As she climbed to the top of the mesa, she thought the sky to be a particularly brilliant shade of blue. That was why she had to get closer to it. They had carved out a combination of steps and slopes up the side a few years back so they could do just that.
There had been many a picnic on this mesa which sat on their land.....many poems written....many songs composed and sung....many nights under the stars, so brilliant that, once or twice, they believed those stars may have outshone their love for each other. But they were mistaken, of course.
And this particular day found her hungry for the sky. So she took her water, her pen and her paper and made the trek to the top, eager to breathe the air which waited for her there. The way the sun bathed the mesa created a luminous glow of cadmium, haloed by the azure sky, and the child in her was encouraged to giggle to receive such a gift.
She was left alone to play as she would. Three days now He was gone from her and she had to find ways to occupy her empty days without Him. She would draw her energy from the mesa.........their mesa. He was to be home tomorrow. And tomorrow could not arrive soon enough.
Sitting on the bench above, she placed her things next to her, putting a rock on the paper so the winds would not carry it off ~ a lesson she had learned in earlier days.
She then stood as close to the edge as possible, looking out to their land below, to the horizon where she witnessed a thunderstorm in the making. The winds wrapped around her and billowed her cape about her, pulling her hair away from her face, then across it again. Her dress was swept back and forth, slapping against her legs. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun, spreading her arms out like wings. And she did feel as though she could fly off the cliff and ride the wind.
She laughed as she opened her eyes. A distant movement caught her eye.......a little dust storm was born and she studied it. Her attentions were made keener when she realized that it followed the road leading to their home. Who would be visiting? Her apprehension turned to joy as she saw His old weathered truck. She stood a little straighter and watched His progress, His trail of dust and sand, as He drove as fast as the dirt road would allow.
Did He slow down? Oh! He stopped. She could see Him sitting in the truck. Then the dust caught up with Him and for a moment, hid the old blue truck from view. When the sand settled, she gasped to see Him....standing in front of the truck, His stance strong, hands on His hips. He was looking up at her. And with hundreds of yards between them, she still felt the electricity of their love. Her hand flew to her throat, as it did when He moved her like this.
She raised her hand in simple recognition of His arrival and she saw Him smile.......or maybe she just felt it from so far away.
Quickly, she gathered up her things and her skirt and made her way down the face of the mesa to meet Him. He had arrived early! She thanked the gods for her good fortune! He had come home to her! And there, as she approached the lower slope, He stood to greet her. He smiled as she laughed in her childlike manner. His heart swelled as she rushed toward Him with such joy, and as she fell into His arms, He knew there was no better love than theirs. Oh, how He had missed her!
And, with their arms wrapped about each other, they walked back to their home, talking over one another, laughing and kissing playfully as she welcomed Him home.
They entered the house and He was pleased to be surrounded by its comfort and her love. She led Him to His chair, removing His boots and lifting His feet to the ottoman. She placed her hand on His chest and simply said, "Rest, my Love. You are Home." and walked to the kitchen.
