Flowers

Chapter 8

Caesar had come for dinner Thursday and Friday. He would leave at about nine to get back to base though. I missed waking up with him but understood he still had a job.

I was reading out in the garden. The same book I pulled from the shelf a while back. It turned out to be a book on flowers. I sat on the bench next to the flower box. Surprisingly the flowers Caesar and I had planted were beginning to grow bigger and signs of blooming were apparent. I was so excited and could barely hold back. When I first noticed the signs of blooming I dragged Caesar out and began to rant about flowers. He sat there and listened intently, not missing a word.

"Riley please stop whining." I called out. Riley circled the gate of the garden, whining. She didn't try to leave or want to but she just whined. I didn't see anything so I brushed it off.

"Fine, you want to go for an adventure?" I asked. Her ears perked up. I put the book down on the bench and left the garden. It was still early enough for a walk. The sun hid behind clouds as it rose higher in the sky. Today seemed like a good day for a walk. Though the sight of dark clouds in the distance worried me.

Riley walked beside me as we walked down the road. Across from the houses stood a relatively thick forest. A small deer path was made in between Janet's and my house. I would take it often and just explore around.

Riley ran down the path, excited to find some kind of stick to bring home. As I walked down the birds had gotten quieter now it was just the sound of rustling leaves the wind blew. Bushes of inedible berries littered the path. Deer hoof prints showed in the soft grass leading to and from the entrance.

Riley ran up ahead and stopped at an older looking tree. She began to rustle with one of the branches before successfully snapping the branch off. She held her head high with a wagging tail as she walked back to me. "Riley" I scoffed. I laughed out loud as she began to rustle with the branch. Tossing it left and right. Leaves flew off the branch with each toss.

I shivered as a huge gust of wind rippled through the air. I looked up and saw signs of rain coming closer. The sky grew darker than earlier. The once white clouds now a darker gray and moving fast. The trees rustled in the heavy wind. I grabbed my shoulders and called for Riley who had gone back for another branch.

Riley and I headed back along the trail. "If I get caught in the rain I'm going to fucking flip." I said to myself. My pace was quick but the clouds grew closer and closer. Riley held a stick in her mouth, not caring out the small drizzle coming down.

I saw the exit up ahead and walked faster. The smell of rain was pungent in the air as I stepped onto the gravel road. The wind lightened up but with that came the rain. I felt droplets hit my head and hands. I turned and immediately headed home. I really didn't want to get sick or have any kind of wet clothes. Riley, on the other hand, couldn't care if it was raining or sunny. She had her stick and was happy.

The rain had grown heavier and I was now almost drenched when I walked up my porch steps. "Who knew running in the rain was a bad idea." I said to myself entering the warm home.

I went to the bathroom and stripped off the wet clothes. They hit the ground with a weird plop and plosh noise. I took a warm shower before putting on sweats and a long sleeve.

My hair was still wet from the shower. Small drops hit the wooden floor as I walked into the living room. "How's about a fire?" I spoke out loud. Riley was laying on the floor. Her stick was left outside. I grabbed two logs from the metal rack that sat next to the fireplace. I put them in and struck a match. I watched as small flames began to rise around the logs, soon turning into a roaring fire.

I sat back on the couch and just watched the logs burn. I could feel the warmth even from the couch and it was comforting. My mind wandered to Caesar. "What was he doing now? Is he inside and out of the rain? I hope he'll come see me soon." Ever since that day we made things official I wanted to be with him daily. I knew about his job and how he would be away for sometime every now and then but I couldn't help but miss the way his huge arms would engulf me. I felt protected around him. Something I haven't felt in a while.