A dark red Ford Crown Victoria sped along the Rainbow Bridge across the Niagara River gorge and came to a halt on the other side.
Niagara Falls, Ross Watts thought. I read somewhere that it’s one of the top ten places on Earth to visit before you die.
He got out of the car, walked around the hood and opened the front passenger door. He helped his wife Karen step out and led her along the path to the observation platform, holding her by the elbow. After seventy-two years, Karen Watts was always drained of energy, and she needed assistance in doing simple things, like getting out of a car. Ross was two years older than her and not in the best shape either. Heavy smoking and forty years of police service had gradually done their harm.
Ross and Karen put on yellow slickers to protect their clothes from the water and came up close to the barrier, which separated the roaring waterfall from the observers. There were drops of water in the air. A light, pleasant breeze blew the water spray in their direction. Karen squinted in the sun. She let the mist bathe her face. Good for the complexion, some people say.
For about five minutes they just watched the gigantic cascades of greenish-blue water rush down. They stood without saying a word. The cool summer breeze ruffled Karen’s iron-gray hair.
«Well, what do you think?» he said finally.
«The view is just amazing,» she said. «Finally, our dream has come true.»
There was a slight sadness in her voice.
Ross hugged her, looking at the huge torrent of water below them. «We made it here at last. But you know what they say, it’s better late than never.»
They had rarely left the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. They used to make trips to Florida or New York once a year, that was when they were younger. But for the last ten years, they hadn’t been out of the
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