In The Sight of These Hills (Dolan Twins)

Of Pumpkin Patches and Purple Flowers

Chapter 25: Of Pumpkin Patches and Purple Flowers

There was heat when they got home. It settled in their bones and Sean was there. Their father had made hot coco and it was a strange sight to see him in his red checkered pajamas in the kitchen, making hamburgers and frying potatoes on a skillet at the stove.

"Hey," he said, smiling, as he saw them walk in through the threshold.

"Hey, Dad," said Ethan, returning it.

"You got the heater fixed," Grayson said, stating the obvious, pulling off his backpack.

"Yes," he said, smiling lightly, "I want to go pumpkin hunting after we eat."

Ethan and Grayson looked at each other. They had already bought pumpkins, hadn't they? They already had their two carved Jack-O-Lanterns on the porch. Ethan was sliding off the thicker sweatshirt he had pulled from the hallway closet that morning.

Sean continued, flipping a slice of potato over, not catching the look they had given each other. It sizzled in the pan.

"I was thinking of the one just outside of town."

"OK," Ethan was the one to say, and helped bring down the plates. Grayson proceeded to pour mugs of hot coco.

They sat at the table and ate as a family, the twins sitting across from their dad. There was silence for a few moments. Gray bit down into the hamburger meat, chewing softly. Ethan brought the mug up to his lips, sipping the sweet liquid.

"Did you have a good day?" He asked to both.

"Yeah," they said in unison and Sean smiled at that. Ethan picked up a potato slice, nibbling at it. When they were done, Sean went to change, and they sat at the table.

For a moment, Ethan thought of telling Grayson about Aaron. Then thought better of it. Sean came out, a thick hat on his head and had his thick jacket on as well.

"Well, come on," he said as they looked up at him. Sean drove them to a pumpkin patch a few miles out of town on the side of the road.

The owner was one of his clients and they talked, Sean smiling brightly, as they walked through the rows and rows of glorified, orange squash.

Grayson picked out two small ones and looking at Ethan crouched over a large one, hand over the smooth skin, smiled.

"What about these, E?" He asked, walking over to him. Ethan got up and looked at them, nodding.

"Yeah," he said, and they went over to Sean and his client at the edge of the path.

"You can have them," the man said, smiling at both of them and then turning to their father. They went deep into their conversation again, something about numbers and finances. Grayson and Ethan waited out in the car, the heater on high, as the sky slowly darkened.

~

They were home, finally, and Sean was asleep.

They had put their little pumpkins on the dresser in their bedroom, and they sat as an October welcome, an October gift.

"Well," said Ethan, his pain medication in his good hand, tilting it back into his mouth, "I guess we don't need to sleep on the floor."

He grabbed his bottle of water from the dresser's surface to wash it down with.

Grayson looked down, a bit awkward, and said, "I kind of like it."