Always On My Mind

Only three other couples were in the dining room of the inn and two of them were dancing. They ordered and while they waited Sam asked Jack how had he found this place.

"Hey, it's cheap, it's clean and the food is good. What more could you ask? And besides, there is nothing else."

Sam laughed. This place rated A-1 on the quaint and rustic meter. Again she wondered how rustic the cabin would be.

Listening to the country ballads Sam watched the couples sway to the music. It seemed like the thing to do, a la when in Rome or was it Podunk. It was the middle of the song and Jack thought 'what could it hurt'; they were no longer in the same chain of command and they were on their way to do some 'serious research'. They were both laughing as he held her gently, somehow enjoying the tinny jukebox rendition of "You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille". The song ended and before they could make their way to their table another song started. It was Willie Nelson's gentle voice saying what so badly needed so to be said: the recognition of and apologies for missed opportunities and perhaps, just speaking the simple truth.

"Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have"

Jack stopped and faced Sam. His bit his lip wondering what he should say or do. Jack O'Neill was rarely indecisive.

"Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have"

He took her in his arms to dance yet again.

"Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times"

Sam slid her arms around his neck and he, his arms around her waist, as they sway slowly to the music.

"Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind"

The song seemed to be the confession that they both found so hard to put into words.

"If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm so sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind"

"I'm so sorry" she said but he shushed her before all the words were out of her mouth. She felt his jaw line hard against her cheek, muscles knotted holding in the words he found so hard to express.

"Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied, satisfied"

"Me too but let's let the past go." He said.

"You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind"

She felt his lips softly brush her ear as he trailed kisses on down her neck and she held him as if her life depended on it.

The knock on her door came early in the morning.

"Ready for a little breakfast?"

So they entered the restaurant again, this time alone.

"What no dancing?" she asked.

"Maybe tonight." He answered smiling.

Driving off into the early morning light Willie Nelson again set the tone.

"Blue skies,
nothing but blue skies from now on"

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Kenny Rodgers – Lucille

Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson – Always on my Mind

Irving Berlin – Blue Skies