Love’s Season

Leaving the taco stand at 12:15 in the morning, my part-time job made me question my sanity since I had to tackle my daytime job at 7:00 in the morning. Walking home always cleared my head and put the craziness of my shift to rest before I climbed into a hot shower that silenced my thoughts and helped me settle into a night of slumber.

But this night, you surprised me and met me outside the door without your ride, just you.

I glanced around, looking for your car, but you smiled, “Not tonight,” You explained, “Tonight, I wanted to walk you home.”

As leaves rained down on us, you took my face in your hands and slowly kissed me.

At once the weariness of the day vanished as you took my hand in yours. The fall air was frosty, but even the cold could not diminish the warmth I felt whenever you were near. The past few months of flirting and spending time together brought me such joy. Although we barely knew one another, I felt as if I had known you all my life. We shared common interests and planned on attending school the following year. You even wanted to switch universities so that we could go to college together. Sometimes it felt as if each step we took, was a step to a future together.

Walking and laughing down Main Street, we came upon the middle school. Earlier in the day, someone had raked the fallen leaves into a glorious pile, just waiting for someone to enjoy. You grabbed my hand, and we ran and jumped in the middle. As leaves rained down on us, you took my face in your hands and slowly kissed me. While we snuggled into the bed of leaves, my heart raced as your kisses continued. Once you stopped, you brushed my hair from my face and smiled. Looking into your eyes and feeling you close to me, I knew that I had fallen in love with you.

Although we did not find our happy ever after with one another, I still often think of you. And even after all these years, I have often wondered about those precious days. In my heart, I have believed that you still smile and think of a brown-eyed girl in the fall when you stumble upon a mountain of autumn leaves.