As The Leaves Change

It started with a leaf, a fresh, green, spring leaf. It wasn’t one of those rainy spring days that we so often had in the heart of Washington. That day was a beautiful day. Sometimes I like to think it was so beautiful because of the beautiful thing that happened, because of the beautiful relationship that was formed that day. But I suppose it doesn’t really matter why the day shone brightly instead of being cloaked in a dreary gray sky. It only matters that it was.

I sat on the green bench in the middle of the park. Sunshine, my golden retriever, ran around in front of me. She held a slimy tennis ball in her mouth. I took it and threw it as far as I could. She ran after it. I giggled at her spaziness.

He was taking a leisurely stroll through the park that day. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his worn out jeans. He had a slight smile on his face. His blonde hair shone in the sun and his sparkling blue eyes were filled with happiness. He sat on the little green bench next to me.

“This was on your head,” he said handing me a green leaf. It must have fallen and I didn’t notice.

The next day I sat on the same green bench, secretly hoping that the boy would be back today. Sunshine ran in front of me like she had the day before. Once again I threw the ball and she ran. I looked down at my newspaper, scanning through the articles for something interesting. When I looked up the boy with the blonde hair was on the green bench once again.

“Pretty girls like you don’t usually read the newspaper,” he said matter-of-factly. His voice was sweet, soft like the spring sun.

“I guess I’m not like other girls.”

Sunshine bounced happily back to me with the ball in her mouth. Just like the previous day I latched Sunshine’s leash on and we slowly walked out of the park.

I spent every day after that at the park. Even when the rain poured down I sat on the green bench waiting for him. We spent the rest of the spring together. Spring became summer and I still spent my days sitting on the bench talking to him. It wasn’t long before I fell in love.

Our relationship was complicated though and didn’t leave that pretty little park. See, I was only 16. He was 20. If my dad ever found out he’d send him to jail in a second. So we spent our days sitting in the park.

The beautiful spring leaves turned into autumn leaves of orange and gold. We sat where we had spent our lives together. That’s when he told me he was leaving. To join the military. He wanted to serve his country. I didn’t cry then, not in front of him.

Everyday since he left I’ve stood in the park waiting. Waiting for the day he comes back to me. Waiting for him to be mine again. As the leaves above change from gold to green and back to gold I stand there waiting.