Autumn
For Pau.
Autumn just may be her favorite time of the year. The temperature has cooled from the scorching heat of summer in the city. A soft breeze picks up the fallen leaves, twirling them into tiny cyclones that dance on the sidewalk in front of her. The bits of sky that peek through the burnished trees are clear.
Her toes curl in the warm leather boots. She brushes her fingers over the fringe of her scarf, twisting the strands around her forefinger. The strands of hair that have escaped from the braid hanging over her shoulder tickle at her nose and cheek.
"Hey, you."
She looks up, smiling already. "Hi."
He sits on the bench next to her, holding out the cup to her. She immediately falls into his side, his arm coming up around her shoulders. "How're you feeling?"
"Tired," she sighs, turning to press her nose into the lapel of his jacket, adding the lingering scent of his cologne to the smells of fall in the air already.
"Drink your cider," he says, touching his lips to the top of her head. "Then we'll go home."
"You gonna carry me?" she asks a moment before she takes a careful sip from the cup. The spices from the apple cider roll over her tongue.
He laughs, shaking his head as his fingers scratch lightly over the denim of her jeans. "Yeah, that's not possible."
Her voice is quiet, almost as soft as her chocolate brown sweater. "That some dig at my weight? Cause it's not really entirely my fault here."
"You were a rather active participant from the way I remember it," he says, hand on her thigh drifting up to rest at the curve of her stomach, thumb smoothing over and over. "Still can't carry you."
She aims a kick at his shin just as the baby kicks at his hand. "See? The baby's on my side."
He leans down, kissing her lightly. "Give it time. I always bring the Becketts around to my side."
"You are kinda charming," she muses. He hums against her lips. "And caring."
"Keep going," he murmurs, grinning into her cheek. "I like this chain of events."
"And you're sometimes an asshole of the largest proportions," she continues, taking another sip of the cider.
He frowns. "Okay. Not liking the sudden plot twist here…"
"But then you do something completely sweet." She turns her head up, letting him drop a kiss on her lips. "Can we go home now? Wanna take a nap with you."
He gets up first, holding a hand down to help her up. "I could go for a nap."
"Oh yeah? Long day of signing books?" she asks, stretching her legs a little before they start down the leaf-scattered path toward the main street.
"Might need you to give me a hand massage actually," he says as he flexes his right hand between their bodies.
He had called up the car services, has one of the unobtrusive silver cars waiting at the curb for them. She almost falls asleep on the ride from Gramercy Park down to SoHo, head cushioned on his shoulder as her fingers rub over his palm, loosening the muscles in his hand. His left hand fingers dance over her stomach, searching out the next flutter of their child's kicking.
Any day now.
Any day now, autumn will gain another reason as to why it is her favorite season.