She listened to the freezing wind blow ferociously outside. Although seated next to a warm fire, she could almost feel the iciness from outside penetrate her skin and burrow deep inside. The only feeling that registered was coldness. Cold, icy, bitter. Like my heart, she thought.
At one point, she had it all: a wonderful family, many friends, and, best of all, boatloads of laughter. But, years had passed, and now all of those wonderful things were gone. Now, with the exception of a grumpy cat, Sarah Wilkins was all alone in the world. Alone and cold.
She was cold because of the experiences that led her to this point. She thought of her late husband, Daryl. Sarah had met Daryl in her first year of college. His haunting blue eyes, luxurious brown curls, and contagious, warm smile had caught her attention immediately. It was not long before the two fell in love. They got married the weekend after college graduation.
They had one son before they found out they were unable to have any more children. Sarah still remembered the way Daryl held her, ever so tenderly, as she sobbed in his shoulder, devastated at the fact that her family could never grow any larger. Daryl lovingly comforted her and reminded her to be grateful for the son that God had already graciously blessed them with.
Little Joseph. Joseph was a fine boy. He had the same haunting blue eyes and curly brown hair as his father and, of course, the smile that could melt anyone’s heart. Growing up, he was always a cheerful kid. Rarely, would he become angry or irritated or upset.  Then came the day that changed Sarah’s life forever. Little Joseph, who was not so little anymore, kissed his mother and father good-bye and was deported overseas with the US Army. Three months later, he was declared MIA. 
Sarah was inconsolable. She cried non-stop. Daryl tried to comfort her, reassuring her over and over that “Joseph will return. I know he’s out there somewhere.” He brought her gifts, took her out to fancy dinners and movies, but it was no use. Nothing, nothing, could fill the empty hole in heart that belonged to her beloved son.
One warm spring day, fifteen years later, Sarah and Daryl were taking a leisurely afternoon stroll in a nearby park. Suddenly, Daryl gasped and stumbled to the ground. Unsure what was happening, Sarah hurried to the nearest phone booth and dialed 911. An ambulance soon arrived but, at that point, it was too late. Daryl could not be revived.
Back in her chair by the fire, Sarah allowed the tears to stream freely. That spring afternoon had been nearly ten years ago already. The whole time, there had been no one, not a soul, to soothe her- to bring even the slightest bit of joy into her life. The trickling tears quickly turned to heavy sobs. The wind howling outside and the increasing winter darkness added to the dismal mood.
Finally, taking a deep breath and drying her eyes, Sarah stood up and found her way to the kitchen. Opening her cupboard, she took out her teapot, filled it with water, and placed it on the stove to boil. As she waited, she stared longingly out her front window, not knowing what she was expecting. After she finished her tea, she decided the only thing worth doing at this point was to bed and just sleep the pain away. She slowly walked up the old, creaky stairs and meandered down the gloomy, dark hallway. Just as she was about to pull the covers over her head, she heard her doorbell ring. Who on earth could that be? Who would visit me at this hour? Probably just a solicitor, she thought.
Not in the mood for any confrontations, Sarah decided just to ignore the doorbell this time. However, the visitor was persistent. Continuously, they rang the doorbell and knocked heavily until she could take it no more. Determinedly, she marched downstairs, and opened the door, letting in a burst of winter air. “Young man,” She declared, “I have no desire for whatever you are selling and I find it incredibly rude-” She stopped midsentence.
The man with the curly brown hair and haunting blue eyes smiled. “I missed you, too.”