Spring Came A Calling
At
The House of Four Seasons
by Atonia
Today is the first day of Spring, I couldn’t write yesterday because Winter left me for awhile, only awhile. He made me promise not to cry; he said he didn’t want to leave a mess for someone else to have to clean up. I kept that promise until I heard the front door close. I’m all right now, I spent the day reading a little and writing a little, and listening to the house at work down the hall from my bedroom. Last night I watched the DVD, leaving it late I know, but then the house already knew who was coming. John chose him.
I have no idea what to expect, whether we will find common ground, that special starting point, that spark so necessary to begin a relationship. There must be something for love to grow upon. My winter and summer roots are deep and strong, fall knocked me over and I am looking forward to being with him again. But now it’s spring who will or will not capture my heart.
The house finally let me into his room just a little while ago, not leaving me much time to form any kind of opinion so I am left only with an impression. His room is very traditional, warm maple furniture, masculine plaids and stripes, colors of the earth and sky, blues and browns and greens. The scent is very green and fresh with a hint of something mysterious. It’s a comfortable room…a very comfortable room I am intrigued.
Part 1
“On heaven and on thy lady call, and enter the enchanted hall!”
Bud White came up the drive and parked his car next to the garage. It certainly didn’t feel like spring to him dressed as he was in his sport jacket. Snow still lay in the woods beyond the garage and melting puddles made walking up to the front door a concentrated effort. It was cold, cloudy with a breeze coming over the cliff behind the house snaking its cold fingers around his collar as he stepped up on the front porch, but when he rang the bell he felt as though a ray of warm sunshine had found him.
Toni watched him from the window on the landing, her first glimpse of Spring, at the same time a robin flew down from the thatched overhang and made its way toward the woods beyond, she was smiling when she opened the door.
“Welcome Bud,” she kissed his cheek and adding to his embarrassment he blushed.
“Toni, I hope I’m not late?”
“You’re right on time, come in out of the cold, I’m so glad you’ve come.”
“Thanks for inviting me,” he entered the house taking in the entrance and following her into the living room where a welcoming fire blazed on the hearth.
Toni quickly looked him over, he was a big man, no taller than the rest of her loves but something about him seemed to fill the room, his shoulders in the sad looking jacket were broad, tapering to his waist. When he turned to her backing up against the fire it was his eyes that caught her; open, questioning.
“Would you like a drink, cup of coffee?” she asked.
“Oh coffee would be great, it’s ah cold for spring you’ve still got snow.” He tried.
“Come on into the kitchen Bud, yes the seasons seem to be a little off this year. We may have another snowfall before it’s over, but I did see a robin this morning.”
‘That’s a good sign warmer weather is coming,” he took a seat at the old scrubbed table.
“I just made this, cream, sugar?”
“Thanks.”
Toni placed a plate of muffins on the table, “Blueberry, if you’d like.”
“Oh yeah, I love muffins.”
Toni sat opposite him with her cup, “Have you been here often Bud?”
“Yeah, but not for a long time, I always loved this house and the countryside, don’t get out in the country very often…well hardly at all.” He munched his muffin.
“You do know the ownership has changed and so has the house, it’s my home now, I live here full time. I’m looking for a spring to complete my year.”
“I read something about that, yeah.”
“If it works out between us Bud, this is forever.”
He stopped cup halfway to his lips, “Forever?”
“Yes, I have chosen my other three seasons forever; I only need one more to make it complete. It’s the only way I can conceive of living here.”
He set his cup down, “That’s kinda like being married or something.”
“It’s the closest thing I’ll have to being married.”
“To four guys?”
“That’s the way it has to be Bud, only one season at a time but there are four.”
“Hmm,” he wiped his mouth on the napkin and carefully placed it back on the table.
“Does that bother you, would that be a problem for you ?”
“I don’t know, it’s never come up before.” He pulled at his collar.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have hit you with this, you’ve only just got here, but I wanted you to know how it is with me. When you love someone you can only have this way what else is there to do?”
“I like that you’re honest and straightforward Toni, it just takes some getting used to you know?”
“I know. It’s not a normal way to live, but then there is nothing normal about this place is there?”
He laughed a little, “You can say that again.”
“Of course none of this may matter, you may find you don’t like me at all, or vice versa. You may be wanting to get back in that classic car of yours and drive out of there tomorrow.” She had a teasing light in her eye and he picked it up, his eyes softening.
“I don’t think so,” but sharing her forever now that would take some thinking, “got anymore of this coffee?”
Toni took his cup and refilled it. He looked her over as she stood at the counter and liked what he saw, nothing fancy, nothing artificial, she wasn’t some painted up dame. He noticed she was in her socks underneath her jeans. Nice shape, he blushed when she turned and caught him looking.
How long had it been she wondered, when she had seen a man blush so often. John blushed sometimes but never Max or Terry. She smiled handing him the cup.
“It’s been a while like I said, but it seems to me this house has a different look about it or something.”
“Oh I think a few changes have happened, but it’s the feel of the place for me that’s changed since I first came here.”
Bud looked around the kitchen it felt like a warm loving home to him, a place he’d like to spend some time in. Warm…loving…home he looked down in his cup and stirred it again. What did he know about such places.
“I thought we might have lasagne later and maybe a salad, does that sound good to you?” Toni thought he seemed to wander off somewhere in his mind.
He looked up, “yeah, sounds great I love lasagna I’m not hard to please as far as food goes,” he smiled.
“How hard are you to please for other things?”
He met her eyes for a moment, “Not…not at all I’m easy.”
Toni stared at him at his open troubled eyes and watched them change to a question. She could see herself in his lap her head against that broad chest wrapped in his strong arms, a safe and loving place where nothing could touch her, much like the house wrapped its warmth around her. He needed it too she thought, arms around him. She might have to shake his traditional roots a bit but it might just work.
“Shame it’s so messy outside we could go for a walk or something, but maybe an afternoon in front of the fire might be better, we could get to know one another a little what do you think?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” Millie, realizing somebody new was in the house, came in to investigate. Having a sniff she decided he wasn’t really a cat person so she went about changing his mind. Winding around his ankles and looking up at him blinking her blue eyes.
“I think you have a friend, that’s Millie.” Toni watched him look down at the cat and finally giving up and giving her a rub down her back.
“Heh, nice cat.”
“She’ll eventually get to you.” Toni smiled, Millie had them all, except for Max, and she had an understanding with him.
They moved back into the cozy living room and Bud went to the window looking up at the sky, “It's going to rain or sleet or something.”
“It’s that time of year where the sky thinks something has to fall daily,” Toni rearranged the soft down sofa pillows giving them a little room to sit. She saw something down between the cushions and reached her fingers down bringing up a single piece of popcorn. She closed her fingers over it and stuck it in the pocket of her jeans…Terry. She sent a mental message to the house about its housekeeping.
Bud turned and saw she’d made a place on the sofa and came over and sat down. He felt a little awkward not knowing where this was going. It was a whole different ball of wax now. Forever was a big word he was still trying to get his mind around it.
It was mid afternoon but the soft light from the table lamps lit the room. “What are you thinking about?” Toni asked quietly.
“Oh uh I was thinking about forever,” he turned and met her eyes.
“Does that scare you?”
“No, not scared just wasn’t expecting it, I mean how does that work?”
“You’d come back every spring.”
“And you’d be here?”
“Yes I would be waiting for you.” She watched his eyes where so much seemed to take place.
“I’d come every year for three months…forever.”
“Yes if you want to Bud.” It occurred to her that he was the youngest of the seasons, maybe he wasn’t ready for something like that. “What is it, the commitment, are you not ready for something like that?”
He shook his head slightly, “I’m not afraid of commitment, it’s probably the closest thing to marriage I’ll ever have too.”
“Is it the sharing?”
He shifted his eyes slightly, “That takes some thinking.”
“It doesn’t make me a bad person Bud, its either that or be alone for nine months out of a year, I don’t want that. I love each and every one, they are all very different and they in turn also love each other. I saw that in December when John and I got stuck outside the gates of this place and had to be rescued. I don’t go to bed with one and think about the other. When it’s your season I’m yours totally.”
“I didn’t mean to say you were a bad person Toni, I don’t think anything like that.” He met her eyes and she wanted to touch that handsome face but she didn’t, she would let him come in a little closer all by himself.
“Oh well, here we are talking about marriage and commitments and we’ve just met, kinda jumping the gun don’t you think?” She smiled at him and got one back, his blue eyes softening.
“Yeah guess we’re starting at the wrong end.” Somehow his hand had come in contact with hers on the sofa cushion and he took her hand in his.