Without Hesitation

Chapter 10

The next few days sped by much too quickly for Elle's liking. Between all the sex, the exploring, the hiking, and the drinking, time sped by like a montage. On her second to last day, she rolled over to see that Avery was still sound asleep. Every morning she had woken up before Avery, and Elle kind of loved it. She didn't know why, but she did. Elle rolled over to grab her phone, and when it clicked on, she had a calendar notification. Elle opened it to see Aunt Rose written across her screen. Elle's stomach dropped as she pulled back the covers and threw on some clothes. All she knew was that she needed a minute alone to recognize the day, so she walked out of the bedroom.

Elle's vision began to refocus in the kitchen when she smelled coffee. How was there a pot of coffee already brewed? She walked over to grab herself a cup and saw that it was set to a timer. Avery had clearly set this up the night before, and it made Elle blush at her thoughtfulness. Elle poured two cups of coffee, taking a sip out of one as she walked to the front porch, the warm coffee a nice contrast to the morning breeze that sent chills up her arms.

As she sat down, she pulled up Spotify on her phone and started playing "Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton on repeat. As Dolly's light twang filled the forest around her, Elle raised her mug up to the air and looked up at the sky. "Here's to you, Auntie Rose. Love you." Elle took another sip, hoping to ease a bit of the heartache. She missed being in the Minneapolis suburbs, doing this in her aunt's backyard while they argued about which Dolly Parton song was the most iconic over a warm cup of coffee and some Dollar Store cookies. But she hasn't been able to do that for eight years.

Elle sat there for a bit, listening to the birds and the pine trees rustling all around her. She usually spent this day in her apartment, with nothing but a concrete wall right outside of her window to look at. This was much better, it felt like she was doing a better job at honoring her aunt this way. Rose would have loved this place, but she didn't get out of the Midwest too much. Elle had never had an excuse to go out West before she passed, otherwise she would have forced her to come. But she unfortunately discovered this place a bit too late.

"Whatcha doing out here?" Elle turned around to see Avery walking out the front door carrying a mug of coffee, wearing a purple sweatshirt and some running shorts. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you already got me a cup!"

Elle looked over at the cup that she poured for her dead aunt and flushed. "Actually, that's not for you."

"Double fisting this morning, huh? I didn't think I made you that tired last night," Avery suggested with a double-eyed wink.

Elle rolled her eyes but laughed. "No, it's not for me either." Elle swirled the coffee in her cup. "Today is the anniversary of my aunt's death. We would have coffee every morning, so this is my little way to remember her."

Avery's demeanor shifted as she leaned down and rubbed Elle's shoulders. "Oh, I'm so sorry Elle, I didn't know."

Elle put her hand on Avery's. "Oh, it's okay, it's been eight years since she passed."

"Still, it's hard." Avery picked her coffee up and started to back up, giving Elle a sweet smile. "Okay well I will leave you be then, just grab me if you need me."

Elle shot her a pursed smile and nodded, appreciating the fact that Avery gave her this time. As the door slid shut after Avery, Elle took another sip of her coffee and brought her arms closer into her to stay warm. She looked out into the forest and saw two deer trotting carefully through the brush. Elle smiled, for some reason it felt like Aunt Rose was responsible for the deer. She felt a pang of sadness and loneliness, as she did every year on this day. But this year it felt a bit less poignant, knowing that someone was waiting for her on the other side of the door.