Tennessee Highway 412 is a long, curvy, two-lane road that seems to go on forever. It's so dark, I can't see anything past the headlights or the lines on the road. There's no streetlights, at all. A mailbox will fly by, occasionally. So, I keep it between the lines, do exactly fifty-five, and keep the music turned down. For some reason.

Cari looks at me and says, "This is so cool."

I shake my head and say, "You think this is cool. I can't see a thing past the headlights and expect Bigfoot to pop out any second, just a waving. We just left Parsons and the next town is Linden, twenty-six miles away!"

"Oh, Jesse, you worry too much. It's like a grand adventure. We're touring through a dark, foreign land. Searching for evil to destroy." Cari's dark blue eyes, glisten in the dark.

I look at her and say, "You're a eight and a half month pregnant, thrill junkie. You could go into labor at any time and here we are, in the middle of nowhere."

Cari smiles and says, "That's why it's so cool. Besides, Grandma hasn't seen me big and pregnant." Cari rubs her belly. "She'll have the biggest fit over me. Then in the morning, she'll make us the best breakfast you ever had."

"All of this is for breakfast?"

"Yeah." Cari throws her head and laughs. I guess that's why I married her.

Thirty minutes later, we're climbing a hill I hope has a road on the other side. We can barely make out the dense forest on both sides of the road. There's a huge saw mill at the top of the hill, with one streetlight by the driveway. Cari smiles and says, "Linden is at the bottom of the hill."

"Really, how can you tell? Do three streetlights, make a town? Who knew." I answer.

The sign reads: Welcome To Linden, Logging Capitol of Decatur County.

"I've ridden home through Linden, so many times. I can drive this blindfolded. Highway Eighteen crosses up here. It takes you to Flatwoods, were you can float the Buffalo river in a canoe. I've gone down the river so many times, they have a section named after me. Cari's Curves." She smiles, looking down Highway Eighteen.

"Well, how many old boyfriends have brought you home this way? Do you want to tell me, about them? Is there a place you would to park, for a while, Umm?" I give her my curious look.

"That's none of your business and way before I met you. If your lucky one night, I'll take you there." An evil grin appears on her face. The one I really like.

Just past Linden city limits, we cross the Buffalo river. The mileage sign on the other side of the bridge says, twenty-two miles to Hohenwold, fifty-six miles to Columbia. I look over at Cari and roll my eyes. I see her smiling at me in the dark.

At least, Hohenwold is bigger than Linden. It actually has a McDonald's. We stopped so Cari could use the restroom and I bought us two giant Cokes. It's still thirty-four miles to Columbia. I figure we'll get there about midnight.

Driving quietly in the dark, I watch a smile appear on Cari's face. She's gathering up all the great memories she has from living here. Now, she's playing a documentary of all those happy times, on the window. There's a tear, in the corner of her eye. Cari has always been a collector of dreams and memories. This trip was important to her and I'm glad we got to take it.

I see another sign ahead, twenty-two miles to Columbia. Our journey through this dark night is almost over. Cari suddenly grabs her lower stomach and says, "Oh, that hurts!"

"What do you mean, that hurts!" I slow the car down and look for a place to pull over, there ain't one.

"Jesse, I really need to pee, now!" Cari is rocking back and forth and I see a bit of panic in her eyes.

I start looking for a someplace to stop. A light appears in the distance. There in the darkness is an old tin-siding restaurant.

The sign reads: Madge's Cafe, Five Cent Hamburgers and Beer.

"Wow, what a beautiful old place." I quickly pull into the parking lot. "How old is that sign. I've never seen prices that low. Not in 2015."

"I don't care how old the sign is. Just help me to the restroom if they have one." Cari is walking a little bent over from the pain.

I open the door and a beautiful woman with long gray hair, rushes to our aid. She's dressed in a hand made apron and a long blue dress. "My, my, what do we have here?" Her voice is a soothing, southern drawl. Her smile is breathtaking. She has gorgeous Hazel eyes, I've never seen anyone like her, before.

Cari looks into her eyes and instantly smiles at her, "I really need to borrow your restroom for a minute." Her pain seems to ease for a moment, when she smiles back at her.

"Why sure, darling. Let me help you, it's right back here." She puts her arm around Cari and leads her towards the back. "I sure hope your water ain't about to break, sweetie. If it does, don't worry. The new hospital in Columbia, is not far away. They'll fix you right up. Just tell Dr. James, Madge sent you. He's been a good friend for many years." Cari can't take her eyes from hers.

I sit down at the long stainless steel bar on a red leather bar stool. Madge walks over and pours me a cup of coffee. The steam rises and the aroma is wonderful. "Don't you worry, honey. I'm sure everything will be, just fine." Somehow, her smile warms my heart.

Cari hollers from the restroom, "Jesse, I need my bag. My water just broke."

"On my way." I answer back.

Madge puts her hand on mine, then says, "Your beautiful wife is going to make you a proud father, soon." The touch of her hand warms my entire body. It's like she radiates pure love from within. You can't help but smile.

After I get Cari's bag I head back towards the restroom. There's a hand reaching through the door. "Thank you," Cari meekly says.

"Don't worry, honey. Columbia is not that far and we'll be there soon. I love you." I smile at the crack in the door.

"I'll be right out." Cari blows me kiss through the crack.

I walk back to finish my coffee, it looks like it's going to be a long night. Madge grabs a paper sack and takes it to Cari when she steps out of the restroom. "Here's a sack for your clothes, sweetie." Madge puts her arm around Cari, "I want you to know that everything will be all right. Don't you worry a bit. God is watching over both of you, right now." Her faith, warms both of our hearts and I believe her.

I put my arm around Cari and we head towards the door. Madge follows us.

Cari turns, hugs Madge, then says, "Thank you, darling. For everything." Cari kisses her on the cheek, then wipes a tear from her own eye.

"You're welcome, Honey. Be careful and if you come back by, please stop. I'd love to see the baby." Her smile shines through the darkness while we walk to the car.

We both wave while getting in, Madge waves back. I pull back into the darkness and head towards Columbia. Cari turns to me smiling, "I've never met anyone like her, before."

"Neither have I. What a beautiful, soul."


Four days later.


This is the best day of my life. The sun filters through the trees, enhancing the fall colors. The leaves are gently blowing through the air in the light breeze. Rachel is asleep in her car seat. Cari is more beautiful than I've ever seen her. I guess it's that new mothers glow I've heard about.

We can't wait to show Rachel to Madge. I just need to remember exactly where we were. I know it was about twenty-two miles from Columbia. There's a few things that Madge told us, that were a little strange. Dr. James retired, thirty years ago. The hospital opened in 1955, sixty-years ago. I guess she meant, they've recently rebuilt it.

We slow down when we're about there by the speedometer. I turn into what I think is Madge's Cafe. The building looks like it's been boarded up for years. The back roof has fallen in, long ago. That's where Cari went to the restroom that night. Ivy is growing up the light pole by the front door.The sign has fallen over the front door. It's only hanging by one bolt and swings back an forth in the breeze. Tall weeds and grass are growing all around the Cafe. There hasn't been anyone here, in many years.

Cari and I, slowly get out of the car with stunned looks on our face. We both look at each other for answers, there are none.

An older man, steps around the corner with a large camera in his hands. He asks, "Can I help you?"

At first, I'm not sure what to say. "What would you say if I told you, that my wife and I were here four nights ago? The Cafe was open and lights were everywhere. There was a beautiful woman here, in an apron and long blue dress. She took us in and helped us, but how?"

He chuckles, "I'd say you met the most wonderful woman, I've ever known. A touch of her hand would warm you inside. Her smile was like no other." He looks down for a second, then back to us with a painful smile. "Madge bought this place in 1938. She ran it for seventeen-years and there wasn't a person within fifty miles she hadn't helped in some way. I used to come here every day. She made the best coffee. I think every man around here was in love with her, including me. I was twenty, and she was in her fifties."

"What happened to her?" Cari asks.

"See those trees over there and the burnt remains of a house." He pauses. We both look at each other, we see the pain this man has. "Madge died in the fire, sixty-years ago. It was the saddest day of my life. Everybody around here, lost their best friend, that night."

Cari's tears begin to fall, "But, she was here, I felt her arms around me. I kissed her cheek."

"Oh, I believe you. You're not the first people she's helped after her death. Over the years I've had at least, twenty people tell me the same thing. The Cafe was open and Madge was here, smiling. Just waiting to help them. Just once, I wish it would happen to me. If I could look into those hazel eyes, one more time. I still miss her. Well, you folks have a nice day." He tries to smile, then walks back to his old Jeep that I didn't see until now.

"Jesse, I'm showing Madge our baby." Determined, Cari walks back to the car and gently lifts Rachel out of her seat. We walk to the front door of the Cafe, with Rachel in Cari's arms.

The feeling of Madge's arms wrapped around us, warms our hearts.