Which feels true in other areas as well.
Sometimes, it’s just a bad season. But there’s always a fix for a bad season.
By the time I finish planting, the sun hangs low over the horizon, and the sky burns with streaks of orange and gold that spill across the entire field. The light stretches over the wide-open space, bathing everything in a soft, rich glow that highlights the freshly planted rows.
As I turn the tractor to head back to the farm, I see Levi standing at the edge of the field, hands in his pockets as he looks out at the rows.
I bring the tractor to a stop when I reach him and shut off the engine, the sudden quiet settling over me as I climb down from the cab. My eyes immediately lock onto his as he smiles at me, and I can’t help but pause and just take him in.
He’s wearing a crewneck and jeans, looking relaxed and easy with his sleeves pushed up his forearms, and the breeze gently blowing his dark hair over his forehead. The soft orange glow of the setting sun washes over him, and standing out here surrounded by farmland, he looks exactly like the boy I grew up with.
He’s beautiful.
He looks out across the field, and I draw in a breath before stepping closer to stand beside him.
“It’s going to work,” he says.
My eyes travel across the rows in the middle stretch of the field, and I nod, feeling it deep in my bones that he’s right. “It is.”
We stand in silence as we observe the freshly planted rows, and my mind wanders to the thing I’ve been trying not to focus on too much the past few days. Which I haven’t been very successful with.
We’ve both shifted our focus and interactions onto this field, and neither of us have brought up the fact that we kissed. I’ve been spending all my time maintaining equipment, loading seed, and preparing everything to plant, while Levi was buried in maps and data, building the prescription for this field. Any time we spoke, it was about work and what we needed to do.
But it’s done now.
The field is planted, and now we let the crop grow and manage the conditions around it.
So now… we have to figure this out.
But as I stand here with him, looking out over this field I held so close to my chest and struggled with for so long, a small smile tugs at the corner of my lips. It only got better when I let him in.
My life is better when he stands beside me.I’mbetter when he stands beside me.
I need him with me.I always have.
I love him.I always have.
And when I think about that kiss…I realize just how much I liked it.
And the fact that I’m not mad, anxious, or running away means something. I still want to runtohim, even when things feel confusing.
Maybe that means it’s not confusing at all.
“So,” Levi says, shifting his weight slightly on his feet. “I think we should probably talk…”
I turn my head towards him at the same time he turns towards me. The sunset catches in his eyes, drawing out the gold and amber flecks that always hide in them, and I simply stare into them while everything in my head settles into place. The thoughts that have been circling for days finally stop moving, and suddenly, everything is crystal clear.
“I’m sorry for… kissing you,” Levi says, his eyes moving between mine as if he’s trying to read my thoughts.
I nod slowly while my gaze moves across his features, taking in the strands of dark hair blowing gently in the breeze and the way his jaw tightens as he bites the inside of his lip.
“Did you like it?” I ask.
His brows lift slightly, and his chest rises with a breath. He pauses for a moment before he releases it and nods. “Yes.”
The corner of my lips tilts up, and his eyes immediately drop to my mouth. And my stomach flips at the sight.
“Me too,” I say.
