Autumn

 Martin The B Keeper made himself comfortable in a dusty old lounge chair and stretched bare feet toward the waning fire.  Behind him he could hear Rebecca, who had left the City to Catch Some Z’s a few months before, clearing the remains of the dinner they had made together.

 

It had been a very simple meal.  Nothing fancy, but it sat warmly in Martin’s full stomach like a hot water bottle on a cold night.  And it was indeed a cold night outside. 

 

He took a mental stroll through the day while watching flames flicker and dance over their hot coals.  A bright, frosty morning had seen Rebecca arrive on his doorstep with bread still warm from the bakery.  They ate it with honey and sipped scalding hot coffee before spending the rest of the morning tending to his B’s.  The afternoon was spent at the cottage Rebecca lived in, digging and planting and clearing and moving.  The things you do to a building when you decide that you might just settle there and make it a home.

 

They had dinner then, with Onyx the cat in constant attendance.  And now there was nothing to do but relax.

 

Rebecca came around his chair and handed him a glass.  Taking care not to spill her own, she bent and kissed him.  She tasted of Rebecca and port.  Martin wondered briefly if there would ever be a time he thought that taste was anything but delicious.  She curled up into the chair next to him.  Onyx leapt onto the chair and curled herself up on Rebecca’s lap.  Martin felt vaguely envious.

 

They chatted for a while about nothing much and sipped their port.  Before long Rebecca began to doze, her head resting on the seat’s high, round arm.  Martin watched her for a while.  Firelight flickered on her lightly freckled face and over the copper and gold of her red hair.  Then he went back to staring into the fire and cast his mind adrift in the warmth…

 

No flames danced in the fireplace – the coals glowed warm and ruby-red.  There was no sound.  Everything was still. Time drifted to a halt - and rested awhile.  A little snapshot of eternity was taken, framed and hung in the Hall of the Creator where all who viewed it smiled and said “This is good…”

 

There was a pop from the fire.  Time lurched back into motion.  Martin came to and, feeling eyes on him, turned to see Rebecca watching him.  Her eyes were soft and sleepy and partially hidden by wisps of her multi-shaded hair.  He felt the temperature of his blood rise a few degrees.

 

“Where were you…?” she asked him in a voice like warm flannel pj’s.

 

“Oh, I was just watching the firelight in my port glass, wondering if there is a whole other universe in there with people like us staring out and wondering if there is anything outside it, and if we’re not just the same…”  Martin spoke before his mind-to-mouth filter started working.

 

Rebecca snorted and shook her head, then caught him by the eyes again.  “You keep a lot of strange stuff in there, don’t you…” she stated, tapping her finger on his forehead.  “I like it though.” She added after seeing his expression change.  “I could spend a lot of time finding out what else is in there…”

 

“Hah.  I don’t know what is in there myself most of the time.” Martin wished his filter would kick in before he had to speak again.

 

“Well, in the meantime, I am going to bed.” Rebecca announced and started unfolding herself from the chair as Onyx leapt to the ground, meowing in offence at the disruption. 

 

“Oh.” Said Martin, beginning to rise.  “I guess I had better make my way home then.”

 

“Um…” Rebecca took his hand and moved close, leading Martin to hope no harm came to a body when its blood vapourised. “You don’t have really have to you know…”

 

“Oh.  Well then, in that case…”

 

And so Martin stayed the night with Rebecca, and they both slept very well indeed.

 

Eventually…