did so, she clung to him for dear life, her small hands clutching the leather of his jacket like it was a gearbox. As he reduced the speed, those old feelings from his childhood rushed through him. Lauren hollered, her voice tinkling and snatching him out of the somber mood that tried to pull him asunder. Hilarity? It felt more than likely hysteria he was feeling as they reached the old property. Grandma’s land.
Moments later, he parked his bike and helped her get her footing as they made their way through tall grass and brush. It was obvious the place wasn’t being tended to, and where Grandma’s house once stood there was nothing more than a few planks of rotted wood and weeds. The structure had been torn down many years after her death, not fit to live in due to mechanical issues, and years of neglect and abandonment.
“Oh my God, Aries. I see it.”
His cheeks burned as he smiled. It was an amazing sight, indeed. Lavender, for as far as the eyes could see. They drew closer and Lauren was now surrounded in vibrant shades of purple.
Look at my beautiful wife… What a gift she is to me. She looks just like a picture, framed by the sky and the grass.
He took out his phone as she kicked off her shoes and frolicked about, bare foot and pregnant. Their baby was due in four months. Aiden was sure excited about becoming a big brother, but Aries was certain nothing could top his own joy. He was going to have a baby girl with the love of his life. That beat all.
“Turn around and dance again! I’m going to post this online!” He laughed.
“You better not!” She chuckled, then suddenly stopped pirouetting and moving about, fearful no doubt he was serious about what he’d just said. She slid her shoes back on, raced over to him and launched herself in his arms. He kissed her, unable to resist. “You were a little boy out here in this wonderland. Amazing! Fresh lavender is gorgeous and smells so good. I’ve never seen so much in one spot.”
He nodded.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful. Owen and I definitely took it for granted back then.”
“Hey, did you ever track him down? I think you said you were going to look him up online.”
He took her hand and they began walking slowly through the field.
“I looked him up but didn’t find him. I’ll keep searching though. It may not mean something bad has happened to him. Some folks just don’t like keeping a social media presence, just like me.” She nodded in agreement.
“What is one of your funniest memories out here?”
“Hmmm, we had so many. Let’s see. Oh, I know. One time, Grandma had bought a brand-new box fan, you know, the old-fashioned ones they’d tie ribbons to sometimes.” She nodded in understanding. “Me and Owen were so happy about it because half the time, her air conditioner didn’t work, and this was a nice relief ’specially on super-hot days when even eating an ice-cold popsicle didn’t do much. My hair was long at the time. I wanted to be some rock star…” He snorted. “And Grandmama warned us to not get too close to the fan because my hair could get caught in it. She told us not to stick our fingers in it, either, and just keep a safe distance. We said okay but you know we didn’t listen. So, as soon as she lay down for a nap after supper, which she often did, Owen and grabbed our chance! We got around that fan and started singing and talking in it, doing robot noises.”
Lauren giggled and squeezed his hand.
“Nobody ever heeded Grandma’s warnings. Besides, she was the same woman who’d told me that if I swallowed my bubblegum, it would turn into a bubble in my belly and I’d float away. I was so bad sometimes, she probably hoped that I did.” He and Lauren cracked up at that. “So anyway, we were in the living room havin’ a blast, and sure enough, a few strands of my hair floated toward the blades of the fan and started winding around the propellers.” Lauren gasped. “I know, right? So, I panicked and started screaming. Grandma raced out of her room so damn fast, it was crazy. She pulled the plug from the wall and spent the next five minutes setting me free, then lighting my ass up! She went on and on about it, and I