Tracy’s Left Foot

Tracy recently ran a triathlon and injured her left foot. The injury was painful, but Tracy was a mountain girl who was used to harsh winters with deep snows . . . she knew how to endure hardships.

In the morning she got up and got dressed. She put her favorite tennis shoe on her right foot and a boot on her left foot. It was more comfortable then the old-fashioned plaster casts.

She went to the kitchen to enjoy the morning light and fill the house with the scent of fresh coffee.

Her husband got up and prepared for work. He put on a gray suit with a tie that he had received on Father’s Day. It was not a great tie but he wore it with pride. Before he left the room he stopped and sat at the edge of the bed. He noticed a solitary shoe on the floor.

He picked up the shoe. It was feather light and he admired its construction and design. It was so small, he had never considered Tracy’s size. In his eyes she always filled any room she was in.

It occurred to him that he had never seen his wife from head to toe all at once. When she spoke he watched her eyes sparkle. If he said something affectionate or funny he watched her mouth so that he would not miss his favorite smile. At night before she turned out the lights and got into bed he would peek at his favorite parts, careful not to let her notice that he was looking for fear that he would make her feel uncomfortable.

It slowly occurred to him while he was holding her shoe that Tracy was his Cinderella. How many men carried one shoe their whole lives and never found a woman that fit? He felt lucky. He placed the shoe on the floor where he had found it and went to the kitchen for breakfast. When he was done he kissed Tracy. A simple peck followed by “I love you.”

Now I am not sure if he put an accent on the “v” or maybe he held the “o” a second longer. Maybe he said Luv instead of Love. What ever it was, Tracy felt beloved and safe.

That day they thought of each other and let their minds linger on happy private moments they had shared, of thoughtful gestures, of tender words spoken.

Tracy’s shoe longs for the return of Tracy’s left foot, while Tracy and her husband long for nothing. They are content.