They Came Together

Jack Barlow was thinking about Mia Plumb again. Mia, with her wine-stained lips and fragile heart, was as intoxicating as she was beautiful.

He walked over to the window and reflected on his colorful surroundings. He had always loved Asheville in the fall, when the warm hues of sugar maples and hickories peeked through their summer green and a cool breeze blew in from his balcony door. It was a place that encouraged his inner tranquility.

Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the familiar figure of Mia Plumb.

Jack gulped. He glanced at his own reflection. He was a nervous, tenacious, herb enthusiast with full lips and cracking hands. He was not prepared for what Mia had in store today.

The clouds rained down thick dewdrops all around, blanketing his surroundings in a sea of mist. Jack grabbed a crumpled book that had been strewn nearby; he massaged it with his fingers.

As Jack stepped outside and Mia came closer, he could see the cautious smile on her face.

Mia gazed with the affection of the morning sun. She said, in hushed tones, "I love you and I want affection."

Jack looked back, even more relaxed. "Mia, I have been waiting for you. Just facts," he replied, closing the crumpled book.

They looked at each other with certainty, like the oak and the cypress who stand together but not in each other’s shadow. And then they came together like a breeze upon the ocean.