Sunset

Last night was great. Dustin arrived home, mentioned he needed to run a few errands, and asked if I wanted to go. I wanted to go... I'd been in the mood to get out. So he changed out of his work clothes and me out of my pajamas, into jeans and light comfortable tops and headed out. All of the errands required us to go into downtown Jacksonville, if Jacksonville can be described as having a downtown. It's not far from the house, and it's certainly not an enjoyable country drive if you take the main streets to get there. We didn't though, we rarely do. We always wind up on the beautiful backroads that take us 30 minutes ouf of the way, but are the images you'd only ever see in postcards or watercolors. The roads themselves curve around and dip up and down through slight hills and valleys. The trees.. I've never seen so many trees. They're old and grand and settled and full. They stretch from the ground up into the sky, arching over and peering down. And the trees on the other side of the street do the same, until they meet in the middle. We were driving around at dusk, and so the sun had set but the sky was light enough to see the smokeyness in the air. Like thin hazy fog. And it drifts out across the meadows as we drive past.

We sit in the car rolling through this.. with the windows down and the mild evening breeze patting against our skin. The air is heavy, but by this time of night, it doesn't still hold the earlier unrelenting heat of the day. It was just warm enough that our faces shimmered from the silghtest bit of perspiration. When we'd glance over at one another.. the sky's purple hue seemed to be reflected in the moist glow of our skin. I'd shyly peek over at him, to find him doing the same right back, and we'd break into embarrassed, knowing smiles.

We drove along like this for some time until we'd gotten everything taken care of. I loved it. That drive and those looks and moments.

Oh yeah, and I kicked his ass at speed.