My Tales 2018 – Tales of a Family

After leaving the taco stand at 12:15 in the morning, I found myself questioning my sanity. My part-time job drained me, especially knowing I’d have to face my daytime shift at 7:00 a.m. But the quiet walk home always helped. The stillness of the night cleared my head, letting me leave behind the chaos of the evening. Once home, a hot shower would soothe my thoughts, preparing me for a few precious hours of sleep.

But that night was different.

You caught me off guard, standing outside the door without your usual ride—just you. Instinctively, I scanned the street, half-expecting to see your car parked nearby. You noticed and smiled, a hint of mischief in your eyes. “Not tonight,” you said, your voice soft but filled with intent. “Tonight, I wanted to walk you home.”

In an instant, the exhaustion of the day melted away. When you reached for my hand, the chill in the fall air no longer mattered. There was a warmth that came with you, a quiet comfort that had grown over the past few months. Our easy flirting and shared moments had become a source of joy in my life, a spark in my otherwise monotonous days. Although we hadn’t known each other long, being with you felt familiar, like coming home.

We had talked about the future, about going to school together next year. You even considered switching universities just so we could stay close. Every step we took down Main Street in Canon City that night felt like a step toward something bigger—something ours.

As we walked and laughed, we came upon the middle school. Earlier in the day, someone had raked the fallen leaves into a massive, inviting pile. You gave me a playful grin, grabbed my hand, and we sprinted toward it like kids set loose on recess. We jumped into the middle, and the leaves exploded around us, raining down in a riot of red, gold, and orange.

Amid the laughter, you took my face gently in your hands and kissed me, slow and deliberate, as though time had stopped for just us. My heart raced as the kisses deepened, the crisp autumn air mingling with the warmth of your touch. We lay back in the pile of leaves, and you brushed a strand of hair from my face, smiling in that way you always did.

In that moment, looking into your eyes, I knew: I had fallen in love with you.

Though we didn’t find our “happily ever after,” I still think of you from time to time. Even after all these years, the memory of those precious days lingers. In my heart, I believe you smile when you stumble upon a pile of autumn leaves, just as I do—remembering a brown-eyed girl and a night when the world seemed to pause for us.

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 believe that you still smile and think of a brown-eyed girl in the fall when you stumble upon a mountain of autumn leaves.