Color of Love

Bittersweet Endings

"Where are you taking us, Linnea? We're in the middle of nowhere!" Jade sighed irritably as we drove a little outside of town. I was headed to the little field where Sterling and I used to have picnics. I figured it'd be a great spot during the mild fall weather and would give Jared a place to ride the bike he'd gotten a month before for his birthday.

"It's coming up," I assured. We rounded a turn and then I pulled the car over to a small dirt patch on the side of the road. In just a few months, I could see all the spectrums of the rainbow – I'd even had it medically tested. Jade was still a little foggy on her purple's but other than that, I'd say we both finally were seeing color.

As we got out the car and I pulled Jared's bike from the trunk, Jade puffed, "So we drove a country mile just to go to a stupid field."

I pointed out to the large tree on the hill whose leaves were a burst of reds and oranges. "It's pretty shaded and the hill gives Jared place to ride his bike," I explained for the nth time. Jade grabbed the bag full of sandwiches, fruit, and juice out of the back seat and then the three of us trekked across the field.

Jared skipped and jumped in the high grass that came up to his waist as me and Jade followed behind him. I rolled his bike through the field, but as we approached the hill, the grass shortened.

We finally made it up there and laid a blanket down. Jade turned on music on a speaker as we ate. Jared was eager to ride his bike down the hill but Jade was hesitant, "Be careful, baby," she warned him as he placed his helmet on. He was a good rider; he already only had one training wheel on.

"I will, Mommy. Nea says I'm a good biker, right?" he asked as he looked at me for reassurance. I nodded and gave an encouraging thumb up. Jared hopped on his bike enthusiastically. Jade and I watched him slowly toddle down the hill. He kept his legs tight and braked most of the way down, but as he gained confidence, he slowly started pedaling and gained speed.

At the bottom, he squealed, "Again! I want to do it again!"

"Then come on and do it again, son!" Jade called back. Jared grinned and ran his bike back up the hill before this time going back down again full speed. We watched a couple of times before sitting back down and letting him do his thing.

As Jade and I sat and talked, I noticed a bunch of flowers blooming behind the tree. They were a beautiful soft lavender color and I smiled before getting up, "Hold on." I went around the tree and picked the prettiest one I could find. As I plopped down by her, I said, "What color do you see?"

Jade looked at the flower and then back at me with a roll of her eyes, "Linnea, you know I can't-"

"Sshh," I hushed her, "Just look harder."

Jade gave me her evil eye and then gazed at the flower. It was a few short moments before she said, "It's...purple. I can see it!" she said actually happily. I smiled and she gazed at me warmly before leaning to plant a kiss on my cheek.

"I can't believe I love your stupid self," she said sweetly with a smirk.

I snorted, "I can't believe it either, but, I wouldn't have it any other way."

I put my arm around her and she cuddled close to me. Jared was running up the hill towards us then and he shouted as he ran up the hill, "Mommy! Linnea! Can we go get ice-cream now?!"