AllFreeNovel
Share Us
All from spending time together. One evening. Nothing extravagant. A small increment of time. Enough to see and touch and hold each other. To breathe life back in our hearts.
I reach up and caress her cheek with my knuckles. The second our skin connects, she closes her eyes, leans into my touch and sighs.
“Missed you. So much,” I whisper.
Her eyes slowly open as she nods. “Me too.” Autumn twists just enough to press her lips to my palm.
Clementine rushes back into the living room, jacket in her clutches and a bright, toothy smile on her face. She grabs Autumn’s hand and attempts to yank her off the couch. “C’mon. Let’s go!”
The mini bubble of solitude Autumn and I shared seconds ago pops as we stand. Some people would be upset at the intrusion, but neither of us minds. Every moment with Clementine is a breath of fresh air.
“We were just waiting on you, slowpoke,” she says, sticking her tongue out at Clementine as she grabs her purse and jacket.
Their banter continues as we exit the apartment and load up in the Jeep. All I think as they carry on teasing each other is how lucky I am. Lucky to have found this wonderful woman. And luckier that she came with a mini version of herself. Someone who makes us both smile, even on the darkest days.
I drive through Clearwater without direction. Unsure where to go. Until an idea pops in my head and I steer the Jeep toward Safety Harbor.
Clementine bops and sings to the song on the radio in the back seat. Autumn lip syncs the rock lyrics as she looks out the windshield and draws small circles on my upper thigh with her thumb.
Nothing has felt more right than the three of us. Nothing has made my heart thump as wildly than the three of us. Me and my girls.
Twenty minutes later, I maneuver the Jeep into Phillippe Park and drive toward the playground area. As I locate a parking space, Autumn spins in her seat to face Clementine.
“Hey, pumpkin.” In the rearview mirror, I see Clementine perk up. “After we play on the playground a bit, I’d like to walk around the park. This park is special and I want to share it with you.”
I cut the engine and turn to face the back seat. Clementine’s eyes are wide as she stares out the window and looks at the trees.
“Why is it special, Mama?”
“A long time ago, this park belonged to the Native Americans. Their homes were here. They also cherished the earth and sun here, so there’s a lot of special energy here.”
“Really?” Clementine’s brows shoot to her hairline while her jaw slackens. Her amazement is adorable. It makes coming here more memorable and special.
“Yep. We’ll look at all the special places after we play at the playground.”
We unload from the Jeep and Clementine runs to play. Autumn and I locate a bench in the sun and sit. Clementine climbs the ladder and slips down the slide several times. Then she goes to one of the mini rock-climbing walls and navigates the six-foot venture. Next, she hops on a swing and hurls herself back and forth to dizzying heights.
Autumn leans into my side, loops her arm in mine, and rests her head on my shoulder. Our fingers weave together and we both sigh at the contact. Not a single word exchanged. We simply sit here, in this peaceful place, with our eyes on Clementine.
Faster than anticipated, Clementine declares she is done playing and wants to go see the special part of the park.
The three of us wander hand in hand across a grassy patch. Within minutes, we reach a stairway made of large earth-colored flat stones. The couple dozen steps wide and shaded by moss-covered oak trees. We take the steps leisurely as we observe the park from a different vantage point.
On the landing at the top of the stairs, a large storyboard shares the history of the land with park visitors. We step up to the wooden sign and Autumn reads the story about the Tocobaga Temple Mound. The story of the Native American village that existed here before a conquistador arrived in the early 1500s. For a time, their cultures coexisted, but it wasn’t long until European diseases caused their demise.
When Autumn finishes the story, Clementine’s lips turn down as her eyes glaze over.
“That’s so sad, Mama.”
“Yes, it is. But many people say the energy from the Native Americans still lives here. That it gives them strength or soothes them or protects them.”
Clementine peeks up at us, the skin between her brow bunching. “How?”
I squat down in front of her. “Well, the Native Americans prayed to the earth and sun and animals. Thanked them for shelter and food and life. Sang special songs to them and asked for their protection. The energy from their spirits is said to still live here.”
Clementine stares off at the trees and whispers, “Wow.”
Autumn takes Clementine’s hand. “Come on, pumpkin. Let’s walk around and see it all.” Clementine nods, speechless.
