Joy smiles at Victoria's offer. In this weather, it wouldn't be the best idea. She didn't want to catch pneumonia or something nasty. She already was feeling quite lightheaded, but was able to keep food down. She wasn't sure how she fell ill, she couldn't even remember what it was she was doing before she passed out from her fever. One of the few things she recalled was Victoria dabbing washcloths that were damp across her forehead. That was as far as she could remember. Continuing to eat her breakfast, she looks out the window, watching the beads of water stream down the bay window in her room. Victoria stands up, fixing the curtain so that more light came inside, although it was pretty gloomy out.
Days later, it still was quite rainy out, but Joy was well again. Her appetite had returned and she had even spent time outside on the sunniest of days, enjoying the sunshine and shooting the breeze with Victoria and Melanie. But that sunshine didn't last very long and soon enough the rain had returned. Victoria was insistent on that walk though, so they took the chance, although it was rainy, damp and there were the possibilities of thunder in the forecast. The cold rain once again begins to fall against the path, creating small puddles along the path. Victoria pulls out her umbrella, smiling at Joy.
Opening it, she says, 'Good thing I decided to carry this with me. It was looking pretty gloomy when we headed out this morning.' Holding it over the two of them, they stand there, the rain falling gently against the umbrella. Joy rests her head against Victoria's shoulder. She feels the wool material of Victoria's coat, and smiles.
'I see you're wearing the coat I bought you for your birthday,' she says, smiling brightly. It was a beautiful wool peacoat, Joy had saved up from weeks of working in the department store job she had acquired recently just to buy Victoria something she would like. Victoria smiles, and says, 'I love it! It's lovely and my favorite color too!' They walk together, the umbrella protecting them from the rain, which was beginning to pour. Joy notices the downpour, and says, 'Honey, why don't we head back…I don't want to have to worry about you getting sick.'
Victoria nods, 'But you would take care of me if I did, and I would do the same.'
Joy would agree to that. She would give Victoria every single blanket the house had, and even would make her special chicken noodle soup, and maybe even mix Victoria a glass of orange juice with a shot of vodka. It was only because that was, after all, Victoria's favorite drink…even at breakfast time.
It was winter. Winter wasn't something someone from California was used to. It was a foreign weather to someone who hadn't been around it in quite some time. Joy and Victoria rarely were in that weather, well, except for the ski weekends in Tahoe, and the winter they were stuck in a cabin in Vermont, snowed in. so all in all, they were not used to living full time in this weather. The leaves were changing, some of the trees transformed from their shades of various greens to shades of yellows, browns, and deep reds. It really made the neighborhood absolutely magnificent to look at. Joy and Victoria were taking their morning walk, something they frequented quite weekly lately. They found it as a way for them to get exercise and to marvel at the beautiful trees and forestry.
They were taking a stroll along the winded pathway through the park closest to the home they shared with Elka and Melanie. Joy and Victoria knew Melanie quite a long time; they went through their divorces, breakups, struggles all together. Elka they met not too long ago, she was the caretaker of the house. Joy was repulsed by her at first, but then grew to like her, although she had some of the traits that reminded her way too much of her mother overseas. Walking through the neighborhood; Joy and Victoria admire the beauty of the beginning of fall. Joy feels the leaves crunching loudly against her boots. Breathing in the cool crisp, winter air she sighs. Her hand grasps Victoria's gently, fingers entwined with Victoria's.
'Victoria, it's beautiful outside, don't you agree?'