DomKat: Stolen Moments

Hope On A Summer Day

There was a long winding lane once the pavement ended. Dominique took it slowly, the tires of her car crunching over the gravel as she moved past a patchwork view of high grass and open fields. The trees were turning, so every breeze brought a shatter of color as leaves fell from their branches. It reminded her of the drive out of Bristol, where between Awkley and the River Severn she could find beautiful views of blue sky between stands of Autumn painted trees. Dominique hadn't realized how similar Toronto and Bristol were until this very moment, and she found it funny that a drive out to Kat's family house is what had jogged the realization, especially because she wasn't anywhere near the metropolitan area at all.

At the end of the road, turn left.

Her phone chirped the directions, and it reawakened the swarm of butterflies in her tummy. Every time Dominque thought about Kat the irrepressible winged assault began, and it was nearly impossible for her to focus on anything else. She'd somehow been able to keep it under wraps when they'd been at work, but every night in her trailer it had been the same. For going on two years now, she'd pined for Kat, and hoped her affection would become more than an onscreen mirage.

And now here she was, finally driving out to meet Kat in the home she grew up in.

Admittedly she was a little premature, she'd gotten to the airport with enough time to spare that she'd been able to switch to an earlier flight. The only perk of a global pandemic was the availability of travel seating.

In 100 meters, your destination is on the left.

As Dominique passed a long stand of trees she was finally able to catch sight of the quaint clapboard house and brick porch. She spotted Kat's RAV4 parked off to the side and slid up beside it before turning her engine off. Dominique took a long controlled inhale and then released it, hoping that it would steady her nerves before she even dared open the door.

Once she realized she couldn't sit any longer without looking weird, she popped the door and got out. The air was sweet with grass and the final burst of flowers before they gave up their summer splendor, and Dominique breathed it in, savored it. She sometimes missed the smell of open land, especially when she was cooped up in the city. A place like this was good for the soul with it's open land and clean air.

"Oh, hello!"

Dominique jumped. She knew the voice, so she was already grinning when she turned. To her joy she found Kat's mother out on the porch with a watering can in one hand, and the other shading her eyes from the midday sun.

"Tressa! Oh, God, you startled me!"

Dominique rushed over to hug Tressa. She'd always felt a kinship with her, and as Dominique had learned more about connections and spirituality, she'd realized that it was partly to do with Tressa's nature, but mostly because of her connection to Kat. Being the mother of the woman Dominique loved so fiercely, Dominique knew her spirit sensed something in Tressa, because both Kat and her mother were alike. As a romantic, Dominique was enchanted by the idea that her soul could recognize the little glimmers of where Kat's had grown from.

"Kat wasn't expecting you yet. She's gone off to see Phillipe."

Dominique laughed. "Phillipe?"

"The horse down the road. Whenever she comes out this way, she has to ride him."

Tressa pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and then held Dominique out at arm's length. "You just get prettier each time I see you, you know that? No wonder Katherine's so taken with you. She always did have excellent taste when it came to beautiful things."