Johnathan was frustrated. He sighed, put the notebook down on the bench looked around. He loved sitting in a Michigan wood in the fall. It was a beautiful Indian summer afternoon. One of those last perfect days to be savored because hidden in the sunshine is the hint of the winter to come. Light filtered through the scarlet maples, rusty oaks and golden elms. The rustle of the blowing leaves as they tumbled around his feet soothed him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The slightly musty smell of decaying leaves combined with a far off whiff of smoke from someone’s burning leaf pile. Another breath pulled in the aroma of grilling steaks. His eyes popped open. Steak? Where did that come from? Slowly, his mind moved from his musings to the present. It is Saturday afternoon. There’s a home football game. Someone is tailgating. Maybe he could snag some home cooked food. Anything would be better than another cafeteria meal. Smiling, he grabbed his notebook and pen and stuffed them into his backpack. Time to head back to the dorm and rejoin the human race.

Following his nose, he spotted a young woman grilling on the balcony of an apartment. The steak smelled good, but once he saw her, the steak lost its appeal. She was captivating. A petite blonde with energy to spare, she was enthusiastically using a spice grinder, liberally seasoning the meat. She was also talking over her shoulder to people inside the apartment. Once she was done with the grinder, she closed the lid of the grill and picked up a glass of wine. Not heading back inside, she walked to the edge of the balcony, rested her hand on the rail and looked out, right at him. She smiled.

“Hello.”

He knew he should answer but he couldn’t speak. He was memorizing her face because he somehow knew this was a life changing moment. Her bright blue eyes, sparkling like sapphires. The blush on her cheeks, deepened by the heat of the grill and the afternoon sun. The slight sheen of sweat on her brow, which caught a few strands of flyaway hair that had escaped from her high ponytail. And her smile. Simple. Sweet. Surprising. Not a full face grin, but a slightly off-centered lifting that spread the glow across her features. It seemed like he stared for days, but he recognized it had just been seconds. The silence almost stretched to the point of rudeness before he realized he better respond.

“Hi.” His smile answered hers as he stepped over to the balcony, lifting his hand to cover hers as the world turned on its axis and his life began.