"The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!"
To a Mouse by Robert Burns
The snow laden trees surrounding the small clearing and pond gobbled up the sound of their laughter as Mason and Eva slid to a stop on the ice in the middle of the pond. Flat on his back with Eva beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. He was looking up to the night sky. Stars and moons were so bright out here. His voice softened. ?Almost looks like you could pluck them from the sky. Which one do you want, kitten??
Eva turned her head from looking at him, to look at the sky. Then she raised her arm and pointed. ?That one.?
He lifted his arm and laid it along hers, hand over hers, same finger atop hers to point. ?That one there.? He was squinted to make sure they were looking at the same one.
Who could tell? But she didn't question it. They were looking at the same star as far as Eva was concerned. ?Yeah, that one.?
?Gotcha.? Mason?s thumb and forefinger pinched the spot in the sky as if he had just caught the star and plucked it from the velvet night. His arm moved. ?Edge of the moon...? Of the two moons Rhydin had, one was just a sliver tonight. ?How's that for a band??
Eva?s cheeks warmed with color, but she kept her eyes up on the sky, and on his hand as she replied quietly. ?That's perfect.?
Mason brought the star he plucked from the sky, because he never let go the pinch, over towards the sliver of moon. His hand wavered until it looked like just the right spot. Then his fingers opened as if he'd just dropped a stone into a setting. He leaned up on an elbow and thumb and index made a circle to pull the night ring from the sky. He sat up slowly and held his hand out for hers.
Eva hesitated for a moment, which hand to give him, then she twisted to her side a little and gave him her left hand, eyes watching his hands as a means to avoid his eyes for the moment.
Mason took her hand in his and slid circled fingers around her ring finger. Had anyone seen them they would have thought them crazy. Adults lost in make believe. Mason, he thought he saw a glint there on her hand. His eyes crept up when he was done.
Eva raised her eyes to his, and her nervous embarrassment faded, a soft smile curving her lips. She leaned up, and pressed a tender kiss to his lips, then whispered. ?Are you happy??
He whispered back to her ?Yes, kitten....are...are you?? His turn for nervousness as he looked at her.
She nodded, and released a contented sigh as she smiled ? Yeah... I am.? Her body curled against his on the ice, and she lowered her head back to his shoulder ?Very.?
Oh god, how Mason smiled. He laid back on the ice. His arm tucking around her as he looked up at the stars again.
?So you?re taking her to a smelly old pond?? Tom paused in his work of setting the tables for the Guerrilla Gourmet event that night and just stared at Mason.
The question jolted Mason out of his stroll down memory lane. The knife in his hand started rocking again to dice the shallots. ?It?s not a smelly old pond. It?s romantic. And besides it is frozen over.?
Tom started to laugh. ?So a smelly old frozen pond. How is that romantic??
?Because it?s revisiting a date we had a few years ago.? Mason scraped the shallots into a prep bowl. ?And it will be better. A five course meal made by me instead of a bowl at the noodle stand. I?ve got lighting for the footpath, a tent pavilion for the candlelight dinner. Music to dance to instead of slipping, sliding and falling on the ice. I have it all planned out. All that?s left is talking to one of her brothers and I?m all set.?
Mason straightened up, grinning. ?And next Saturday there is no forecast for sleet or snow.?
Tom shook his head and moved to the next table. ?Okay, okay. But you know what they say about the best laid plans...?
?Yeah yeah.? Mason waved him off of that saying. ?You?ll see, it will be perfect.?
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!"
To a Mouse by Robert Burns
The snow laden trees surrounding the small clearing and pond gobbled up the sound of their laughter as Mason and Eva slid to a stop on the ice in the middle of the pond. Flat on his back with Eva beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. He was looking up to the night sky. Stars and moons were so bright out here. His voice softened. ?Almost looks like you could pluck them from the sky. Which one do you want, kitten??
Eva turned her head from looking at him, to look at the sky. Then she raised her arm and pointed. ?That one.?
He lifted his arm and laid it along hers, hand over hers, same finger atop hers to point. ?That one there.? He was squinted to make sure they were looking at the same one.
Who could tell? But she didn't question it. They were looking at the same star as far as Eva was concerned. ?Yeah, that one.?
?Gotcha.? Mason?s thumb and forefinger pinched the spot in the sky as if he had just caught the star and plucked it from the velvet night. His arm moved. ?Edge of the moon...? Of the two moons Rhydin had, one was just a sliver tonight. ?How's that for a band??
Eva?s cheeks warmed with color, but she kept her eyes up on the sky, and on his hand as she replied quietly. ?That's perfect.?
Mason brought the star he plucked from the sky, because he never let go the pinch, over towards the sliver of moon. His hand wavered until it looked like just the right spot. Then his fingers opened as if he'd just dropped a stone into a setting. He leaned up on an elbow and thumb and index made a circle to pull the night ring from the sky. He sat up slowly and held his hand out for hers.
Eva hesitated for a moment, which hand to give him, then she twisted to her side a little and gave him her left hand, eyes watching his hands as a means to avoid his eyes for the moment.
Mason took her hand in his and slid circled fingers around her ring finger. Had anyone seen them they would have thought them crazy. Adults lost in make believe. Mason, he thought he saw a glint there on her hand. His eyes crept up when he was done.
Eva raised her eyes to his, and her nervous embarrassment faded, a soft smile curving her lips. She leaned up, and pressed a tender kiss to his lips, then whispered. ?Are you happy??
He whispered back to her ?Yes, kitten....are...are you?? His turn for nervousness as he looked at her.
She nodded, and released a contented sigh as she smiled ? Yeah... I am.? Her body curled against his on the ice, and she lowered her head back to his shoulder ?Very.?
Oh god, how Mason smiled. He laid back on the ice. His arm tucking around her as he looked up at the stars again.
?So you?re taking her to a smelly old pond?? Tom paused in his work of setting the tables for the Guerrilla Gourmet event that night and just stared at Mason.
The question jolted Mason out of his stroll down memory lane. The knife in his hand started rocking again to dice the shallots. ?It?s not a smelly old pond. It?s romantic. And besides it is frozen over.?
Tom started to laugh. ?So a smelly old frozen pond. How is that romantic??
?Because it?s revisiting a date we had a few years ago.? Mason scraped the shallots into a prep bowl. ?And it will be better. A five course meal made by me instead of a bowl at the noodle stand. I?ve got lighting for the footpath, a tent pavilion for the candlelight dinner. Music to dance to instead of slipping, sliding and falling on the ice. I have it all planned out. All that?s left is talking to one of her brothers and I?m all set.?
Mason straightened up, grinning. ?And next Saturday there is no forecast for sleet or snow.?
Tom shook his head and moved to the next table. ?Okay, okay. But you know what they say about the best laid plans...?
?Yeah yeah.? Mason waved him off of that saying. ?You?ll see, it will be perfect.?