Following the death of his mother, Josh Allen decides to tell the story of the 24 year relationship between his mother, Kenzie, and his best friend, Todd. What makes their story unique is the 14 year age difference separating them. Whereas society readily accepts the difference between an older man and a woman young enough to be his daughter, it doesn't when the woman is older. Kenzie's tragic loss of her husband in a fatal car accident and the gruesome deaths of Todd's wife and infant son inflicted scars so deep neither believed they would ever heal. But when they looked at each other, the reflections they saw pulled at them like magnets. Slowly, with time, they became kindred spirits—but not without trials and tribulations. There were barriers to be broken and demons to put to bed before they could move forward with their relationship. When cancer reared its ugly head, they took control of their destiny and chose to die with dignity in a farewell dance.

A year following the death of his mother, Josh Allen discovers he has a strong desire to share the story of the twenty-four-year relationship his mother, Kenzie Taylor, shared with his best friend, Todd Langford. What makes the story he endeavors to tell unique is the age difference separating them. Josh's mother was fourteen years older than Todd. Whereas as society readily accepts the difference between an older man and a woman young enough to be his daughter, it doesn't when the woman is older. Kenzie and Todd met briefly for the first time at Josh's wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. He could never decide whether this is where it actually began for them or if it began a year later when she returned for a visit and to explore the probability of moving to the area. The loss of her husband in a tragic accident and the injuries she sustained in it were forcing her to abandon her home she loved dearly in the western mountains of North Carolina. Todd had been a lost soul for years. The gruesome deaths of his wife and infant son inflicted scars too deep to ever heal. Josh thought whenever Todd and his mother looked at each other, they saw reflections of themselves and those reflections pulled at them like magnets. Slowly, with time, they became kindred spirits—but not without trials and tribulations. Charleston, a staunch old town steeped in history and tradition, didn't make life easy for them. There were barriers to be broken before they could live their lives freely. And both of them had their own demons to put to bed before they could move forward with their relationship. As Josh tells his story, he touches on many issues of life that begs for exposure. Josh frequently compared their relationship to that of neglected flowering plants. He saw both them when they were lifeless and simply went through the motions of living for the benefit of others—not themselves. He noticed the changes as their relationship deepened over time and likened it to the budding of a rose that finally, after a long struggle, bursts into a beautiful bloom. And after sharing its beauty with the world, slowly dies on the vine.

Cheri Dine (Thomas) Wendland writes under the pseudonym of Cheri Dean. This is her first publication but she didn't hold anything back with it. Or did she? We've learned from a trusted source that her next book will be coming out practically on the heels of this publication. Apparently, Cheri has been content to write, and write, and write for years without ever seeking to publish any of her works. Caving under the pressure of the handful of people who she let read her manuscripts, she decided to move forward with seeing the first of a number of books she has written in print. We're glad she did. The audience for her books coming on the market in the near future will lean toward the feminine gender. They are romances. A number of Cheri's proof readers say her books are similar in content and style to Danielle Steel's books, which most avid readers know, many are best sellers. Though the genre of Cheri's books falls under the category of romance, they cover many aspects of life: the right to die with dignity, coping with death, relationships with vast age differences, and the ugly reality of life at its worst. In most of her books, there will also be an aspect of mystery and more often than not, her deep love and knowledge of nature will find a way into her work. Like Danielle Steel's, here's hoping some of Cheri's books will follow the same paths of success. Cheri lives with her husband in Northern Virginia. However, she traveled far and wide on her way there. She has lived in eight states at various times and thirty-four houses. Like her mother, she thinks she has wings on her feet. We agree.