Love Is A Many Colored Journey

October 3rd
Palisade Park
Henderson Lake
3:20 P.M.

The sun was shining, the crisp air refreshingly biting as Miles and I walked down the leaf covered sidewalk, our fingers intertwined while Miles' mixed breed dog, Pesu, affectionately known as Pess, frisked happily ahead of us. He stopped here and there to sniff before bounding on although never beyond the reach of the retractable leash that Miles held in his left hand.

The crisp leaves on the ground crunched underneath our shoes as we walked along at a slow, loping pace which allowed the dog to bounce around and explore without losing sight of him. I took a deep breath, catching a slightly pungent and smoky scent, with the faintest hint of apple, drifting in the air.

I stopped briefly, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, closing my eyes and just enjoying the sweet and pungent scents that went along with this time of year. It was amazing how everything seemed perfectly balanced in autumn and how things seemed to slow down as well, giving life an easy, lazy pace that I found quite refreshing after the blitz of summer busyness.

Both Miles and I had been very busy this past summer and I was grateful that life had returned to its normal autumnal pace, leaving the frenzied rush of summer far behind since it now meant that we could resume our walks together which were the highlight of my day after a busy work day.

I loved autumn in general. The weather was cooler, the nights were longer which was not a bad thing, as far as I was concerned, for it meant more time spent snuggling with Miles on the couch, watching a movie and eating popcorn with Pess curled up on the rug that lay close to the wall on the left hand side. At this time of year, life was just generally less hectic and rushed or so it seemed to me, at least.

Both Miles and myself enjoyed the walks that we took together which were more frequent now that it wasn't so hot. This past summer had been particularly brutal and it put a crimp in our walks since neither of us really wanted to go outside with the punishing heat beating down on us.

When I once again opened my eyes, I saw Miles' amused face looking at me though he made no further comment, a smile quirking at the sides of his mouth. I grinned at him while the little mixed breed dog barked and frolicked around our feet, a canine grin on his face, his tail wagging furiously as he bounded after a leaf that tumbled by, blown by the brisk wind.

I shivered slightly as the chill hit me, using my free hand to hold my collar of my light jacket together. It had been such a warm day that I hadn't thought to put on a sweater but now, as the wind picked up a little, scattering leaves before us as we walked along, I wish that I had brought one. I'd forgotten that the weather could turn colder very quickly this late in the afternoon at this time of year.

Miles noticed and, without a word, he took off his black trench-coat and draped it about my shoulders, a broad smile on his handsome face. I smiled back gratefully, giving him a quick buss on the mouth before catching his hand once again in my own and holding it gently as we continued our walk.

The afternoon sun was shining, giving a certain warmth to the day that I found perfectly inviting. The sky was exceptionally blue today and the brilliant fall colors of russet, golds, oranges and brilliant reds, were more vibrant for some reason than I could ever recall having seen before.

We stopped for a moment to underneath a tree, its branches providing a cover that let a little sunlight to filter through but giving it a cozy, warm feeling and not at all claustrophobic. I turned my face up toward the thin, watery rays that were coming through the dense foliage hanging above our heads and closed my eyes, smiling as the soft light kissed my cheeks.

I could hear Pess romping at our feet, barking and I also heard Miles chuckle softly at his dog's canine antics.

What a beautiful, perfect day, I thought to myself as I opened my eyes. I was really enjoying the walk, Miles' company and Pess', too. Everything is just right...

I slipped my free hand surreptitiously into my jacket pocket, feeling the square box that I had put into it earlier this morning and smiled softly. Today, I was going to officially ask Miles to be my life partner and I wanted the moment to be perfect.

Maya and Pearls had come shopping with me a few days ago when I walked down to the jewelry store downtown to buy the ring. I wasn't sure exactly what kind of ring I was looking for and both Pearls and Maya had chimed in with their thoughts on the subject.

The salesperson had brought out a crushed blue velvet tray with an assortment of different rings tucked into it but, as I looked over each one, I wasn't satisfied; each one had its own unique features but they didn't have what I was looking for. I wanted something very special for Miles, something that he could wear on a daily basis and would be proud to wear.

I knew that he liked antiques and asked if they had any men's antique rings. Luckily, they did have some in stock, having received a new shipment that morning and brought out the crushed black velvet tray for me to peruse. I looked over each ring carefully and chose the one that had caught my eye and garnered my attention: a 3 mm burnished gold antique ring, leaf covered vines interrupted by full figured blooms and delicate ivy scrolls engraved and deeply impressed on both sides of a small garnet that was set in the middle.

It was absolutely perfect and exactly what I had been looking for. Maya and Pearls agreed, even though it was a little more expensive that I had originally bargained for. I asked them to inscribe How Do I Love Thee...? on the inside and waited impatiently while they did so. I couldn't wait to give it to Miles and hoped that he loved it as much as we did, Pearls and Maya chattering excitedly.

We walked toward Henderson Lake at the far end of the park. There was an old iron wrought bench on top of the bank by the shore and it was here that I wanted to propose. It was beautifully landscaped and the sun sets here were absolutely breath-taking.

Miles and I came here frequently in the autumn when the weather cooled and it was one of our favorite places to come and sit and watch the ducks as they swam on the blue water or laughing as Pess chased them.

It was a game that both he and the birds seemed to enjoy since they never flew away but, rather, flew over his head just out of reach; I guess that they found the dog's antics to be just as amusing as we did and, after he tired of the chase, would race over to the bench and curl up at our feet.

We sat down on the bench, Miles wrapping one arm around my shoulders and bending to to release the clasp of the leash and sitting back as Pess bounded toward the lake, barking when he saw the ducks assembled on the shore.

We sat in silence for some time as we watched the dog race around in crazy circles, barking for all he was worth while the ducks merely circled lazily above his head.

"What a beautiful day this has been," Miles murmured, turning his head to look at me, his dark grey eyes soft and inviting. "I'm really glad that you convinced me to take the day off and come with you here for a walk." He looked out over the water for a moment before turning back to me. "It's definitely the perfect day for it."

I nodded, leaning toward him and lay my head on his shoulder, smiling happily.

"Indeed," I replied, snuggling closer to him. "I'm very glad that you decided to come with me."

"So am I, Wright." He smiled, lapsing into a companionable silence once more, broken only by the canine and bird antics going on a few feet away. I could feel Miles' free hand absentmindedly stroke my hair, the other holding mine squeeze it tenderly which I warmly returned. It was such a peaceful place to come and sit and watch the world go by.

We were still for a few moments before I chuckled, Miles looking at me quizzically, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Something amusing?" he asked, an elegant eyebrow raising.

I nodded. "I was just remembering the time we came here and Pess took a header into the algae." I chuckled again as I saw the pained expression appear on Miles' face.

He'd chased the ducks a little too enthusiastically one day and had ended up being covered in the stinking green mess. It had taken a few baths to alleviate the smell and, to say the least, the dog hadn't been very happy about that at the time and neither was Miles, to whom fell the unenviable job of bathing him. Seeing their chagrined expressions in unison had been very amusing at the time, at least to me, although it was lost on both dog and master who avoided me for a day or so afterward.

I chuckled again, drawing closer to him.

"You have to admit, Miles," I remarked saucily, watching as the dog romped among the cattails, a mischievous grin on my face, "that it was funny at the time."

He made a face at me. "To you, maybe," he replied somewhat stiffly, "but not to me who had to give him those baths."

I couldn't help it; I laughed. Miles gave me a sour look but I could see the corners of his mouth twitching and I knew that he wasn't as angry as he appeared. Before long, he broke down and laughed, too, our merriment breaking the momentary quiet that hung over the lake.

A loud bark caused us both to look toward the cattails where we saw him chasing the ducks happily and they, unconcerned, were flying in circles above him just out of reach. It was just like any other day that we came to visit: Pess chased the ducks for awhile, they led him on a merry chase and, when he tired of the game, he raced over to the bench and curled up at our feet. There he would stay, perfectly content, until we were ready to leave and make the long walk back home.

"We've been through a lot, haven't we Miles?" I said retrospectively, my hand tightening on his upper arm.

He nodded. "Yes," he agreed, leaning closer, "we have."

I nuzzled the side of his neck, my lips curving into a secretive smile.

"I'm glad that we made it through and that we're together." I kissed the side of his neck, grinning when I heard the sharp intake of breath. "There's no one else I'd rather be with than you."

Miles closed his eyes, sighing in bliss, a sweet smile gracing his lips. "Nor I."

We lapsed into a comfortable silence once more, looking out over the lake. The sun was beginning to set, orange, gold and red rays streaming across the water in a reddish-gold wave, rippling on the surface of the lake. It was indeed a beautiful, and serene, place.

I looked up at the sky, marveling at the beautiful streaks of orange, red and gold that accompanied twilight. It's time...

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly a few times before I sat up and half turned to face Miles who was looking at me, a curious expression on his face. He could tell that I was nervous for some reason although he didn't know quite exactly what and his curiosity was, indeed, piqued.

I swallowed and, before I could lose my courage, I stood up and went down on one knee, my hand reaching into my pocket and taking out the blue velvet box and opening it. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the burnished gold band with its sparkling garnet heart and leaf covered vines, blooms and delicate ivy scrolls, his eyes opening wide as I reached out and took his hand in my own which trembled slightly.

"Miles," I began, "you mean the world to me and I love you dearly." I stopped, taking a deep breath. This was a little harder than I anticipated and I was very nervous. "We've been through a lot during our time together and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I paused again. "Miles, would... would you do me the honor of being my life partner?"

For a few moments, silence reigned before Miles took a deep breath, his hand tightening around mine, a dazzling smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, Phoenix," he replied, his voice hoarse with emotion, "I will." I released his hand, took out the ring and, taking his hand in mine once more, slipped the band onto the fourth finger of his left hand. He leaned forward and I could see tears welling up in his eyes as he pressed his mouth hard against mine, giving me a deep, passionate kiss that lasted for many long, wonderful moments.

When we parted, I looked into his eyes and leaned my forehead against his, smiling broadly, squeezing his hand gently.

"I love you, Miles," I said softly, my voice imbued with love. My heart felt so full of happiness that I thought it would burst from sheer joy.

His eyes were misty. "I love you, too, Phoenix."

We stayed that way for some time-he sitting on the park bench and I kneeling on the grass at his feet-until, with reluctance, we stood, turned and started walking down the path leading to the sidewalk. Miles whistled softly at Pess who rose slowly, and stretched before bounding over toward us.

Miles clipped the leash onto the ring in his gold colored collar and turned toward me once again, his handsome face shining with real, undisguised happiness that was echoed in the soft gaze that was looking back at him. He took a step toward me, planted a kiss on my lips and then turned, walking back toward the park from the lake.

I looked at Miles briefly, my eyes brimming with hope and pure love at our bright future together. I leaned over, kissed him once again and started off at a brisk pace to keep up with Pess who was running ahead of us. Miles smiled softly as he followed, holding my hand tightly as we made our way to the park entrance.

Our fingers intertwined once more, the ring glinting in the soft twilight as we walked toward the Park entrance and toward our future together, the leaves on the trees making a colorful honor guard as we walked underneath them.

~Fin~