Saturday's Storyteller: "Honestly, I liked him better before the surgery."
by Belinda Roddie Honestly, I liked him better before the surgery. He was softer before the surgery - cuddlier, more human. I liked his folds and rolls and lumps, the way his belly sagged over the denim lip of his jeans. I liked his double chin beneath that magnificent red beard. I liked his arms, his legs, his backside. He had been my giant teddy bear. My adorable lumberjack. He said he had gotten the operation for health reasons, and I figured that was fair. His weight was definitely an issue, and he wanted to be able to walk at least one block without getting winded. Now, however, he looked almost emaciated. Sure, he still had the impressive facial hair and the mischievous glint in his brown eyes that was always familiar to me. Every time he came home after work, however, I wanted to have two steaks prepared for him and him alone, so he could feast after a long year in the wild. Because that's what it seemed like - Vincent was so thin that he looked like a gaunt survivor.