June 18, 2024

Off Script

This morning, we slept in until seven o’clock. My wife had a different schedule, which allowed her to start work later than usual. It was nice to get some extra sleep and share a slow morning together. She put cinnamon rolls in the air fryer and we munched on them with coffee on the deck, enjoying a quiet start to the day. The weather outside was cool with a beautiful sunrise that had us and the birds chatting and chirping.

After breakfast, my wife and I went into the woods for a long walk. We entered the forest through the hidden trailhead on the west side of the property, making our way north through the tall cedars. As we moved through the area, we looked for a small box turtle my wife discovered this week, but we didn’t spot it anywhere.

As if on queue, my wife picked up a mimosa flower from the trail, inhaled deeply as she held it to her nose, and then rubbed the delicate petals against her cheek. While she enjoyed the gentle feeling of the thin petals, I imagined if the flower felt the same way, brushing against my wife’s soft skin. She was wearing a pair of my workout shorts and my hoodie, and I thought she definitely wore the outfit better than me. The baggie clothes made her look adorable and adventurous. I loved walking with this charming lady, and I always felt like we had just met.

However, we knew each other well. In fact, we moved through the forest like a trained special forces team, using hand gestures and eye contact to communicate as we walked in silence. When we arrived at the creek, my wife placed the flower in the water, where it floated, giving the creek a nicer look. She had a sense for taking things that were lying around and rearranging them in a way that made everything look and everyone feel better.

Sometimes, when I walked through the forest alone while my wife was away, I would come across something in the forest that she touched. It might have been a flower floating in the creek, a feather placed on a rock, or sticks arranged in the pattern of an ancient deer. Seeing these things was a reminder that I was never alone.

This forest had become a part of us, and we were a part of it. That wasn’t some new relationship formed between humans and the trees. It was a returning to the way things had always been. And with this return home, I found solace, and I hoped the forest felt more complete with our presence and the respect we showed nature.

We looped around the trail to the bird station we started building. They had not yet found the food, although my wife spotted a female cardinal hanging around the area. We continued on a central trail that led up a hill to the back of the house. When we arrived, we were a little tired, but I was happy the weather was still cool.

This morning, we had gone off script, shaking up our normal routine. While routines could be a type of discipline, I thought it was important to be flexible and take advantage of days where our schedule allowed us to do something completely new. While I didn’t take any photographs in the woods today or sit down for my normal writing session, the break in my daily pattern felt inspiring and invigorating.

I jumped in the shower while my wife got ready for work. When I walked her out, it was already getting hot outside. She called me on FaceTime about forty-five minutes later, telling me something or other. She was facing the sun, and with her green scrubs, her green eyes had me distracted. I sat down at my desk to work and had a quiet morning after two canceled meetings. During my lunch break, I drove into Wilson to pick up a sandwich.

My wife called to tell me she was getting off early. She arrived home a little after three o’clock and I went outside to greet her as she drove up. The sun was shining in full force and it felt like summer was already here. Of course, the insane humidity levels had not yet arrived. 

After work, we sat down together for an afternoon coffee. When we finished, she studied at the dining room table while I edited a writing piece in my office. After an hour, we left the house to pick up food at Pino’s Pizza, where Ehab, the owner, greeted us with his customary smile and politeness. My wife grabbed a piece of cheesecake while we were there.

We ate our food at the outdoor table on the deck. Even though the daytime weather was getting hot, it was amazing how good the evenings felt once the sun dropped below the tall pines on the western tree line. We shooed away a few gnats and flies while eating and watching a flock of birds circling high above. They had sharp wings and drifted on the breeze before suddenly diving to catch insects as they sang out.

After dinner, we walked outside in front of the house to watch the fireflies, which were everywhere. I always found their various blinking patterns fascinating. We walked about fifty yards into the hidden trail head. It was too dark to see anything and when my wife did her owl calls; we heard things running around in the trees. It was a little creepy, but fun.

I made some notes at my desk while my wife took a bath and got ready for bed. Today was a good day, and I appreciated my wife had a little space from work, starting a little later and ending earlier than usual. We went to bed happy we would both be off work tomorrow.