Home Is Where The Garden Is

She was pulling the weeds and spreading fertilizer in her garden when her son, Jack, came running outside, yelling and waving his arms, desperate for his mother's attention. Jack was a small boy, only nine, but knew a lot about a lot for his age.

His mother, Eleanor, took him in her arms, trying not to get her dirty gloves on his new slacks that she bought him for school. "Good afternoon, my love," Eleanor planted a kiss on Jack's cheek, "how was school?" A bit hesitant, Jack nodded approvingly, not saying a word, which Eleanor found strange. He was always a bit of a talker.

"No kids were mean to you, were they?" Her concern for her son was honest, she quit pulling weeds moments ago and gave her son her undivided attention. Jack stood there quietly, and still no words poured from his lips. Eleanor gazed into his green eyes.

Her hand raised and she glided her thumb over Jack's cheek, tracing down to his jawline, and smiled. A smile that said "I'll be ready to talk when you are". She dropped her hand and exhaled, fixed her hat, and stood up off the ground. "Supper will be ready very soon, dear." Jack grinned. At least he was excited for that. Food was the way to this little boy's heart.

Eleanor went inside and finished up the potroast she was cooking, anxious for her husband, Matt, to arrive. It wasn't as if Matt was mean to her. Not completely anyway. He was just a bit aggressive at times. He towered over her at six foot four and was a broad man.

However, it wasn't Matt's structure that intimidated Eleanor. The anxiety she possessed rose for a different reason: Cal. A simple man who lived in the country, out in the woods in his log cabin. He moved away from his home in Texas and came to Tennessee; he loved isolation.

He was, indeed, a very simple man. When Cal first arrived, he ran into and met Eleanor at the Farmer's Market downtown. They were both shopping for new seeds to plant. Of course, this striked a conversation between the two, and they quickly became acquainted with one another. Cal asked Eleanor to grab a cup of coffee with him, and she simply agreed.

They discussed their hobbies, their view on politicians, and their home life. Eleanor told Cal everything. Everything except that she was married and had a son. She didn't quite think about it, how Cal took this information into consideration.

Their "friendship" was never intended to reach as far as it did. Yet, she couldn't say no to this new...arrangement. Their first visit was, according to Eleanor, extraordinary. Cal was everything she wanted, needed, yearned for. Her heart strings were pulled in ways she'd never experienced before.

By the end of their first visit at his cabin, Eleanor became head over heels for Cal. And after their tenth or so visit, Cal told her something she would never forget, "I would die for you, El. I could never leave you." Along with these things he said, Cal was also a striking man: jet black hair, deep, dark eyes, and mocha skin from being in the sun most days.

It wasn't that Eleanor found Matt unattractive. He was quite handsome. Brown, slicked back hair, brown eyes, and round glasses that he was always pushing up the bridge of his nose. It was a nervous habit of his that she found attractive.

Most nights when he arrived home from work, he would pull her around by her apron and give her his greatest "honey, I'm home" kiss that he could offer her. He would search her blue eyes and run his hands through her chestnut hair. Eleanor fancied him back and she loved Matt very much; however, she couldn't find herself being in love with him.

Tonight, however, was one of Matt's "most" nights: a good night. He came in through the front door, took off his shoes, and walked up behind Eleanor, tucking a loose piece of her hair behind her ear. Matt took Eleanor into his arms while she was still finishing up dinner.

"It smells amazing, dear." His words were like silk to her ears. They flowed smoothly in one and out the other. Matt rubbed her shoulders and stopped right above a bruise on her forearm. His jaw tightened. "Call me when it's ready." He left the kitchen.

Eleanor slowly felt the place on her arm where he touched her. Tears swelled in her eyes and she silently wept while putting their food on plates.

Matt and Jack were called to eat. It was five-thirty. There's still time, Eleanor thought to herself as she sat down at the table with her family. Matt motioned for the three of them to hold hands around the table, so they did. The family bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and Matt began to pray over their food.

Some nights, Eleanor could focus on the prayer. But this was a "most" night. And on most nights, her thoughts wandered elsewhere, her imagination soaring, racing.

They ate. It was delicious. Eleanor was an amazing cook. She glanced at the clock. It was six o'clock. She planned to go pick up some fertilizer as a late evening errand for tomorrow's gardening, and hopefully to stop by and see Cal on the way to the market.

"Jack, I need you to wash the dishes tonight. I'm running out to buy fertilizer." Eleanor grabbed her gloves and hat, smoothed her dress, and kissed her son on the forehead. "I'll be back in about an hour." She hesitantly kissed Matt and walked out the door.

While driving, Eleanor passed the market and decided to see Cal first. She arrived at his house and walked inside. Cal told her that since they were spending so much time together, it was appropriate that she came and went as she pleased. She was ecstatic to see him.

"Cal, I'm here!" No answer. That was fine, he was a quiet man. She giggled. His bashfulness was adorable to her. Eleanor paced around the house and found him in his usual spot. He was always sitting in his chair, watching the television.

"I'm out to get fertilizer tonight and just had to come see you!" She leaned over and kissed his cool cheek, proceeding to talk about her day. She discussed everything...everything except Matt and Jack, of course. Cal looked at her with content in his eyes. He was always a great listener, and Eleanor loved that about him.

Eleanor kissed Cal again and scrunched her nose. "Darling," she said, "I've told you that you need to rid this stench. I think your rodents are back again." Cal didn't respond. Eleanor chuckled and held Cal's hand, gently. "I still love you, even if you have a stinky house," she said and smiled.

A few more moments passed, and Eleanor decided it was time to grab the fertilizer and head back home. She stood up from her chair that was placed beside Cal's and broke off the bottom half of his left leg. Like Cal said, he would die for her, right? She kissed his pale lips and started to head back home from the cabin in the woods.