Oliver

Just a little scene from Oliver, inspired by the words of a friend of mine. He said something that was so beautifully worded I couldn't get it out of my head, and decided that it was something Oliver would say. Just a small tidbit that will work its way into the story somehow. Enjoy <3
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Autumn was a wonderful season that she wished she could enjoy more. Everything seemed so much more beautiful against the backdrop of changing leaves and in the orange sunlight that only seemed to shine during the fall. It was inspiring, and breathtaking. Even the view from her front door was something to admire. But autumn was also the transition from the warmth of summer into the chill of winter, the one season Stephanie couldn’t stand. She hated the cold, the barren trees and the hazardous conditions that always came with the snow and ice. It was one of those things that was pretty on a post card, as long as you were somewhere warm while you were looking at that postcard.

“It just seems unfair that something this beautiful could lead to something so undesirable,” she sighed, eyes bouncing from red leaf to yellow leaf to brown leaf, catching the cool shade of blue only when she glanced up to the sky before them. Her hands were in the pocket of her light coat, protecting them from the light wind that rushed past them and through the trees.

Oliver was still smiling, eyes fixed on the scattered clouds in the distance.

“I can understand that,” he began with a civil voice, and she knew he disagreed. “But just because something leads to something else that is seemingly undesirable, doesn’t mean we should dismiss it. Beautiful flowers eventually turn into weeds. Sunny days become stormy nights. Life, in turn, leads to death.”

His words were so simple, so honest. She watched him, wishing she understood him more; the way he thought and spoke. I was hard not to watch him in awe, his blue eyes seeming lost in another world while she had to force herself to glance ahead now and then to be sure she didn’t walk into anything. Everything about him was beautiful to her, and she couldn’t help but be amazed.

“I’ve always loved autumn. I remember as a child, dancing in the leaves as they fell from our tree, the taste of my mother’s warm pies, the smell drifting into the yard from the kitchen window. Few things match the beauty of the way the leaves change, and there is a scent to the air that naturally provokes thought and imagination. It is refreshing, in an upside down sort of way. Winter is nature’s time to rest, and spring ushers in the new beginning. Summer brings us laughter and warmth, and a sense that anything is possible. Autumn, though, even with the reputation you and so many others lay upon it, welcomes us with open arms. You can’t help but take it up on its offer to enjoy it, to pile up the leaves and jump right in.”

He ended with a wide smile, glancing down at her. She smiled back, lost in the image of his words. They seemed to innocent, the idea of jumping into a pile of leaves, and yet only he could take something so simple and transform it into something profound and inspiring. They began to slow when he realized that she was still staring, and he laughed a little, stopping completely and facing her with squinty eyes as the sun poured over them.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no. Everything you said was perfect.”

They smiled at one another before falling into soft laughter, stepping closer as they continued down the trail.