I've been giving a fall prompt (baking cookies) and it was so inspiring this little piece came to my mind. I'm rather in love of this season and wouldn't mind some more prompts or suggestions ;)
Rusty hated fall for as long as he could remember. The wind, the drop in temperatures and more than anything the rain had brought him years and years of suffering. Homeless shelters opened only during winter so he had to endure again and again the coldness and humidity that season brought. Another unpleasant thing about fall was seasonal depression for his mother, which only increased her drug's consumption and led to more time inside random places where his mother's boyfriends lived. And more time inside meant more promiscuity…
In short, he hated fall. Now, he tolerates it, even likes it a bit. With Sharon, he discovered a new life and new traditions. His first year with her, he discovered it wasn't just Martha Steward and grannies who made apple sauce from scratch. He ate his very first homemade apple pie that october. And frankly, just for that, he couldn't wait for another fall to come. Sharon rarely cooks but when she does, it's a real treat. Of course, she follows the recipe to the letter, which led them to some amicable arguments... And she's a pastry fairy! Cookies, cakes, pies… She does it all with perfection.
For their second year together, Sharon introduced him to something new, again: apple picking. They went to a small orchard where they hand picked apples, pears and even a few squashes and pumpkins by themself. It was a nice ride outside the city, something he seldom did and the weather was fantastic. They then spend the weekend cooking, Sharon introducing him to the basics of soup and cupcakes. She showed him how to sterilize cans and to freeze food to have it for the rest of the year. He is still rather impressed by her talents in the kitchen!
Now, is a new whole tradition and reality: all holidays and outings are spent with his mother's boyfriend. It's not that he minds him, on the contrary. Since his recent health issues, he grew close and became rather fond of the grumpy old man. He would never tell his mom, nor Andy himself, but he finds him oddly endearing. Maybe it is because Andy is always straightforward with everything and everyone. He rarely minces his words, putting his foot in his mouth on a daily basis. And he's so loving and caring towards Sharon, and towards him too, if he's honest.
So here they are, on a quiet Friday morning, hand picking fruits with Andy, his daughter and her family. The kids are running around, not helping much but bringing smiles and levity in their wake. Their laugh and good spirits are contagious. Sharon and Nicole talks about girls stuff, scolding every now and then Andy for doing too much. He can see the toll the lieutenant's disease brought over his mother's relationship. She is much more tactile towards him (he can't bring himself to think of Andy as his mother's boyfriend. He would rather call him her husband than her boyfriend. They are too old to be called that. And that word brings painful memories from his past life). He saw them hide behind trees to steal kisses and hugs. If they think they fool anyone, they are badly mistaking! He even saw Nicole's older son take a picture of them as they were sharing a particularly lingering kiss. It was such a movie moment: rays of sun were shining between leaves and branches, casting a halo around them. Sharon's hair seemed on fire in the midday's light and her eyes clearer than ever as she looked at him with so much love and intensity. Andy cradled her cheek for a long moment, lost in her gaze, his traits soft, a small smile on his lips. Before he kissed her, long and gently, chastely, sunray sneaking where their faces were not joined. It was incredibly beautiful, nature's art.
The rest of the weekend is spent in the same fashion. Andy and Sharon sit at the table, talking about everything and anything while peeling their harvest. Rusty sits with them, in charge of cutting the fruits and then vegetables in medium dices, before cooking them. Sharon made two apple pies that were eaten well before monday. She planned to have one for them at home and to bring the other one at work. Well, she'll have to bake some more…
Thinking about these moments, he understands what a chance he had to meet her. She changed his life for the better and filled it with so much love and normalcy. He remembers not understanding why she took so long divorcing Jack, how much fear it brought him: to have another mother dependent on men, unstable and unpredictable. She wasn't, not in the slightest. He was glad to have the chance to see her in love, in a healthy relationship, as much for her as for himself. He slowly reconnects with the possibility to fall in love, to be one day, maybe, in a relationship himself. Of course, he would like more passion and fire than what he sees in his parent's relationship but is grateful to learn what companionship is like, what true deep love is. Beyond anything, he is grateful to see the woman who brought him so much, happy at the autumn of her life.