Frankincense & Lavender

She screamed because her feet literally left the ground and she had no idea how and why she was spinning!

No one was supposed to be out there, after all, Sandy thought she was in a private backyard. Turns out the property where she was residing actually used to border the small public herb garden. The neighborhood locals still meander in and out of the loosened garden gates and fences to tend to their patches of sage, or basil, lavender and oregano.

So when Sandy’s beloved dog, Minnie got loose from her leash and darted towards what Sandy thought was only a patch of trees; but she was stunned that it was actually a deeper forest.

The scream came after she ran after Minnie frantically calling her name.

Minnie, although a tiny indoor lap dog, was a stealth, quick and agile little thing. Catching her when she got loose was scary enough in Sandy’s old apartment complex back home, but in unfamiliar territory, Sandy’s fear was that she’d never find her.

With the sound of the leaves crunching under her feet competing with her heartbeat and now sob-filled breaths, Sandy’s teary eyes darted over to something scurrying in the distance, and she yelled,

“Miiiiinnnnniiieeeee!!! Please come back to Mommy, Oh no!!!”

Sandy was so transfixed on what she thought was her dog that she didn’t notice that she ran into something that knocked her onto her bottom causing leaves to flutter about aimlessly.

“Shit!” Sandy exclaimed thinking she ran into a tree. She immediately started calling for Minnie again afraid that her little tumble would cause her to lose sight of her beloved dog. Sandy attempted to scurry to her feet when she felt herself levitate off the ground.

That’s when Sandy began kicking and screaming in fear.

And that’s when she was dropped right onto her bottom again, but this time she heard Minnie’s familiar whimper as she jumped all over Sandy wriggling with excitement!!!

“Oh Minnie!!! Oh my baby, oh Mommy’s sweet girl puppy! Why were you tryna run away from the moms? The moms loves you all the live long days, why you tryin to leave the moms.” Sandy said in fur baby talk.

“Maybe cuz you too daggone little to be anyone’s Mommy.”

The voice, deep yet kind, startled the bejezus outta Sandy. Combined with being preoccupied with getting Minnie’s leash back on her, Sandy didn’t notice the elm of a man extending his thick branch of an arm offering to help her up.

Wrapping the leash tightly around her one forearm to keep Minnie close to her, Sandy tried to place her other forearm behind her so she could push herself to her feet, but slipped on the damp foliage causing her fall back on her bottom and cuss out loud.

“Not only are both y’all tiny but now I see where she gets her stubbornness from…”

The elm tree spoke to Sandy with a soothing familiarity evoking a giggle as she finally grabbed onto the elm’s forearm to get to her feet…

“Oh sweet God, thank you. That was embarrassing.”

Between trying to keep Minnie by her side and brushing the loose grass and dead leaves off her, Sandy didn’t even glance at the man who was now standing in front of her with a huge burlap bag full of lavender. His smile was as broad as his chest and sugar cube white, which contrasted his burnt umber complexion. He wore an orange Nike t-shirt under work-worn overalls and, of all things, a straw hat.

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll forgive you, again. You’re too stinkin cute not to be forgiven”

Sandy laughed as she picked up Minnie into her arms, “And she knows it,” Sandy said in her baby talk voice.

The elm interrupted, “Oh Minnie’s okay, I guess, but I was talkin bout your adorable self.”

A breeze blew carrying the scent of the lavender Cedric was holding to wift under Sandy’s nose causing her to blush…

***written with an Espresso Sativa Caramel, a Caramel Cappuccino with a Vanilla shot & then later a pineapple 🍍🌱💨 and ice water.