June in Nevassa was a beautiful time of year. The gardens had sprung forth with life and the fruits and vegetables of late summer would soon enough be ready for the picking. The flowers in the flower boxes on houses were bursting with color. The birds sung every morning and the gray skies of winter had long dissipated. The days were longer and the nights were hotter. Nevassa was more alive than ever, with crowds surging into the streets everyday and business booming. Merchants always did better in the summer than the winter. It was refreshing to be able to leave the windows of the house open every day and every night unless the occasional summer rain passed through. The smell of food vendors crept through the houses leaving delicious scents in their paths.
Edward had spent a week in Crimea in early March. It was weird not having him around for that week. It was an unforgettable week in Crimea and Leonardo knew Edward wasn't telling him all the details of his trip but he knew they would come out in due time. Mia had moved closer to the Daein border in April with the help of Edward, Leonardo and Noelle. Nolan and Sothe had even got in on this moving episode. Packing everything up and getting it moved was so much work but she made it. Speaking of Nolan, he had been seeing this girl since April. Neither Edward nor Leonardo liked her all that much and they weren't afraid to tell Nolan that. They thought she was….what's the word…unsavory. Sothe and Micaiah had celebrated their two year wedding anniversary with a lavish party at the Daein Keep in May. Once again Sothe drank too much and demanded too much information, but it was his anniversary and he was entitled to it.
Leonardo's beautiful home in the Pine Barrens was picturesque on this warm June evening. Leonardo did in fact make more money than Edward and it was apparent by his beautiful home in its beautiful setting. He lived in quite possibly the quietest and most serene part of Nevassa whereas Edward lived in the middle of the action. Both locations had their advantages and disadvantages. It was a perfect evening to be on the porch in the back of his house. The pine trees were so fragrant. The sun was starting to dip lower on the horizon but it wasn't dark yet. Leonardo had Noelle on his lap as they watched the fireflies start to illuminate the sky and listened to the neighbor kids playing at the house near the end of the street. The ducks on the large pond in the back of his house were preening and preparing to roost for the night.
"I can't get over the fact that you actually talked my father into going outside today in his chair. It's the first day he's been out of the house in five years. I didn't mean to cry earlier. I was just so happy when you told me hold much he enjoyed it." Noelle said. It was true that over the past five months Leonardo had spent a lot of time with Noelle's father, getting to know him, helping her take care of him and not just any man would do such a thing. Noelle's father liked Leonardo…maybe even a little too much. Though he couldn't say it, he could write how much he enjoyed Leonardo's company. He tightened his arms around her.
"Your father is a good man. He loves you so much. He might even love you as much as I love you." Leonardo laughed knowing that even though he loved Noelle more than life itself, there was no way his love for her could compete with a father's love. Noelle laughed.
"Well, he has to love me; he made me. You have a choice." Noelle kissed his hand. She thought about that cold night in late February when Leonardo told her he loved her. It was so unexpected and Leonardo, being who he was, naturally wanted to have it planned out when he told her…but that night it just came out. "I can't believe you not only took him to a baseball game but managed to get him a ball too. He used to love to play when he was younger." Noelle said sweetly.
"Yeah, that was a thrill for him. He held a funnel cake by himself in his good hand. I tore it apart for him. He was worried that I'd be embarrassed to be seen with an invalid. I told him of course I wasn't embarrassed. I just wanted him to have a great day. I think he might even let me take him out again sometime. You know…in a way he reminds me of my dad. My dad adored my mom, kind of the way your dad adores you. It would have broken my dad's heart if my mom or…my brother or me had to care for him like you do your father. I think it breaks your father's heart too." Leonardo said. Noelle smiled as she laid across his lap.
"I wish he would understand that I take care of him because I love him. Were you close to your brother?" Noelle asked changing the subject.
"Yeah, I was. He was four years older than me but we were close. He encouraged me to go into military school. That's what he did; only it was before the Mad King's War. But…he would have been so upset to hear that the occupational army overtook it. I miss him." Leonardo said a bit sadly. "Of course, I miss my mom and dad too…but my brother was by best friend. I think that's why Edward means so much to me. He's nothing like my brother was regarding his personality, but he's like a brother…does that make sense?" Leonardo asked.
"Of course it makes sense." Noelle said.
"So are you ready for our trip?" Leonardo asked as he pulled her up to face him. He had his hands in the middle of her naked back. She looked beautiful tonight in her cotton purple halter dress. But this was dangerous…the way she was straddling him, her dress creeping up her thigh and her arms slung over his shoulders. "Your skin feels hot, did you get sunburned today?" Leonardo asked running his fingers over her shoulder blades.
"I did a little and yes! Yes, I am so ready for our trip. The couple that lives across the street is going to look after my father while we are away. I can't believe it's only five days until we leave. I've already cancelled all my appointments for those days and rescheduled them." Noelle said.
"I know. I can't wait for our trip either. Edward is so excited. Work has been hard on him these past couple weeks so I know he can't wait to leave." Leonardo said kissing her bare shoulder. In early May, Leonardo and Edward had gotten their heads together and decided it would be a wonderful idea to go to the mountains this summer for a few days and stay in one of the cabins there. Noelle thought that sounded wonderful as did Mia. "I bet Edward is at home right now packing and repacking and then second guessing what he repacked. Edward is horrible when it comes to organizing what he wants to take on a trip. You wait, I'll go over there in a day or two and even though this trip is five days away he will have stuff all over the place and have no clue what to take. Noelle laughed.
"See, I'll be able to pack in about thirty minutes. I already have in mind most everything I'm going to take and I can fit it all in one suitcase.
"That's another thing…you watch and see…by the end of our trip at least half of Edward's stuff will end up in my suitcase. It's a phenomenon that happens every time Edward and I are in the same place for more than 24 hours. The truly funny thing is, when we helped Mia move I couldn't help but notice how she packed her clothes up…she just threw them all in a box and hoped the box closed. That's pretty much how Edward packs. And you wait, he'll lose something…borrow mine and lose it too. I don't know how he does it." Leonardo said laughing at the fact that Edward was so dysfunctional when it came to his organizational skills.
"Well, this is going to be fun. I haven't been to the mountains for years. I'm looking forward to seeing the waterfalls and going hiking." Noelle said.
"And we'll build a bonfire too. Summer nights in the mountains are cooler. It's also really funny to watch Edward try and light citronella tiki torches to keep the mosquitoes away. I hope the cabin has those kinds of torches because it's hysterical when he tries to get them in the ground." Leonardo laughed. "I know I should help him, but last time he did it I was laughing so hard at him that I wouldn't have been any help." Leonardo told her.
By now the frogs were chirping around the pond and the ducks had gone to roost. The whippoorwills cooed in the trees and the evening sun had disappeared below the pines. Nightfall was upon Nevassa. The faint smell of grilled meats loomed in the air from the open cook pits that adorned some of the houses.
"I love you." Noelle said. She kissed him, but there was something different in her kiss…it was a very good something…but nonetheless something was different. Maybe it wasn't in her kiss…maybe it was in her hips. There was also something different in her eyes. It was a look Leonardo hadn't seen before or…maybe he had but never this…intense. Maybe it was the humid summer night, or the gentle breeze rustling the trees. Maybe it was because she was so much in love and she knew it was mutual. Whatever the case, Noelle didn't even flinch as she felt the knot at the back of her neck come undone.