it’s a summer evening, late but not quite night. the sun is half setting, the air is heavy and hot, you can almost feel it. but there’s a breeze, it’s slight and soft and quietly cutting its way through the heat. we’ve finished dinner. a home cooked meal, set in the center of our kitchen table, shared around the old family table. and then i’m at the sink. it’s full on one side with bubbles, allowing me to soap and scrub the pots, the plates. the adjoining sink, clear, cool water rinses the stainless steel and ceramics. my forearms are still submerged half way up, i raise my head to look out the window across me.
the breeze through the window carries a diminuendo of giggles. a smile blooms across my face. you’re in our backyard. a soccer ball is being passed between you…our son….our daughter…and back to you.
the sun is low, the breeze is slightly cooler. our backyard lights have turned on. the kids protest when you tell them it’s time to go in. but they respect you, they trust you, they’re safe with you, so they follow your lead, through the sliding glass door.
after we put our children to bed, we quietly slip downstairs, outside to our patio, we each have a drink. you, a domestic beer and i, a simple glass of wine.
the sun has set. the sky is a dark, endless shade of blue. we sit in silence for a moment or two. looking above, searching for stars, then down around our pleasant backyard. and finally, we exchange a soft, knowing smile.
we’ve overcome it all. every hurdle, land mine, and canyon. we have survived. we have flourished.
you reach for my hand, and i take yours without hesitation. our eyes meet, we don’t need to say a thing.
we’ve made it.
submitted by /u/deadfliezz
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