As the kids got older Amelia would dream of the day they could once again travel and be like those newlyweds exploring the backstreets and castles in Europe but age had played a dirty trick on them. They got older right along with the kids and were no longer able to do the things they once did. Amelia's heart wasn't what it once was and Richard's Alzheimer's was taking away his memories one at a time so adventures were no longer in their vocabulary but that still didn't stop the dreaming.
One of their favorite destinations was a medieval castle in Paris right on the Seine River and Amelia would often go their in her mind and remember Richard as young and charming with a full head of dark wavy hair, broad shoulders and a smile that would break any girls heart. Amelia herself was the fantasy of any guy who saw her and those guys noticed quickly that Amelia only had eyes for Richard.
As their 50th wedding anniversary was approaching Amelia had a plan. They couldn't travel to Paris but perhaps Paris could come to them. She scoured second hand stores looking for things that reminded her of that long ago castle and the land surrounding the Seine. That's when she saw it, the castle, their castle, tucked neatly inside a snow globe. That was it, she had to get that for Richard as she knew he'd remember their time as newlyweds and remember her.
The days before their anniversary Amelia was telling Richard all about their upcoming trip and her excitement was enough for both of them. The staff at the nursing home sat and listened as Amelia retold their love story over and over to a man who didn't remember her name. Over and over she'd tell him about the restaurants they ate at, the boat rides and bus rides they took and the staff noticed how his eyes lit up and he smiled at Amelia with love in his eyes when she talked about the castle, their castle.
On the day of their anniversary Amelia went to see Richard and she was dressed in a simple white dress that was so like the one she wore on their wedding day. She had one small box that was carefully wrapped in pretty white and blue paper with a blue ribbon and bow. Richard's favorite color, he'd told her it was because it was the color of her eyes. As she entered Richard's room he was quiet as he looked up at her, not remembering who she was but knowing she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. There was something about her that was friendly so he held out his hand.
As the nursing staff gathered outside his room Amelia handed Richard his gift. She helped him untie the bow and remove the paper. As she took out the snow globe and showed it to Richard he spoke for the first time. He called her by name and asked her to marry him, again. Suddenly the outside world had faded away and they were both 22 and exploring the corridors of their castle. Richard was this handsome man with dark wavy hair and Amelia was his girl, his wife and he was the luckiest man in the world.
