Autumn of the Heart

AUTUMN OF THE HEART


The wind was fierce as she forcefully pushed the massive solid oak door shut. She was glad to be home. She opened the tall cabinet, the one where she kept all of her spices, and herbs and of course her favorite drink, her teas. What would she have this blustery fall afternoon, apple spice, no maybe orange spice. Her mind wondered while waiting for the tea kettle to whistle. She loved to dip the tea bag up and down instead of just leaving it alone to steep.

What was she going to tell him. Yes, no probably not, but what and it had to be soon. Kit had lived here all of her life, how could she leave. The promotion had been offered to her at the worst time. She sipped her tea and tried to forget for a moment of the weighty decision she had to make.

Kit was for all intends and purposes alone, no one to answer to no one to help her make this choice. She started to feel sorry for herself, but how could she. She had been the one that had chosen her life, she didn't have to be by herself.

Why was she even wondering about the move, the promotion would lead her to make. What was really keeping her here, she knew.


Kit had been only 16, it was her childhood sweetheart. She thought they would always be together. Then there was the pregnancy. She had the baby, a little girl. She gave her up for adoption. The last she had heard anything was two weeks after the child was placed. The agency had contacted her to say that the parents would most likely live in the area for the rest of their lives, and that they would encourage "Tally" to find Kit if she wanted, when she was grown.

Kit had never tried to find Tally and deep inside she hoped Tally wouldn't try to find her. But there was this part of her that felt responsible still and this move that faced her felt like more of a desertion than her giving her up at birth.


Connie would understand if anyone could. Connie was Kit's oldest and best friend. She knew all about Tally. She had tried to get Kit to keep her, but it was no use. Connie had also dated Tally's birth father for a time. It was during one of the many break-ups Kit and Neal had. It almost ended their friendship. When things ended with Neal, Kit had been so thankful she had not let anything get between Connie and her.


For now all she wanted to do was to drink her tea, wrap herself in a blanket and cuddle with Bono, her cat. She snuggled up and let Bono rest on her stomach, as he was fond of. Boy she wished she had some of those almond cookies. Had she eaten them all? She nuzzled Bono off and walked into the tiny kitchen with the blanket still around her. Awwww yes there were still some left. She ate them like they were chocolate covered. Would she make anything for dinner. Not now. Maybe she would take a nap. She waddled back over to the sofa. She was about to plop back down when someone rang the doorbell.

She wasn't expecting anyone. She thought for a moment of removing the blanket, but the visitor's knocking was very rapid. Usually she would not have opened the door without asking who it was, but this time for some unknown reason she did. As she threw the door open, almost angry that they were knocking so often and partly worried that it was truly some emergency, she let the blanket drop to the cold floor. Kit, how long has it been. Too long.