[ WP ] A man 's wife dies after many good years of marriage . The man remarries a few years after her death and has a loving wife again . After they both eventually die , the man reaches heaven and now has a dilemma with having both of his wives present .

Harold stood there with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched up towards his chin. Margaret and Josephine stared each other down in their own unique ways. 
 
 You see, Harold loved both of his wives equally, but they were very **very** different people. Margaret was a high-powered career type who owned several businesses and was independent to the core. She married Harold because she respected and loved him, not because she needed him. In fact, she earned much more money that he did. It was the stress and the 50-a-day habit that eventually took her from Harold, and he'd always miss her passion and the excitement she'd instill in him. 
 
 Josephine on the other hand, lived a simple and relaxed life. She volunteered for charities, liked to bake cakes for the local neighbors and spent most of her life as a housewife before she met Harold. Harold and Josephine were both retired when they met, so their love flourished as they spent their remaining days together in peace and quiet. 
 
 Josephine smiled at Margaret and extended her hand. 
 
 *'' Josephine. How do you do? `` * 
 
 *'' Charmed,'' * Margaret offered a limp hand that Josephine awkwardly shook. 
 
 *'' So erm, what's it like up here? `` * Josephine questioned. 
 
 *'' You mean paradise? What is eternal paradise like? Well Josephine, let me tell you. It's a lot like being a housewife for a wealthy man. You can do whatever you please and wake up every morning feeling like you've accomplished nothing, but somehow being happy with that. So I'm sure you'll like it just fine,'' * Margaret scowled. 
 
 *'' Margaret, please'' * Harold intervened. 
 
 *'' No Harold, I wo n't have it. This woman lived off your money, nay, off my money and barely worked a day in her life. Oh yes, I was watching all the time as you both squandered your time doing absolutely nothing, achieving nothing and succeeding in nothing. When I died, I left a legacy, I left a change in the world. All you two left was a couple of wrinkled corpses. I thought you were better than that, Harold. I thought you'd leave something worthwhile. `` * 
 
 Harold hanged his head and Margaret summoned a pack of cigarettes from the clouds and began smoking. 
 
 *'' He did, Margaret. He achieved more than you could ever fathom. `` * Josephine said. 
 
 *'' Oh really? And what would that be? `` * Margaret scoffed. 
 
 *'' He made an old woman fulfilled in her remaining years. Before I met Harold I went from loveless relationship to loveless relationship my entire life. My previous husband would never see me, he was always working and providing rather than spending his time loving and caring. He was a good man, but I was never fulfilled. Harold spent his final years with me, loved me, made me happy and we spent our time together. Yes, sometimes we did n't need to do anything at all, but it did n't matter because whatever we did or did n't do, it was together. You may have left behind businesses and a legacy, but you also left behind Harold. He had so much love to give when you ascended, and I was lucky enough to be the one he devoted it all to. What Harold left behind was two people who died at peace in the knowledge they were both dearly loved by the other. `` * 
 
 Harold embraced Josephine and kissed her softly on the forehead. 
 
 *'' What happened to you Harold? You were never like this before. You never loved me like this. `` * Margaret croaked with more emotion in her voice then she would have liked to expose. 
 
 *'' You were never around to see it, Margaret. Of course I loved you, but you were always to busy, so rushed and stressed that you never gave me the opportunity to give you that time. I loved your passion, I loved that you chased your dreams and had that motivation. It rubbed off on me at the time I needed it, but when I retired, I changed and I did n't need that anymore. When you died, I was so sad and lonely, and I wished I had another chance to slow you down and show you how much I cared. Maybe if things worked out differently, we would have had that time together, and you would n't have been taken from me so young. I would have loved to have experienced those twilight years with you, Margaret, but life has a funny way of working things out. `` * 
 
 Harold smiled once again at Josephine. 
 
 *'' I was a different man when we were in love, Margaret. We both died as different people, in different stages of our lives. I'm not the man you loved- that man died during my lifetime and did n't ascend to heaven. The man you loved did not go to heaven- I did. I'm sorry if my lifestyle upset you, Margaret and I hope you can find happiness here. `` * 
 
 *'' Eternal paradise, Harold. If I ca n't find happiness here, then there is no hope for me at all,'' * Margaret smiled bravely with tears filling her eyes. 
 
 Harold smiled back, took Josephine's hand as they walked through the gates together into their eternal paradise. Harold gave Margaret one final glance over his shoulder and disappeared into the clouds. 
 

