Real-life Romance: Special Friends

When you think of romance, normally you think of it ending in marriage. But that's not always the case. Sometimes, it can end as something just as sweet, though. Guest author, Mary Pat Johns is here to tell the story of her mom and her mom's Special Friend. See if you think this is as romantic as I do. ;)

​Mom was nineteen-years-old when she married Dad. He was the older man at twenty-three. They were married for over sixty years when Daddy passed. A year or so later, Mom packed the belongings she wanted to keep, had an estate sale for the rest, and moved into a retirement village.
As her only daughter, I had her all to myself for five years. I loved it, but it wasn’t enough for her, especially since I still worked. She had no desire to get married again but missed the daily companionship.  

She made friends at the village and stayed active but was still lonely. Until a widower moved into the village. Les had also married at a young age and was still grieving the passing of his wife. He wasn’t particularly friendly, but Mom recognized his grief and worked to keep him in the loop. She loaned him books and encouraged him to eat with others in the clubhouse instead of by himself.
They slowly became friends. As time passed, they became inseparable. My brother and I weren’t sure what to think. Les’s daughter had her doubts too. From the beginning, Mom referred to Les as her “special friend.”
 When Thanksgiving rolled around, I hosted the family dinner at my house, and Mom asked if Les could come. Of course, we were all thrilled to add someone new into the mix and when his daughter asked how he was received, he said “with open arms.”  Much to our delight, they held hands.  
In the spring when Mom needed a second round of hip surgery, he was faithful to visit her in rehab every day. When the nurses popped in, Les and I would slip down to the coffee room and visit. One trying day, he confided that Mom was argumentative. I hid a smile. Her hip replacement had been a long road, and she was simply tired of the hassle.    
Not too long after that, Mom contracted what they were calling “the astro virus.” It happened to coincide with the Astros playing the World Series, and every nurse or orderly made a bad joke about it. Once they got her dehydration under control, she improved, and I received a call from Les. He was worried and wanted to see her.
However, in the aftermath of COVID restrictions, Les wasn’t allowed. I knew mom would do much better with her “special friend,” so I hooked my arm through his and said, “C’mon, Daddy. Let’s go see Mama.” We walked through every “checkpoint” without a single question. It was more than worth it when Mama saw him.  
As their relationship developed, Mom became less needy. She loves me and is glad I’m around, but Les is her “special friend.”
When he was sick, she took him to the clinic and explained why his insurance didn’t work there. She helped him when he fell. His recovery was faster with her care and attention.  
Les calls her every morning at seven. It’s a wellness check, though they laugh and say they’re making sure each other is alive. Then he drives over in his golf cart. They may run errands. Since Les turned ninety, he no longer drives a car. At eighty-eight, Mom still gets around and takes him wherever they need to go.
After their morning errands, they go to hymn-singing one morning, and a Bible study on another morning. They eat lunch in the clubhouse with a group of friends, then retire for coffee and short naps at Mom’s place. About mid-afternoon, Les gets restless, so they tour around the village in the golf cart.
They watch baseball and football games and keep up with the news and their neighbors. At some point after dinner, depending on how tired they are, Les drives the cart back to his place. Ever the gentleman, he kisses her goodbye.
I’m convinced their relationship has prolonged both of their lives. They help each other remember things. They keep each other occupied and neither of them are lonesome.
It may not be a romance in the sense of swoons and physical attraction, but it’s the best kind of love. Caring. Steady. Always looking out for the other’s well-being.
Almost everyone thinks they’re married, but they’re not, and they don’t want to be. “Special friends” suits them fine.   
And while I’m still happily married to the love of my life, their relationship gives me hope that you’re never too old to have a “special friend.” 

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Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from years of teaching speech and writing. She’s written devotions for an online publication and had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. She currently writes a weekly faith column for the local newspaper. Countin’ On Jesse, her first novel debuted in 2023, and book 2 of the Valiant series, Lovin’ On Red, released in release in 2024. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war.
She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.





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Glitter and the Grouch, Book 3 of the Romance in Valiant series. Novella-length

Silas only has one choice: his sanity or his future.

Silas and Nat don’t get along, but they can’t leave each other alone either. When a prank goes terribly wrong at their workplace, they face an impossible choice.
They must compete in a canoe race to prove they can work together or forfeit their futures at Peeps. Good thing quitting isn’t in their DNA, because their boss isn’t backing down an inch. He assures them they can accomplish anything they set their minds to, even if it means covering 260 miles of river. There’s only one catch—they have to be in the same boat.
Will they reach deep inside to find out what they’re made of? Or will they succumb to the physical rigors of the event and the machinations of a controlling ex?

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