That Joyful Evening

Turning her head to one side, she peered at him with perplexity. His dark eyes revealed nothing, and ironically, the more she gaped at him, the less forthcoming they were. Peering at her with a slight smile on his face, he shrugged and gazed into the sky, now glowing with vibrant patches of orange and pink.

“Come on. I know you are keeping something a secret,” she implored as her usually quiet voice raised in excitement with every syllable she uttered.

Calmly taking a puff from the rolled-up Tobacco, he replied, “What makes you think that?”

Crossing her arms over her chest in fake defiance, she sarcastically exclaimed, “We are standing in a field in the middle of nowhere and you keep checking the time on your cell phone.”

The wind rustled through the tall grass, making the evening all the more peaceful as he continued to methodically take draws from his cigarette. Truthfully, the serenity of this place would have plunged her into a state of tranquillity, but the man who held her very soul in the palm of his hand was concealing something from her, and her mind wouldn’t rest until she found out exactly what it was.

Muttering under his breath, he replied, “I could be meeting a date here, you know?”

The calmness in her eyes was replaced by an intensity every bit as vibrant as the changing evening sky. Placing one hand on his black suit jacket, she shoved him with all of the might in her tiny five-foot frame.

Catching her wrist in his hand, he responded, “Little One, you are my world.” He exclaimed, “Have some patience,” as her brown eyes uselessly tried to read his expression.

The familiar rumble of a truck engine could be heard in the distance as she focused on the bright red vehicle. Darting off in the direction of the newcomer, he continued to offer no explanation for his erratic behavior. Looking into the beautiful sunset, she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest in frustration. Why was he always so secretive, she mused to herself in mere frustration, but she was undeniably raptured in the excitement of his spontaneous nature.

She was in love with him. No one could deny this one simple truth.

The wind almost sounded like whimpering, she thought, a bit amused at the peculiar noise. The curiosity melted into bewilderment as the rustling of the tall grass died, but the whimpering grew ever more persistent. Facing the direction of the strange crying, she spotted a tiny black ball of fur running towards her, its little chubby legs clumsily propelling it over the grassy hill.

A radiant beam overtook her expression as she screeched, “Come here.” Scooping up the soft and helpless looking creature in her arms before he lost his balance. She immediately kissed him on the head, loving the comforting feeling of the long and fluffy fur on her face.

“I said I had a date, my love. I didn’t say the date was romantic,” he quipped, proudly smiling at her complete exuberance.

Batting away the tears of joy that were now trickling down her face, she pulled him close.

“My black foxy pup,” she exclaimed in complete and utter joy as her lips met his.

*****

Author's note: This Christmas, please consider making a shelter animal a part of your "forever family." There is no better gift to bestow on a living creature than that of safety and love. Winter is beautiful in all of its majestic glory, but it's also a hard time for abandoned and neglected fur-babies. Be a home for someone.