enclosed and protected, like you're in a church.
“ ...Ashleigh?”
“I'm listening. ..”
“Okay... do you know what I mean, then?”
“I'm not religious. I don't believe in such things.”
“But you're not made of stone - you would feel something.”
“That's not true. You would feel what you feel and I would feel what I feel.”
“Look up, then.”
She looked - and the sun was cascading down in shards of gold and silver through the high branches of an overreaching oak and it made her feel, for a second, that she was in the midst of a dream. He caught her look of surprise and smiled. She could not help but smile with him, but without knowing why she was smiling, not completely.
Patrick followed her to the kitchen. “So... this is the Ashleigh's Palace?” he said, not really asking, looking about. “I don't think I've ever been allowed beyond the front door before...”
He had once asked what it was like beyond the front door of her home, hinting widely, so she thought at the time, that he wanted to be let in.
“Functional,” she'd said.
“Like the Engineer you are?”
“I suppose.”
Finally allowed within, he looked about, absorbing the detail: “Nice.”
“I like it.”
“It's more than just functional, Ashl eigh. You’re not a robot nor a Nun confined to her cell. This looks like a woman’s home. I can feel the warmth in it.”
“ Warm?” she wondered as she instinctively glanced at the thermostat, thankfully not making a comment before realizing what he meant. She blushed at her own stupidity. He probably wondered why her face changed color. She certainly was not about to tell him.
Patrick motioned out through the sliding glass doors leading to her backyard where a magnolia – a magnificent and beautiful tree and her favorite - was in full bloom. “You don't see something as beautiful as that every day, Ashleigh. Is that the real you out there?”
Ashleigh started, once again missing his meaning; “How am I like a Magnolia? Am I tall and wide with waxy green leaves and sprouting flowers all over my body?” she injected , and then, once again catching up, her face flamed red. If he had not been standing there she would have pounded her forehead with the heel of her hand to knock some sense back in. “Damn!” she thought, almost cursing aloud, but thankfully not; but her face probably gave her away which added to her frustration.
He ag ain motioned outside the window; “I see the pine I planted for you is doing well.”
Ashleigh stepped across the distance between them and stood beside him wondering as she did so if that hadn't been his intention all along. “Yes...” She could feel the closeness of him; their shoulders were almost grazing; “If I'm the Magnolia, you're the pine,” she said.
He laughed.
She had said something i mportant and had not intended to. “Here!” She diverted his attention and turned to the refrigerator; “I have something for you!” She opened the door and pulled lifted out a bottle of beer from the lower shelf.
“Ah, you do listen!”
“I try to.”
She opened it and began to pour it into a glass, creating too much foam . She handed him the glass and the bottle. “It doesn't look like it's all going to fit...”
Patrick didn't mention the foam. “Thank you, Ashleigh.” He gingerly accepted the glass and the half-empty bottle, carefully sipping off the foam before it plunged over the edge.
Ashleigh was thinking how fortunate she was to have found and selected the correct brand. She had remembered him once saying, ‘ Sam Adam's’ as he described how much he delighted in his end of day treat. The man behind the counter seemed to know what it was. “Six or a twelve?” he'd asked. “Six – I don't think he'd drink more than that.” She didn't mention any of that to Patrick. She said instead, “You know, that's probably the first beer I've ever purchased.”
“You've done brilliantly!”
“Is it the
“ ...Ashleigh?”
“I'm listening. ..”
“Okay... do you know what I mean, then?”
“I'm not religious. I don't believe in such things.”
“But you're not made of stone - you would feel something.”
“That's not true. You would feel what you feel and I would feel what I feel.”
“Look up, then.”
She looked - and the sun was cascading down in shards of gold and silver through the high branches of an overreaching oak and it made her feel, for a second, that she was in the midst of a dream. He caught her look of surprise and smiled. She could not help but smile with him, but without knowing why she was smiling, not completely.
Patrick followed her to the kitchen. “So... this is the Ashleigh's Palace?” he said, not really asking, looking about. “I don't think I've ever been allowed beyond the front door before...”
He had once asked what it was like beyond the front door of her home, hinting widely, so she thought at the time, that he wanted to be let in.
“Functional,” she'd said.
“Like the Engineer you are?”
“I suppose.”
Finally allowed within, he looked about, absorbing the detail: “Nice.”
“I like it.”
“It's more than just functional, Ashl eigh. You’re not a robot nor a Nun confined to her cell. This looks like a woman’s home. I can feel the warmth in it.”
“ Warm?” she wondered as she instinctively glanced at the thermostat, thankfully not making a comment before realizing what he meant. She blushed at her own stupidity. He probably wondered why her face changed color. She certainly was not about to tell him.
Patrick motioned out through the sliding glass doors leading to her backyard where a magnolia – a magnificent and beautiful tree and her favorite - was in full bloom. “You don't see something as beautiful as that every day, Ashleigh. Is that the real you out there?”
Ashleigh started, once again missing his meaning; “How am I like a Magnolia? Am I tall and wide with waxy green leaves and sprouting flowers all over my body?” she injected , and then, once again catching up, her face flamed red. If he had not been standing there she would have pounded her forehead with the heel of her hand to knock some sense back in. “Damn!” she thought, almost cursing aloud, but thankfully not; but her face probably gave her away which added to her frustration.
He ag ain motioned outside the window; “I see the pine I planted for you is doing well.”
Ashleigh stepped across the distance between them and stood beside him wondering as she did so if that hadn't been his intention all along. “Yes...” She could feel the closeness of him; their shoulders were almost grazing; “If I'm the Magnolia, you're the pine,” she said.
He laughed.
She had said something i mportant and had not intended to. “Here!” She diverted his attention and turned to the refrigerator; “I have something for you!” She opened the door and pulled lifted out a bottle of beer from the lower shelf.
“Ah, you do listen!”
“I try to.”
She opened it and began to pour it into a glass, creating too much foam . She handed him the glass and the bottle. “It doesn't look like it's all going to fit...”
Patrick didn't mention the foam. “Thank you, Ashleigh.” He gingerly accepted the glass and the half-empty bottle, carefully sipping off the foam before it plunged over the edge.
Ashleigh was thinking how fortunate she was to have found and selected the correct brand. She had remembered him once saying, ‘ Sam Adam's’ as he described how much he delighted in his end of day treat. The man behind the counter seemed to know what it was. “Six or a twelve?” he'd asked. “Six – I don't think he'd drink more than that.” She didn't mention any of that to Patrick. She said instead, “You know, that's probably the first beer I've ever purchased.”
“You've done brilliantly!”
“Is it the
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