’m coming!” Mark grumbled, and the knocking stopped. Finally, he opened the door, only to find one of his neighbors and friends, Franklin, Frank for short, standing on his doorstep. “Finally, Mark! I felt like I was standing there forever!” Without waiting to be invited in, he shuffled inside. “Where’s the fire?” Mark asked, trying not to laugh. Frank’s face was red, and he was breathing hard; back in their prime, Frank had had a football scholarship and won a full-ride to one of the state’s most prominent universities. “There’s this new and experimental trial, Mark, and I had to tell you about it.” Mark raised his eyebrows, uncertain, but Frank held out a bright red flyer. *Are you widowed? Missing your late spouse? Well, now there’s a chance, thanks to an experimental new treatment! For more information, call the number below!* Mark frowned at Frank; honestly, this all sounded like a ridiculous, half-baked prank. But Frank had come all this way to tell him about it; what was the harm in at least investigating? Worst case scenario, he’d be chasing ghosts. Was it really possible, seeing Alice again, even after her death? Something strange and unfamiliar bloomed inside his heart, and he dimly recognized it as hope. *Oh, what the hell.* It wasn’t as if he had much to lose anyway. \*\* It turned out that the experiment only had him and another woman; no one seemed to think that this was legit, despite being held at the local clinic. There was a kind, female doctor with gentle, sad eyes, and Mark felt immediately comforted by her presence, in this cold, sterile white room. “Of course, you’ll be compensated, regardless of what happens with the treatment,” She said, all the while fitting them with virtual reality equipment. It was all an unfamiliar jumble of new tech that he was too old to keep up with. “Now, we’ll be right outside this room, taking down observations. I must ask you not to be alarmed.” Mark and the woman were ordered to open their mouths, and a pill was placed upon their tongues. Giving them a tiny plastic cup of water to wash it down, the doctor left. Mark closed his eyes, waiting for the pill to take effect. \*\* When Mark next opened his eyes, he was standing in front of his house, and Alice was waving from the window. The fragrant aroma of dinner cooking hit him first, even before he processed that his late wife was standing there. “Welcome home, Mark.” She said when he came up to her, and he kissed her passionately on the mouth. Alice laughed; the sound tinged with surprise. “What on earth has gotten into you?” “Nothing, my love. Nothing at all. Let’s go inside.