Dexter liked mowing the lawn. He liked giving the grass a fresh, clean cut start. And he liked the feeling of normalcy it gave him. For a moment he could pretend he was just your average neighbour next door, going through his day doing average people stuff.
He could perfectly picture the scene the passersby were given to see. From the outside, he was a father taking care of his household. It was a sunny day, the kids were playing outside, Cody chasing Astor with a water gun. Rita was sitting in a chair in front of the house, reading a magazine written by women for women.
Dexter had flipped through some one day, in an attempt to try and understand a bit better the way Rita behaved and thought. She had laughed however when he had tried to discuss a weight-loss article with her, telling him that those magazines were full of silly advice and product placement. He had asked why she bothered with them then, if they didn't talk to her or help her. She had just shrugged and replied they were just for fun and that women were supposed to read them anyway. Dexter still didn't understand the logic behind all that. Another undecipherable piece of normalcy he would never get.
As he was watching Rita, lost in his thoughts, she lifted her head and met his eyes. Automatically he put a smile on his face and waved at her. Her face lit up and the smile he received from her was typical of Rita: full of warmth and sincere love. Something he hoped he could give her someday.
For now, he would keep on mowing the lawn and hiding his Dark Passenger to her, because faking normalcy as best as he could was his way to show he cared for her and the children.