September
Mallory met Tim at the usual spot by the lake. She pulled her car into the small parking lot and spotted him sitting in the shade on one of the nearby picnic tables, dressed in his tank top and running shorts. The moment he saw her, he jumped down and rushed over.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, exiting the car. “I suppose you’ve already gone through the warm-up routine, huh?”
“I have to show you something,” he said eagerly. “Follow me.” He took her by the hand, beaming like her little brother on Christmas morning. He led her across the grass, to where his gym bag waited on the table he’d been sitting at.
She regarded him with a quizzical gaze. “I take it we’re not going for our run today?”
“Yeah, sure we can. But you have to see this first.”
He stopped in front of the table and looked her in the eyes. She gazed back raptly, knowing his were the only set of eyes she could ever look into and find the level of trust and devotion she needed to get on with a normal life after their experiences at the churchyard.
“I went back,” he said, not having to specify a location.
Mallory gaped at him, blinking. Her mouth fumbled to make the words that would express her shock.
“It’s okay,” he rushed on. “In fact, it’s better than okay. It’s amazing.”
“But why would you want to go back there?” she asked. “That cemetery…”
“It’s changed.”
“What?”
He opened the gym bag, exposing a vibrant bundle of wondrous flowers. Mallory gasped in amazement at the radiant nebula of colors, hues so rich and powerful her eyes seemed unable to focus on just one color.
Like the stars.
“They’re all over the place out there,” Tim said, handing her a blossom that had to be half the size of a dinner plate. “Hundreds of them. Thousands!”
“But what are they?” she asked, testing the silken petals with her fingertips.
“Something new,” he replied. “Something we’ll have to tell others about in time, but I wanted to share them with you first.”
They sat in silence, sampling the blend of exquisite aromas emanating from the blooms.
“Do you ever dream about it?” Mallory asked.
“No,” he replied. “You?”
“Not yet. Hopefully we never will.”
“I don’t think we will,” he said, gazing at the flowers. “I think they’re a promise. You know, like the rainbow, but just for us.”
She leaned up against him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“You want to go for that run now?” he asked, holding her close.
She shook her head. “Maybe we’ll just walk today.”
The kids were out; Paul and Rebecca were alone.
They sat together on the couch in Rebecca’s living room, the only light coming from the images on the television screen.
Paul remained speechless, mouth agape.
Rebecca stared with an equal look of astonishment.
“Y-you say you found this video in your trash?” Paul asked, clearing his throat.
Rebecca nodded, still staring. “I accidentally threw out the electric bill with a load of other papers, and when I went to look for it, I found this DVD at the bottom of the bag.”
They watched in silence for another minute. Gasps, moans, and seductive whispers exuded from the speakers.
Paul gestured to the women in the movie. “I’m no expert, but I’m guessing that’s not how a peace pipe is meant to be used.”