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When fall caed and my lessons filled the after school hours fros down at Louise’s shop listening to gossip and cutting hair Louise had a steady clientele; being the only shop in town for twenty years has its advantages Over the last couple of years she’d been h more often then not, she kept her women clients, who had become attached to her as women are prone to do with their hairstylists I mostly cut the children’s hair, the men’s hair, and had once even trimmed Iris Peterson’s miniature poodle, Vivvi

Septehout the West - the light is softer, the temperatures abate, the sky is often impossibly blue, and a hint of color starts to tery huff, leaving heat in its wake, and I was ready for September’s cooler head to prevail Fall was er to smell it and feel it on my skin Unfortunately, as I walked the n of it The yellow sundress I had put on that(because it reminded me of yellow autumn leaves) now mirrored a persistent summer sun, and I picked up my pace to escape its rays

I sla behindabove me The cool air that hit me felt like salvation, and I closed my eyes and liftedby the door could blow directly on my skin

"Good mornin’, Sunshine," Louise drawled, with a sain, rateful worship to the hu fan

"When yer done prayin’ you can say hello to Nettie and Samuel, too"

My head jerked up, and my eyes flew open at thein Louise’s pink swivel chair, patiently reading a azine with Julia Roberts on the cover while Louise rolled her hair in little pink pin curlers

"Goodto see Sa doors that led into the general store

"Good htness Instead my voice squeaked a little, and Louise looked at htly, and Nettie spoke up, never lifting her eyes froes "Sa scheduled right away"

"She doesn’t," Louise supplied without hesitation, and she and Nettie looked over at me expectantly

"Certainly, Saht this way"

I walked quickly toit swiftly and trying to control the nervous heat that pooled in my stomach I couldn’t understand why I felt so off kilter when he was around ether yesterdayPart of me desperately wanted to avoid hiain

I turned, expecting hiaze across the roo me with an undecipherable expression on his face In a fluid and easy ain, I felt the sensation of butterflies dancing in one breakfast

He folded his length into the pink chair, and I levered the chair doard so I could lower his head back into the sink Iinto his face I tested the water temperature and slid a towel beneath his neck so the water wouldn’t drip into his shirt when he sat up I focused on his thick black hair and the deceptive silkiness of its texture in ers and Iabout washing another person’s hair that is very nurturing, and the caregiver in me normally enjoyed the sihs of contentment that were invariably expressed Most people closed their eyes and relaxed under entle hands

Samuel kept his eyes opened and trained on aze Ited to shutbetween us I tried to distract hts of Kasey I had never kissed Kasey with ht about it I’d always closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his lips on aze locked with rimaced inwardly and chastised hts I didn’t want hi and inquisitive and exhausting, and I wished he would go away!

I rinsed his hair with fervor and shut off the water with a frustrated yank Levering furiously, I sat him up and briskly rubbed the towel over his hair

"You seery Ridiculously and desperately angry Why did he have to coht fresh pain I was through loving people ould only leave Icoer slipped off rew still in his hair, and aze of my old friend

"I’m sorry, Samuel I have behaved very badly since you returned," I confessed in a whisper "I can’t seeetto control ive me?"