Flower Power

by Nicolette Dane

  “I can only imagine what Penny’s feeling,” said Alex.

  “Right,” said Taryn.

  “Let’s go take a seat in the golf cart,” Alex said, putting her hand to Taryn’s shoulder blade. “I’m sure the crowd will be gathering shortly.”

  And gather they did. With Taryn and Alex sitting together in the golf cart, the rest of the gang came around to be present at the birth. There was Astrid and Lucas, Scotty and Justine, all six of them hanging together to chat excitedly about the new addition to their family. It was a convivial event, with a lot of laughter and horseplay. Scotty had brought a cooler with a few unlabeled brown bottles of home-brew, and everybody accepted one to drink. Taryn felt good, and she smiled as she put her head on Alex’s shoulder.

  “I love you,” Taryn said softly. “I love all these people.”

  Alex smiled happily, and she reached up and delicately pet Taryn’s head.

  “I love you, too,” said Alex.

  Taryn tried to enjoy the boisterous and happy mood of the group, even amid some painful sounding screams coming from inside the container home. She hoped her friend would be all right. Penny was such a special and thoughtful woman, and Taryn knew she would be a great mother. She was honored that she was present for this birth. Looking around at her group of friends, drinking beers, laughing in merriment, Taryn knew that this was meant to be. It felt like her life was supposed to happen like this. It felt natural.

  The door of the home opened and everybody immediately got quiet and looked up. Dev was standing there with a big grin, holding a swaddled little being with a red face. It was crying as they came out into the daylight, but it soon became quiet and more alert. The assembled crowd watched Dev with unwavering attention.

  “Let me introduce to you,” Dev said. “Darla June Wyatt-Dell.”

  Everybody applauded and hooted, excited for the new parents and the arrival of a new part of the family. It was a joyous moment for them all, and they offered cheers up to Dev with their bottles. Taryn and Alex hugged one another, and kissed deeply.

  “Penny is great,” Dev continued on. “Just a little spent, obviously. Mommy and baby are both great. But I should get her back to Penny, or Shirley might smack me. Have a beer for me!” With that, Dev disappeared back into the house and shut the door behind him.

  After a bit more lively conversation, the group began to disperse. They had things to return to, chores to do, tasks to finish. Taryn and Alex, however, sat there in the golf cart for a few moments more, continuing their conversation and their adoration of one another, happily and lazily musing about life.

  “I never really wanted any kids,” admitted Taryn. “I think Penny is so strong for doing it. Much stronger than me.”

  “I wouldn’t say no to them,” Alex said with a smile. “Though I doubt there’ll be any surprises with us.” She squeezed Taryn’s hand, and Taryn laughed.

  “No, I wouldn’t think so,” said Taryn. “So if something had happened in the past, an accident or something, you would have had the baby?”

  “Yeah, absolutely,” Alex said, still smiling blithely. “There are no accidents.”

  “Right,” Taryn said, her own smile growing. “There are no accidents.” She squeezed Alex’s hand now, and the two kissed.

  “But I’m happy with how things are,” Alex continued. “I think this is the right path.” When she said this, she held up both her and Taryn’s hands together.

  “I think so,” agreed Taryn. Her happy trance went on for a moment until a thought hit Taryn. “Oh my God,” she said with urgency. “Did I turn off the oven?”

  “What?” said Alex.

  “I don’t know if I turned off the oven in the house,” said Taryn. “And I might have left the roast in there.”

  “Let’s go,” said Alex. She turned the key in the golf cart to bring it to life. Then she kissed Taryn, and together they drove off across the grass and back up to the house.

  When Taryn pulled into the driveway of the farm, she smiled happily knowing that she had made the last trip out to Ann Arbor that she would make for a while. In the past few weeks she had been back and forth, cleaning out her house, giving away or donating a lot of stuff, and preparing her home for sale. She had just handed off a set of keys to her friend Pamela, a real estate agent, and left the task of selling the house up to her. Pamela had also recently spearheaded another deal for Taryn—the purchase of Mr. Brooks’ farmland next door to Verdant Bloom. It wouldn’t be long before the sale was closed.

  The back of Taryn’s SUV was stuffed with boxes, though upon looking at them all through the open rear door she wondered if she’d still brought too much. It was a process downsizing from her old extravagant lifestyle, but she knew there were some things that the homestead could use. She pulled out one particular box labeled ‘kitchen stuff’ and she visualized what was inside. Surely the house could use some of her nice utensils and gadgets. Most of them were basically brand new. Before coming to the farm, Taryn wasn’t really much of a cook. But now she had some idea what she was doing in the kitchen.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Taryn saw someone coming her way. She looked and saw that it was Penny, smiling brightly as she hobbled along in a loose fitting dress, her hair back in a ponytail, a happy but tired expression on her face. Taryn waved to her and she waited as Penny carried herself over.

  “Hi baby,” Penny said, leaning in and kissing Taryn on the cheek.

  “Hello,” said Taryn. “I come bearing gifts.”

  “I see that,” Penny replied, looking inside the car. “What do you have for me?”

  “Just some random stuff,” Taryn said. She opened up the box of kitchen stuff and pawed through it as Penny watched. “I’ve got this olive wood spoon set that’s really nice,” she said, holding up a wooden spoon.

  “I like those,” mused Penny, taking the spoon from Taryn and inspecting it.

  “A bunch of other stuff, too,” said Taryn. “I don’t know. We can go through it and just donate what we don’t need. I had so much. Going through it all was pretty stressful, to be honest.”

  “All that stuff can weigh you down,” said Penny. “It feels nice to lighten your load, doesn’t it?”

  “It does,” Taryn agreed. “There are a few boxes in here meant for the house. Are you able to carry any?”

  “I can take a light one,” said Penny. “I shouldn’t do too much, though. I’m still healing up.”

  “Well, don’t take any,” countered Taryn. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  “I’ll just do this one,” Penny said, lifting up the box they had been looking in. “Alex and Astrid are inside. I’ll send them out to help you.”

  “Thanks,” Taryn said. She smiled happily. Penny blew a kiss at her and then carried the box off.

  Continuing to sort through the boxes, pulling some out and setting them on the ground, Taryn casually organized what should go into the house and what was destined for her new home. After a few minutes of Penny being gone, Alex and Astrid came out of the house talking and laughing with one another. They made their way over to the car and approached Taryn.

  “Hi,” Taryn said to Alex. The women kissed.

  “Yo,” said Alex.

  “So this is it, huh?” asked Astrid, looking around the boxes.

  “This is it,” said Taryn. “I think I’m finally done. The house is empty. It’s weird.”

  “You regretting your choice?” teased Astrid with a laugh. “Thinking about running back to civilization?”

  “No way,” affirmed Taryn. “I feel so much better about myself. I finally feel like I can develop a sense of calm. This has been a lifesaver for me.”

  “Well, we’re all so happy your staying,” said Alex with love in her eyes. “Especially me.”

  “You show me how happy you are by carrying this box into the kitchen,” said Taryn. She hefted a box into Alex’s arms, and Alex almost dropped it. “Watch out, it’s lopsided in there.”

  “What th
e heck is in here?” protested Alex.

  “It’s a ceramic coated cast iron dutch oven,” said Taryn. “Heavy.”

  “I feel that,” said Alex.

  “What about me?” said Astrid.

  “Here you go,” Taryn replied, pulling a box from the car and handing it over to Astrid. She then grabbed another box for herself. “Let’s lug these inside, grab a few more, and then take the rest down to my house.”

  “Yes, boss,” Astrid said, turning away and walking back.

  Alex gave Taryn a loving smile, and the two women walked together behind Astrid. It felt good to be home.

  Later on, Taryn was working alone in her new shipping container home. It felt magical to be there, so cozy and quaint. There was a small kitchenette upon walking in through the sliding glass door, there was a custom loveseat against one wall with storage built into it. Off to the far side there was a bed that went wall to wall, with a nice window next to it as well as a skylight above it. Dev had even built a small bathroom into the home, though if Taryn wanted to shower she would have to go up to the farmhouse.

  Before moving in, Taryn had painted the inside walls a calming blue color, and she decorated it with a few of her favorite items from her old house. There was a surprising amount of storage for her clothing, but Taryn had made a good effort to downsize all that before moving in. Besides, she no longer needed her work attire and felt good about donating it to a charity that helped provide professional clothing to women in need. Lightening her load felt good. It took so much weight off of her mind.

  With an open box sitting on her loveseat, Taryn casually unpacked a few more things she had brought. She took an antique tea kettle over to the single burner she had in the kitchenette, along with a fancy glass beaker meant for pour over coffee. She still had a few of her nice things. This wasn’t some kind of monk-like ascetic living situation. This was about living free, being happy, and getting honest with herself. Taryn loved coffee, and even through her transition to a more simple life, she didn’t want to give that up. Nor did she have to.

  “Hello in there!” called Alex, now standing in the doorway. “May I come in?”

  “Of course,” Taryn replied, waving her inside. “You can come and go as you please.”

  “This place is looking so nice,” mused Alex, looking around and taking it all in. “Dev did such a great job building it out.”

  “I know,” agreed Taryn, moving closer to Alex and embracing her sweetly. “I feel so grateful to have this, to be here. It’s just so beautiful.” They kissed.

  “Penny’s loving some of the stuff you brought for the kitchen,” said Alex. “A lot of upgrades from what she had already, and she’s excited to box some of the old stuff up for donation.”

  “I knew she would be,” said Taryn. “God, I spent so much on some of that stuff and never even used it.”

  “It’s okay,” said Alex. “I still think you’re swell.” Again, the women kissed.

  “I still can’t believe this is my new home,” said Taryn. She spun around, her eyes darting from corner to corner of the container home. “It’s like a dream come to life. I never thought this would be my life, but I’m so excited about it. It feels nice to wake up in the morning and love being awake.”

  “I’m really happy for you,” Alex cooed, holding onto Taryn’s hand and adoringly rubbing it. “And I’m so happy that you’re going to be so close to me now. I really feel this cosmic energy building between us. It’s palpable.”

  “I feel it, too,” said Taryn. “This feels so natural and so… genuine.”

  “It does,” confirmed Alex. “It does feel genuine.”

  “Mmm!” hummed Taryn, planting a deep and exalting kiss on Alex’s lips. Alex laughed softly and returned the kiss in kind.

  There was a contented and comfortable pause as the two looked into each other’s eyes, both smiling big and warmly. Taryn felt, in that moment, that she had somehow stumbled into the perfect life and she was grateful for how fortunate she was to finally get on the right track. Looking at her lover with a blithe intoxication, she spoke up.

  “I just love you,” said Taryn. “I really do, Alex. This is wonderful.”

  “I love you, too,” Alex replied.

  They embraced once more, and they held on tightly. Neither wanted to let go.

  After a barbecue dinner with the gang up near the house, Taryn and Alex traipsed hand-in-hand across the yard. Alex had a thin joint between her lips, and after a few puffs she passed it over to Taryn. Taryn happily took a drag from it, then exhaling a small white cloud of smoke from her lips. She felt relaxed, satisfied from dinner and a rousing conversation with the others, and now she was happy that she and Alex had broken off to do their own thing. This is how life on the farm cooperative just was. Sure, there was work to be done, but once the day was finished and the job was complete, you felt free. There was no exhausting drive home, no collapsing down in front of the television, no dread over doing it again tomorrow.

  Together, the ladies sauntered into Taryn’s new abode, both feeling loose and leisurely as they eased into the evening. As Alex broke away and moved to the kitchenette to put some water on for tea, the hem of her cotton dress swayed at her thighs. Taryn unzipped her hoodie and tossed it onto the couch, sashaying over toward the bed and falling down onto it in just a tank and a skirt.

  “So beautiful,” Taryn mused, looking upwards through the skylight in her ceiling. Night had fallen and the stars shined brightly in the clear sky above.

  “Hmm?” intoned Alex. “You talking to me?”

  “No,” replied Taryn. She grinned. “But also yes.” Alex laughed softly.

  “Do you want tea?” Alex asked.

  “Sure,” said Taryn. “I’m feeling really good from that weed. Centered and calm.”

  “Me too,” agreed Alex. “I feel just perfect.”

  After some conversation and tea, the two ended up cuddling against one another in Taryn’s bed. The open window let a cool breeze in, but their skin was warm as they pressed into each other. Alex had her hand wrapped around Taryn, with Taryn’s tank top bunched up from her belly. Slowly and tenderly, Alex ran her hand over Taryn’s stomach, petting her in a casual, yet seductive manner.

  “Go lower,” hummed Taryn.

  “Yeah?” said Alex.

  “Mm hmm.”

  And so Alex did. She poked her hand under the elastic waistband of Taryn’s skirt and went exploring within. Underneath, Taryn was wearing nothing more and Alex’s hand probed through her lover’s course hair, indolently petting over it. Taryn groaned happily and she snuggled even tighter against Alex, gripping onto her as Alex’s hand moved lower still and began to massage Taryn’s buoyant flesh. Taryn, feeling her own arousal and happiness grow, loosened up and melted back into her lover’s touch.

  They kissed and held each other as Alex went deeper, one of her fingers entering Taryn and causing her to moan out in delight. Their kissing grew more passionate and heated, and soon clothing started to shed. Alex helped Taryn pull her tank over her head, and they both laughed happily when it got stuck in Taryn’s arms for a moment. It was a lighthearted lust they both felt, blissful to be next to one another and to fall further toward the inevitable.

  Taryn felt her heart beat fast, and she felt a bead of perspiration build at her temple. Looking down the length of her nude body, she watched as Alex unhurriedly ate her out. It sent tingles through Taryn’s body, and she felt herself dampen between her legs with Alex’s eager assistance. The smell of salty sweat lingered, and Taryn’s belly rose and fell with her labored breaths. Alex, meanwhile, focused her oral attention on Taryn’s clit, licking it and flicking it, while she used her fingers to penetrate her partner, steadily pushing them in and pulling them out.

  “Don’t stop,” Taryn murmured, her thighs tightening. “I’m coming.”

  Taryn twisted in bed as she felt the spark move through her. She grinned as she held to the sheets, enjoying tremendously that Alex kept going ev
en through Taryn’s orgasm. She felt like all was right with the world. Her fears were gone, and they were replaced with love.

  Sitting crosslegged with her back against the pillows, Taryn drank from a glass of water as she watched a now standing Alex take off her own dress. Alex’s breasts tumbled out, and she bent over to slide her underwear down her legs and step out of them. With a happy and chill smile on her face, Taryn watched as Alex then searched around in the kitchenette for something.

  “Where did I put the rest of that joint?” Alex mused to herself.

  “I don’t know,” replied Taryn, who took another drink.

  “Ah,” Alex said. “Here it is.” She put the rolled cigarette between her lips and she lit it, taking a long drag and walking back over to the bed.

  “Need a bit more?” asked Taryn.

  “Yep,” said Alex, holding her breath to keep the smoke in her lungs for a few moments longer. She exhaled and pass the joint to Taryn. “I read recently that marijuana increases sex drive and improves orgasms in women.”

  “You’re just messing with me,” said Taryn, taking a puff herself.

  “I’m not,” replied Alex. “It’s science. Look it up on the internet if you don’t believe me. Their conclusion was… ‘Marijuana appears to improve satisfaction with orgasm in women.’ I’ll take it!” They both laughed.

  “You’ll have to email me that study,” said Taryn. “I’d like to read it.”

  “Oh, I will,” countered Alex. She took the joint back from Taryn and put it between her lips.

  The night carried on, though Taryn and Alex were oblivious to the time. All they cared about was being together, making the other happy, and playing joyfully in their intimacy. They were on the same wavelength, suffused in desire and enthusiasm and sex. Everything just came so easy when they were together, and Taryn felt like she was finally beginning to understand all the things both Alex and Penny had been telling her about destiny and coincidence and accidents. But she didn’t need to dwell on it. Rather, she was content to accept things as they were and as they came. She was finally feeling at peace. And it was everything she’d hoped it would be.