AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hope his daddy sees that same bare truth in me.
Hudson smiles at his son, and my ribs grow tight at their connection. My breasts ache for his hands, hands that I’m currently staring at like a starved woman as he connects with his son after being gone all day.
After a moment, my eyes find his. “Thank you again.”
I smile easily. “You’re so welcome.”
They turn and leave, and I sit on the ground for ten minutes, clinging to my composure. We had amoment.
Fuck that.
We had aseriesof moments. I won’t gaslight myself out of them. There’s a tiny, itty-bitty spark there.
I see it. I feel it.
It’s tiny but burning intensely between my thighs, and I can’t wait for him to drop the match, to explode, to turn into something so big and grand it fills the darkest night sky, forcing onyx to vibrant embers.
That's how it feels when I come for him.
After collecting everything from the ground, I head to the barn and wash my brushes out with the hose, then put all of my supplies away accordingly. Carefully, I slide the rolling wall away from the back of the barn, exposing the piece Bear has been unknowingly working on. With steadyhands, I place today’s small canvas against the wood and drive three long nails through it. Replacing the dummy wall, I leave the barn and head inside for a shower and dinner.
Juniper made beef stew, and while it tasted slightly different than usual, I think it was the full bottle of port wine she dumped in instead of her usual half bottle. I don’t think you can get drunk from wine in beef stew, but conversation with my sisters over a warm meal after a long day with Bear and so much engagement with Hudson—I feel a little drunk. My cheeks are sore from how much I’ve smiled, and in my belly, a hopeful happiness is blooming.
I’m closer to having him than ever before.
After Ivy and I assembly line the dishes, I head to my room just a few minutes before Bear’s bedtime. I call Hudson’s house, using *67 to block my phone number. He answers, saying hello three times before hanging up. His frustrated exhale between hello number two and hello number three have me touching myself for the third time today.
Holding my breath, I dial him again, holding my orgasm until he answers. As soon as he lets loose an aggravated hello, I shatter into a million pieces, squealing into my hand, gushing around my fingers buried deep between my legs.
He hangs up, and I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Because my dreams are finally starting to come true.
I can feel it.
six
HARD-ON BEGONE.
Hudson
It’s one of my favorite sights.
I always thought it would be, and then for a while the sight made me curl in on myself and gasp on panic and anxiety. Once that stage passed, with time of course, I started to like it again.
And now, years later, as I said, the sea of white canopies spread over my property is one of my favorite sights.
I built this with my own two hands as a way to get to know the people in town, as a way to build a familiar community for my child, and to have something that we can do together as a community, for ourselves and one another.
With my hands on my hips, my hat firmly planted on my head, I take in the landscape of my creation. So manytownspeople are vendors now that most of the town is likely here today. I know for a darn fact that the Feed ‘n’ Seed and Goode’s Diner both close for the farmers market.
Familiar faces with a variety of goods, it’s a mix I like. There’s a stand with pickled peppers and flavored vinegars and oils, Juniper’s stand for Juni’s Jams, open jars of flavorful spreads waiting to be tasted, sliced baguettes and fresh fruits for dipping. With her long hair swept into a neat bun, she waves and I wave back.
Next to her is a woman who sells crocheted pot holders and trivets made from alpaca yarn from her alpaca farm. There are tables with keychains that double as emergency window breaking tools, gourmet chocolates filled with fancy booze and fruit, an entire station dedicated to fudge and its many, many variants. There are face painting stations, booths that sell potatoes on sticks, churros, turkey legs, handsewn women’s clothing, used books, and so much goddamn more.
All of these people have come here to share their Saturdays, spending hard-earned money, trying new things, laughing, chatting, getting a pulse on their people, sampling new items and enjoying themselves. I don’t take that lightly.
I created this space, and I take pride in being the epicenter of their happiness for one day a week.
