Spring in Autumn

He had run into her. Chloe. His first girlfriend. They had dated over one summer and in the end he left her, since he stopped caring for her. She looked good. Has she lost weight? Probably. She greeted him with a smile on her lips. That was different from the last time he saw her. They got to talking, his body and heart bringing back memories of a different time. Summer nights spent on the beach, sitting next to a fire, telling stories about the stars and kissing, while the breeze of the waves spluttering on the shore crept its way through their skin.   

She’s a photographer now. He vaguely remembered her mentioning it years ago. She was always happy with a camera in hand, he recalled. She also cared for pets-a random thought. Why was he thinking of her now? Was he considering going back to her? No, he couldn’t. She started talking about a concert in the city. They’d shared their first kiss while waiting in line for a rock concert. A guy in front of them kept ranting about traffic. Their eyes met, and he was transported to a forest-her brown eyes, the scent of sandalwood. They smiled, and then their lips met.

   He came back to reality. His phone was out. They were…exchanging numbers?! How did he get to that point? He tried stopping, yet his fingers didn’t listen, and before he knew it, he made plans with her to attend a concert. They hugged goodbye and walked their own way.

  He had barely made it around the corner when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Chloe standing there. Before he could speak, she hugged him tightly, her fingers running through his thick brown hair. His hands rested on her waist, keeping her close. She pulled back and kissed him. By then, he wasn’t surprised; it felt inevitable. She invited him to her apartment, just down the block. He agreed.  

He was lying back on a leather couch, passionately making out with Chloe. The apartment smelled of fresh paint, the eggshell walls likely just redone. The light setup in the corner hinted that she was using the space as her photography studio. His mind wandered to her kitchen-did she still keep a peanut butter jar in the silverware drawer? He recalled a morning at her parents’ summer house when he’d been searching for a spoon to eat cereal, only to find two jars of peanut butter nestled amongst the cutlery. During their morning swim, he brought it up, and she laughed, explaining that as a kid, she used to lick spoons constantly. To break the habit, her parents started coating the spoons with peanut butter, so she’d have to lick through it first. He’d call the idea ridiculous, only to be met with a huge splash of water in his face. She added that they did it because she loved the taste of the spoon, and the hope was that she’d eventually grow out of it. Instead, she became addicted to peanut butter and would crave it as a midnight snack. Ever since, she has kept the jar in that drawer for easy access.

He finds himself being shaken awake. He opens his eyes only to see her beautiful face. There’s nothing else except his love for her and her love for him. Tears started running from each other’s eyes. They are finally together, after a long, long time.