The Beauty of it All

Sitting in the white rocking chair on an old wrap around porch, Lainey smiled as her two children rushed past her, ready to play with the last bit of sunlight left. Their resilience never ceased to amaze her. The rocking chairs were the first thing purchased after an offer was put in for the house. Lainey knew just what the porch needed and these chairs have been a staple ever since. She ran her fingers across the arm of the chair, the grooves from the chipped paint adding a roughness to her hands. She added a mental note that they needed to be sanded down and repainted.

Her blonde curls hung just below her shoulders, bouncing slightly in the breeze. The day had worn on her, yet she continued to smile through the small talk and the questions. Sitting down now, by herself, being able to breathe for the first time today, she truly took in her surroundings. The past 15 years led up to where she was right now, whether or not it was truly where she wanted to be.

She sighed as she watched her two children playing in the sunflower fields. The sun was setting just above the mountain landscape, the melting snow leading into the spring flowers. They had worked so hard for this life, the outcome would always be unknown. She smiled to herself as she saw Holden pick up a flower and hand it to his little sister, her blonde curls blowing in the slight breeze.

"I had always prayed she would have your curls." A sigh of relief escaped Lainey's mouth as she smelled Christian's scent in the breeze. She felt a familiar hand on her shoulder and she looked over to see her best friend of 15 years. Christian had always been Lainey's dream. Even when they had met when he was 15 and the most awkward person she had ever met. But the awkwardness led to an endearment for him that she would never be able to shake.

As she looked at him now, she looked at how the years had taken their toll on him. She noticed the laugh lines that weren't there many years ago. The bags under his eyes that she could never seem to encourage him to do anything about seemed lighter today. He seemed almost ethereal, too perfect. Yet, she had always felt this way towards him. Despite his earlier awkwardness, Christian grew into a charming young man and Lainey never truly understood what made him choose her.

"Can you believe we built this life together?" She whispered silently, hoping it was loud enough for him to hear. "Holden and Harper are the best gifts you could have ever given me." She continued, her gaze returning to the twins as they frolicked about. She watched as Jed, their Bernese Mountain Dog trailed behind the two kids, always ready to protect them when needed. They knew that as the sun continued to set, they would need to head back to the porch where their mother stood.

"Continue to take in the beauty of it all." Christian's wide smile was engraved in her memory. She would be able to recall it even when she wasn't looking at him. Holden and Harper started to make their way back to the house as the sun that was slightly above the mountains continued to descend. Holden was a carbon copy of his father, his light brown hair hanging just above his shoulders. He refused to cut it any shorter than that and Christian was his biggest advocate for keeping it long. Harper on the other hand, was a mix between Lainey and Christian, with her blonde curls and green eyes, she easily hit the 50/50 mark in the genetics lottery.

Lainey's smile grew as her children got closer. She took a deep breath as she turned to look back at Christian, but as fast as he came, he was gone.