Review, Revision, Edit and Update
Writing about relationships is another part of this ongoing saga. Maintaining personality differences as well as differences in types of relationships, new, old or ongoing ones, has been another interesting writing exercise to engage with. Author Stephen King says: read, read, read. It has been in this way that I learn some of the ways to accomplish this. Often at the expense of household chores!
Soul sisters
It started with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Dez Eliot had been thinking of Matt Hamilton. His brown curls and deep brown eyes. Should she pursue him? Relationships for either of them in the past had not exactly worked out well. In the past, any relationships had been short with only one lasting a full year. Matt was newly divorced, but was he ready to jump into dating? I wonder what Emmie would say? The thought of asking her sister for advice flashed through her mind. Once more, she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling and at the same time her sister was wondering about asking Dez for relationship advice. Laughing out loud, she knew what Emmie would say. ‘Dez. It’s your decision. How long have you known Matt? I wouldn’t have said this a few years ago, but go with your heart.’ That would have been the short answer. No, she wouldn’t ask Emmie. And she wouldn’t go with her heart. That sounded too flowery for Dez. But she would go with her gut - her gut told her ‘Go for it……carefully.’
~~~~~
It was the last day of the workshop The Care and Management of Fruit Trees. Dez had watched everyday as Matt opened the workshop. He was tanned and just absolutely fine looking to Dez. Each day, she took a chance to talk with him……about apple trees and how to take care of them. She had good reason, Dez and Emmie, reunited after a decade of estrangement in the early days of the pandemic, had formed a bond. Her sister had hired Dez as a project manager for her apple orchard. Dez knew Matt. She needed help for this project. Matt hosted a workshop. Simple. It turned out to be not so simple. Her mind wandered constantly away from how to prune and pick to whether he liked Italian, Asian or just plain food. Not that she was much of a cook, but she did know how to choose the wine for a meal. Now it was the final day. She’d have no more excuses to talk with him. At 45 years of age, she still felt like a teenager crushing on the handsomest guy in the school.
The last session of the day was a final walking tour through Matt’s orchard. Matt called on different attendees to point out what had interested them most through the week. He asked them to indicate features of their interest on any one of the trees. When he called on Dez, her mouth felt like it had sand in it and her heart raced. Later, if asked what she had said her mind went blank, only remembering that the group applauded ‘her eloquence’. She really felt she had never been eloquent in her life.
When everyone else had left at the end, Dez hung back: ‘to help Matt put away everything’. Finally, after he had his yard back, all the antiseptic wipes and extra masks were gone, and any evidence of the workshop were tucked up in his truck, she decided to say something. To herself she said This is ridiculous. I like Matt and I am pretty sure we’re on the same wavelength. But I’m not sure, so here goes nothing. To Matt she said: “I’m on my way now, but I would like to invite you over for supper. Tomorrow or Sunday? It won’t be anything fancy, but you’ve put on a great Workshop and deserve a home cooked meal.” She was ready for him to say “Thanks, but no thanks.” Her mouth opened to keep babbling when she heard him say something….. “What did you say? Tomorrow night?” She was met with a broad grin. “I’ve been watching you all week, Dez. I’ve wanted to say something to you, but never found the right time or place. You always left right after the last session.” He closed his truck's tailgate with a metallic bang. “I know we’ve known each other a few years, but you seemed different this week - in a nice way.”
When everyone else had left at the end, Dez hung back: ‘to help Matt put away everything’. Finally, after he had his yard back, all the antiseptic wipes and extra masks were gone, and any evidence of the workshop were tucked up in his truck, she decided to say something. To herself she said This is ridiculous. I like Matt and I am pretty sure we’re on the same wavelength. But I’m not sure, so here goes nothing. To Matt she said: “I’m on my way now, but I would like to invite you over for supper. Tomorrow or Sunday? It won’t be anything fancy, but you’ve put on a great Workshop and deserve a home cooked meal.” She was ready for him to say “Thanks, but no thanks.” Her mouth opened to keep babbling when she heard him say something….. “What did you say? Tomorrow night?” She was met with a broad grin. “I’ve been watching you all week, Dez. I’ve wanted to say something to you, but never found the right time or place. You always left right after the last session.” He closed his truck's tailgate with a metallic bang. “I know we’ve known each other a few years, but you seemed different this week - in a nice way.”
~~~~~
The next night after a supper of chicken casserole and spinach salad, the two old friends did up the dishes together. He washed and she dried. When they were done and all the dishes put away, Dez poured them each a glass of the Merlot she had chosen. They went out on her balcony in the cool of the evening and just sat quietly for a long time. She finally said “Matt, I enjoyed this evening so very much. Thank you for coming.”
He leaned on the railing looking out over the park and the city. “I enjoyed it too, Dez. I’d like us to do it again sometime soon. Talking about only apple trees or bees is getting pretty old.”
“I have learned not to worry about love;
But to honour its coming with all my heart.”
~ Alice Walker
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