White Roses in Summer
At
The House of Four Seasons
by Atonia
Part 2
He was, Toni noticed after breakfast, full of energy today, there would be no lounging about in hammocks or quiet contemplative meals on the terrace.
“What do you want to do, Max?”
“I thought we might take the bike out, if you could throw some snacky things in a bag, there’s a lot of property here to ride.”
“Okay, sounds good to me, I’ll see what I can find.”
Toni headed for the pantry and Max went to get his bike out.
It was a good day for riding, there were roads and trails all over the place.
“I wonder if there is an end to this place?” she asked when they stopped to share a bottle of water.
“I suspect not, Terry and I were going to try and find it but we never did; the fence went on for miles. I think it probably just expands as needed. How the bloody hell would I know how magic works?”
Toni looked at him thoughtfully, “I wouldn’t know about that, but I’m glad you never found an exit gate.”
“We were looking for you.” He reminded her.
Toni walked over to the side of the road.
“I’m glad we found you,” he said softly behind her.
“You’ll never know how scared I was, Max, of losing it all.”
“You weren’t the only one…ready to ride?” He wouldn’t tell her how frantic he and Terry were when they found out she and John were nowhere on the property. The SOS from the house had been bad enough, especially as it gave no indication as to the problem.
The house was bound by magic, and certain rules could not be broken, it had done what it could and depended on Max and Terry for the rest. Their intelligence, and the strong bond with Toni and each other as her seasons is what saved the day.
Toni mounted the bike behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. They found a stream and a shady spot for their picnic. The house had provided an insulated bag with cheese, apples and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.
Max stuck the bottle of wine in the stream to keep it cool and they lay back on the grassy banks with their feet in the water.
“That feels good,” Max liked the feel of the cool water across his feet.
“Yes it does, you don’t realize how warm it is until the bike stops.”
“Let’s get wet,” Max was up removing his clothes.
Toni followed suit and soon they were both next to the bank where the water had pooled up cooling down. Of course cooling down with Max did not necessarily mean…cooling.
He finally pulled her out of the water, laughing, “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure, Max, first time ever in a stream.”
“It was fun,” he pulled her against him and kissed her.
“Yes it was,” everything with Max was fun…everything was exciting and sex had always been the best.
They lay in the grass until they were dry enough to dress and then ate their food and drank the bottle of wine.
Max was lazily weaving back and forth down the road turning once in awhile and catching her eye. She hugged him and laid her head on his back.
The days that followed were much the same, they swam in the pool, played tennis and walked on the beach, ate good food and played in the bed, or the pool house, or the gazebo and once in the boat house that had appeared on the pond. There was an old wooden boat to play with now.
“Stroke,” she laughed propping her feet up on the side of the boat.
“Exactly…umf…what kind of stroke do you have in mind?” he pushed the boat along with a long pole.
“Are you working hard, darling?”
“I am, and all for your comfort I might add, what happened to the bleeding oars anyway?”
“They’re probably in the boat house, did you look?”
“No, they should be in the bleeding boat.”
She made a little face, “Have a seat love and a glass of wine.”
He sat down trying to fit the pole across the boat nearly hitting Toni and finally giving it a toss into the water.
“Oh, now we’re stranded in the middle of the pond.” She laughed pouring his glass.
“I don’t really care perhaps the oars will float to the sides of the boat.”
“I could summon them you know,” she smiled.
“You wait until I have poled us out here in the middle of the pond, with some effort I might add, and then tell me you could just like that – snap- and oars would appear?”
“Yes, darling I do so love to see you suffer.”
“I believe you do, you’re a witch complete with cat, who I found on my desk this morning in the study.”
Toni trying her best not to grin, “And what was she reading?”
He looked over his glasses, “The Times.”
“Financial pages?”
“Millie and I have talked about my study, she knows that’s not her domain; I think you encourage her.”
“I do not, Millie is a free spirit, she goes where she pleases.”
“We’ve talked about that too.”
“And what does Millie say?”
“I wonder how deep this pond is?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m about to toss you overboard.”
“You won’t because you love me.”
“You’re right…I do.”
It was the middle of July when Toni finally brought up the subject that had been in the back of her mind all summer. She hesitated because she wasn’t sure how Max was going to react. He was her lover her playmate and would be forever.
They were on the stone terrace one late afternoon and as usual with a bottle of wine.
“Max, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Yes love?”
“How would you feel if you arrived and I was pregnant?”
“You aren’t…are you?”
“No, but it’s crossed my mind that I might want children.”
“I…I’m not sure Toni exactly how I would feel.” It was the last thing he expected to hear.
“Well that’s why I’m asking,” she could see it had shocked him.
Unlike John, who had not voiced his opinion, Max did, “I think you need to think about this Toni, it’s more than just wanting children, the child would grow and have four fathers Toni ,or uncles whatever you would call us. It would have to go to school, it would be different for the child living here in this magical house, how would you explain things, would it be able to go out into the world or be confined here as you are. It’s not just a question of you being pregnant, it’s what follows.”
“You don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Actually no I don’t; think about this Toni, we don’t age at some point in time the child would be older than you are.”
Toni realized she hadn’t thought of all the ramifications of having a baby here. She only wanted to give them babies. “But wouldn’t you want a child of your own, Max?”
“If we lived out there somewhere in another world, your world that you gave up, yes I would love for you to have my baby, but darling we don’t live out there, this is what we have and it has to be enough.”
Toni looked down at her hands, she was going to cry.
He couldn’t stand to see her cry and went to her, pulling her to her feet, “Toni…please.”
“I know you’re right, Max, it’s just that I wanted to…”
“I know darling, you would because you have so much love to give,” he put his arms around her and held her tightly to him.
“I guess it was just a dream, something I wanted to happen.”
“I’m sorry love, you asked me and I told you what I thought. I honestly do not think this is a place for children. If you feel that strongly about having a child then…I think you would have to leave this place Toni.”
“No…no I will never leave here…I could never lose you, Max.”
“You’ve made your choice, there are things you must give up; I hate it has to be this way.”
Toni looked up at him, “You’re right, I did make my choice and I don’t regret it, I don’t.”
“Are you sure about that?” Sometimes he wondered, especially when they were out on the cape watching the boats, walking down the streets, in and out of shops, stopping for crab cakes.
“Absolutely, unless I could take all four of you with me out into the real world.”
“That would raise some eyebrows.”
“Yeah,” she smiled, “it would.” She was over it now, Max talked sense as he always did when it came to something serious. He wiped a stray tear with his thumb. “Oh Max I need you.” She cried.
“I’m here, Toni.”
They went upstairs to his room.
And he loved her.
Part 3
Where they came from she didn’t know, and he wouldn’t tell her, two dozen white roses on her bedside table. He took one and placed it behind her ear.
“Sometimes there are no words.” He said, and kissed her long and lovingly.
It was mid morning of the 28th of August and he was leaving.
He didn’t want me to come downstairs and see him off but I did anyway. Driving off in his little yellow car. It seems like summer has passed too quickly; I wasn’t ready for it to end. We’ve shared so much this season and have become so close I think we are one person when we are together. Just when I think I have plumbed the depths of him I find there is more, so much more to discover. How could I not love Max forever?