When All The Leaves Fall

The Sweet Southern Taste Of Family

As I opened the door to my house, I smelled the smell that can only come from Hell. The smell of a thousand things burning. The smell of my mother's cooking. "Mom?", I called out. "Yes?", she yelled back. I don't know why we yelled to each other as soon as I came back from school. Maybe it gave the illusion of a big house, which we didn't have. But, we did it anyway. "What ya making?", I said, slipping into my thick country accent. My mom came to stand in the doorway of the kitchen and looked at me. Her long, curly, blonde hair glistening in the hazy sunlight coming from the cracked window in the hallway. Her faded, blue, flower dress hugging her hour glass figure. She balanced her mixing bowl on her hip as she gazed at me, eyebrow raised. "Well I'm justa makin some barbecued beans with so porkin chops. And maybe I'll throw in some biscuits with butter.", she replied back in an even thicker accent. She smiled at me and turned to go back into the kitchen. I grinned and walked down the hall to my room. I walked into my room and shut the door. I set my bag down next my bed and got out my outdated laptop. My neighbor got a newer one and had given me this laptop. Yes it was made like 10 years ago and not all the buttons worked, but it kept me connected to the rest of the world. As I checked my social media, I realized a pattern. Friend request from Lukas Tyler, XxLukasTylerxX is following you, and etc. I didn't know anyone named Lukas, and even if I did wouldn't it be spelled Lucas? It said he went to my school, so I just ignored it until I could figure out who he was. I stayed online until I heard the front door shut. It was my dad. I darted out of my room. There he stood, waiting for my hug. His dirty overalls smelled like sweat and oil. His boots caked in the West Texas dust. His gray t-shirt, tight against his huge frame. I ran to him and his huge arms wrapped around me like a big blanket. The comforting smell of the oil field stung my nose. It was gonna be hard to leave this.