Eighty-seven-year-old Lester Wilker and his home-based nurse, Virginia Bennett, 75, have lived under the same roof for about 18 years.
Platonic friends and constant companions, they have formed a mutual admiration society that sustains them through their senior years.
While entertaining a visitor from the media earlier this week, Virginia suggested Lester change into a flattering red dress shirt for a photo. Meanwhile, he called her "a perfect person."
You'd think after nearly two decades together - most of them spent in a small trailer home in Soddy-Daisy - the two would get on one another's nerves.
But no.
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"We are very compatible," Virginia said.
"I respect him and he respects me. We don't quarrel.
"Lester is the best man I have ever known," she said. "This includes priests."
The two met in the 1990s when Lester, a retired construction superintendent from the Midwest, moved to southeast Tennessee and volunteered to drive local veterans from Hamilton and Rhea counties to VA hospitals in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Nashville. Virginia, who once worked for the National Security Agency as a teletypist, was one of the vets who hitched a ride.
Besides being Lester's nurse, Virginia has become his publicist and chief cheerleader, making sure people don't forget his long history of volunteer service.
There's a wall in the living area of the trailer with all of Lester's newspaper clippings and awards. There's a citation from former Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist naming Lester an honorary colonel. There's a framed copy of a newspaper photo of Lester when he logged his 200,000th mile driving the vets. There's also a matted newspaper page naming Lester a Jefferson Award winner for his seven years of volunteering.
After a thorough review of the wall of fame, Lester and Virginia settled into talking about one another: How they launched their friendship 20 years ago over a cup of coffee. How Lester suggested the shared living arrangement as a hedge against old-age and infirmity. How Lester pays for everything in cash to avoid debt.
"Did I mention that Lester is a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus?" Virginia inserted, ever vigilant about sharing his resumé.
Lester had two operations on his right knee a couple of years ago, and now he gets around with the help of a walker and a motorized scooter.
When Virginia left the room to fetch his red shirt, Lester whispered conspiratorially, "Now, I'll show you what kind of speed this thing's got."
With that, he backed up his scooter and gave it some juice. I watched as he darted across the living room, braking just in time to keep from plowing into a side table full of prescription bottles.
He smiled.
"Whoa, Nelly," I said. "That was close, Lester."
Back in the room now, Virginia showed me a framed copy of a letter to the editor she penned that once appeared in this newspaper.
I thought to myself, "How nice that some people still get jazzed about seeing their names in print." I could suddenly visualize a copy of this column joining Lester's "wall of fame."
Truth be told, I had groused to myself about visiting with Lester and Virginia, knowing there was no new news to report, just another deserved round of applause for Lester's past volunteer work.
But as often happens in life, I learned something important in spite of myself.
I learned that publicly expressed admiration from a friend is an under-valued virtue. It's something we all want, but seldom receive.
But Lester and Virginia have it - pure, honest, mutual admiration.
And that's worth witnessing and sharing.
So grab a friend and pass it on.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or call 423-757-6645.