interspersed with red,
yellow, and pink rose bushes along the front of the huge structure.
Next door, the Allens' modern home, with its yard of gravel and
cacti, stood in stark contrast to this lush landscape.
He led me to the front doors. They were massive, with suns,
moons, and stars carved into the highly varnished oak wood. He
pushed in a security code and put his thumb on an electronic plate to
gain entrance. I marveled at the complexity of the security system.
"My older brother, Adam, loves technology. It's kind of embarrassing sometimes," he explained. We walked through the formal
living room, dining room, and kitchen, which were all immaculate
and tastefully decorated. He stopped just before we reached the
French doors that opened onto a patio.
"Close your eyes," he demanded.
"Why?" Surprises make me nervous. It's not that I don't like
them; it's just that I don't always know how to react. I never want to
disappoint the person doing the surprising. I definitely wouldn't ever
want to disappoint him.
"I want to see your face when you open them."
I did as he asked, scrunching my eyes shut so I wouldn't be
tempted to look. He led me a few feet through the doors.
"You can open them now."
When I opened my eyes, I was immediately awestruck by a
magnificent waterfall that careened off a cliff at the yard's edge. It
formed a pool that was encircled by exotic plants. I recognized a few
orchids and the bird of paradise, but the rest were foreign to me. The
colors were exquisite. They ranged from pure white to deep purple
and included all the hues of the rainbow. I had never seen a backyard
quite like this.
"It's so beautiful!" I exclaimed.
"I thought you would like it." He looked pleased by my reaction.
"Where does the water go after it reaches the pool?" I asked.
"It filters through the rocks on the bottom and forms an underground stream that comes out again at the base of the hill."
"Where does it come from?"
"The source of the springs is in a cave up above the cliff." He
pointed to something I couldn't quite see from where I was standing.
My eyes continued to take in his flamboyant backyard. It contained all things necessary for survival in the desert. There was a kidney-shaped swimming pool, a gazebo filled with plush patio furniture, and a really, really big barbecue grill attached to a well equipped,
outdoor kitchen. There was also a large and inviting Jacuzzi hot tub
that could comfortably accommodate a dozen average-sized adults
and maybe two dozen skinny teens.
He took my hand and led me up a trail that meandered around
the cascading water and came up behind it. At the top of the cliff
stood the entrance to a cave from which the water flowed. We
entered the opening, and the temperature fell by several degrees.
"Natural air conditioning," he said as he steered me to two lawn
chairs beside the springs that bubbled and gurgled up from the floor
of the cave. There was a cooler near them. He opened it and handed
me a Coke.
"Did you plan this?" I asked, smiling at his ingenuity.
"Yes." He looked pleased with himself. "I wanted to spend some
quality time alone with you. I have to go to a family reunion this
weekend in Roswell and then to a pharmaceutical convention in Las
Vegas next week. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning. I'll be gone
until next Saturday."
I tried to mask my sudden disappointment. I would have to live
a whole week without him. I was doing it again. I was being ridiculously needy. I could survive a week without him if I had to. I didn't
want to, but I could.
"Do you have to go?" Did I even have any pride anymore? I had
to grow a backbone right now. This would never do. Memo to self
find some pride today!
"Yes," he said sadly. "It's only a week. You won't even know I'm
gone.
Ob yes, I will, I thought. Every single minute of every single day.
"Will you really miss me?" He smiled brightly.
I said nothing. I didn't want to appear as dependent as I
yellow, and pink rose bushes along the front of the huge structure.
Next door, the Allens' modern home, with its yard of gravel and
cacti, stood in stark contrast to this lush landscape.
He led me to the front doors. They were massive, with suns,
moons, and stars carved into the highly varnished oak wood. He
pushed in a security code and put his thumb on an electronic plate to
gain entrance. I marveled at the complexity of the security system.
"My older brother, Adam, loves technology. It's kind of embarrassing sometimes," he explained. We walked through the formal
living room, dining room, and kitchen, which were all immaculate
and tastefully decorated. He stopped just before we reached the
French doors that opened onto a patio.
"Close your eyes," he demanded.
"Why?" Surprises make me nervous. It's not that I don't like
them; it's just that I don't always know how to react. I never want to
disappoint the person doing the surprising. I definitely wouldn't ever
want to disappoint him.
"I want to see your face when you open them."
I did as he asked, scrunching my eyes shut so I wouldn't be
tempted to look. He led me a few feet through the doors.
"You can open them now."
When I opened my eyes, I was immediately awestruck by a
magnificent waterfall that careened off a cliff at the yard's edge. It
formed a pool that was encircled by exotic plants. I recognized a few
orchids and the bird of paradise, but the rest were foreign to me. The
colors were exquisite. They ranged from pure white to deep purple
and included all the hues of the rainbow. I had never seen a backyard
quite like this.
"It's so beautiful!" I exclaimed.
"I thought you would like it." He looked pleased by my reaction.
"Where does the water go after it reaches the pool?" I asked.
"It filters through the rocks on the bottom and forms an underground stream that comes out again at the base of the hill."
"Where does it come from?"
"The source of the springs is in a cave up above the cliff." He
pointed to something I couldn't quite see from where I was standing.
My eyes continued to take in his flamboyant backyard. It contained all things necessary for survival in the desert. There was a kidney-shaped swimming pool, a gazebo filled with plush patio furniture, and a really, really big barbecue grill attached to a well equipped,
outdoor kitchen. There was also a large and inviting Jacuzzi hot tub
that could comfortably accommodate a dozen average-sized adults
and maybe two dozen skinny teens.
He took my hand and led me up a trail that meandered around
the cascading water and came up behind it. At the top of the cliff
stood the entrance to a cave from which the water flowed. We
entered the opening, and the temperature fell by several degrees.
"Natural air conditioning," he said as he steered me to two lawn
chairs beside the springs that bubbled and gurgled up from the floor
of the cave. There was a cooler near them. He opened it and handed
me a Coke.
"Did you plan this?" I asked, smiling at his ingenuity.
"Yes." He looked pleased with himself. "I wanted to spend some
quality time alone with you. I have to go to a family reunion this
weekend in Roswell and then to a pharmaceutical convention in Las
Vegas next week. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning. I'll be gone
until next Saturday."
I tried to mask my sudden disappointment. I would have to live
a whole week without him. I was doing it again. I was being ridiculously needy. I could survive a week without him if I had to. I didn't
want to, but I could.
"Do you have to go?" Did I even have any pride anymore? I had
to grow a backbone right now. This would never do. Memo to self
find some pride today!
"Yes," he said sadly. "It's only a week. You won't even know I'm
gone.
Ob yes, I will, I thought. Every single minute of every single day.
"Will you really miss me?" He smiled brightly.
I said nothing. I didn't want to appear as dependent as I
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