First, Best and Always

Chapter 8 History

“Better check on dessert,” she thought as she descended the stairs. Opening the oven door the scent of hot peaches and nutmeg filled the kitchen.

“Humm” she said to herself as she breathed in the sugary aroma. “He’s gonna love it…”

Reaching for the oven mitts she remembered another cobbler and another time. It was right before their breakup. Vin had come down for the long Labor Day weekend. The time was supposed to be just for them, but he’d brought some paperwork with him, and numerous phone calls had intruded on their private time. His manager had faxed information on a couple of new scripts to him and Vin had spent part of that Friday night reading, trying to see if any of them were worth his time.

He’d been reading most of the day, and had even declined dinner with…”That’s okay baby, I’ll get a snack later on…”

She’d let it go for the moment, but it bothered her that he hadn’t eaten much of anything all day. She knew that if it got too late she wouldn’t be able to get him to actually eat a real meal. But she also knew that he had a major sweet tooth and she could get him to put something warm in his stomach if she made that cobbler. So she did, hot peach cobbler and ice-cold milk. She set it on the side table next to the sofa where he was stretched out reading saying…“Just in case you get hungry,” then leaned over and kissed him gently on the top of his head. Without looking away from the script he reached up and tenderly grabbed her hand as it passed over his shoulder, nuzzling it with his cheek and kissing her palm. That was her Vin, so involved in all the things he had to do, sometimes there and not there at the same time, but she understood and never complained.

He’d told her once that he’d rather make that long flight and just fall asleep on her sofa than to stay in his own home. With her he had peace; peace and quiet and peace of mind. Whatever he had to do she had his back, and he wanted her to know that he appreciated that more than he could say. He brought tears to her eyes that day; after that she always said it was then, in that moment, that she knew this man was her soul mate, the man she would spend the rest of her life loving.