protect your head and maybe your heart too

emotionless and plastic

Aaron and I often walked home together, enjoying the town and talking about nothing important, but this time I had a clock to beat.

"Alright, Leigh, it's a slow day, I'll clock you out." Aaron says shaking his head. It takes me a couple seconds to realize what he's saying.

"No you don't have to take over, I can make it I just have to-"

"Go!" Aaron waves me away, not taking any of my bullshit. "And grab one of those bouquets that are gonna die for your dinner table or something. We can't be having wilted flowers in the window.

I nod and throw off my apron. "Thanks Aaron, I owe you one!"

"Damian's tomato sauce recipe would be a great way to make it up." Aaron winks.

Damian makes amazing tomato sauce from scratch. I joke it's the reason I married him, but we know it isn't true. Aaron has been dying to get his hands on the recipe, but Damian won't tell anyone. Not even me. I can't be in the room as he makes it.

"I'll try, but no promises." I say before running out the door.

It's a nice afternoon with the winter sun setting early behind the trees. The area in between where town ends and residential area was one of my favorite places to walk. The sidewalk trailed away from the street and became a path through the woods. It wasn't thick trees so you didn't feel isolated, but it was pretty. Especially in the fall. There was a man walking ahead of me, also speed walking. He looked like-

"Damian?"

He turns around and sure enough, it's my husband. It was getting less and less weird to say that .

"Don't tell me we had the same, leave work early to beat the plastics because the partner is still working, idea." I say shaking my head before running to catch up to him.

"It appears we did."

"Aaron's gonna kill me, I made him close shop alone."

Damian tsks. "Remember when I talked about communication?"

I laugh. "So much for that. I also have these." I hold up the bouquet I picked. They were a variety of oranges and reds, just like the fall leaves I love painting so much.

"Pretty." Damian says taking them from me to inspect. "Are we trying to impress our friends?"

"Nah, they were gonna die soon."

"Oh. They're pretty." He repeats himself.

"Thank you, pick ' em myself." I say.

We fall into a comfortable silence as Maple Court approaches. I could see the house from here. It still felt weird to call it our house. My brain hasn't gotten over the fact that this could very well be a permanent thing.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Damian asked. He should get his own jar for when he says that, bc may it might be more often than my sarcasm.

"Just, thinking."

"You do that a lot."

"Mhmm." We make our way up the driveway to our house. Our driveway and the Heron, Samuels, Omen residency driveway are right next to each other with the houses mirroring one another. Cady was sitting on her porch reading a book.

"Where Aaron?"

"Closing shop." I respond. "I had to leave early because we've got guests coming over. Tell him I said thank you again when he gets home."

"Of course." Cady smiles.

Damian unlocks the door and lets me inside first. Van circles around my feet meowing.