I sit in front of the gravesite and place the flowers on her grave, which I have been doing every April first for the past forty years. I read the head stone as tears come to my eyes.

Forty years ago...

It’s ten-o-clock at night, I am sitting in my broken down car, and it’s raining like a motherfucker. If I had gone to spring break in California, I’d be sitting on the beach right now.

I’m feeling sorry for myself when I hear a tap on the window and see May from school standing there. I am surprised, because I haven’t seen her in school for a couple weeks. She’s definitely not dressed for the rain as I roll down the window.

“Hey. Charley are you broke down,” she asks.

“No. I’m just sitting here relaxing,” I say sarcastically.

She giggles and says, “my house is up the street if you want to use the phone.”

I nod accepting her offer and get out of the car. She is wearing tight blue jeans and t-shirt. I can tell she isn’t wearing a bra as the wet t-shirt is clinging to her b-cups. Her red hair is matted to her head and I am starring at her beautiful freckled face. I’ve had a crush on her since elementary school, but when we got into high school we were in completely different cliques.

The rain is coming down hard as we arrive at her house and she stops in the front yard. She lies down on the grass and stares into the night sky.

She pats the ground beside her as I join her on the grass. The rain is coming down hard as I stare at her. She turns to me and smiles.

“April is my favorite month of the year,” she says.

“You like all of this rain,” I ask.

“I love flowers,” she says as I look at her confused. “April showers bring May flowers.”

I think nothing of it as she gets up and I follow her into her house. She leads me up to her room and we are standing there looking at each other.

She stares into my eyes and says, “I’ve had a crush on you since elementary school.”

“Me too,” I say as she smiles.

“Take off your clothes, so that I can put them in the dryer,” she says.

“You first,” I say.

“At the same time,” she says as she giggles.

We start undressing until we are down to our underwear.

We are staring into each other’s eyes, when she says, “keep going.”

Moments later, we are standing there in our birthday suits. She is beautiful. Her body is still wet and glistening in the moon light. The next thing I know we are locked in a tender kiss and our hands are exploring each other.

She moves me over to the bed and l lay on top of her.