Chapter 10: The October Evening

It was a cool Tuesday evening in late October when the realization finally settled into place within their shared universe, heavy and sweet like ripe fruit waiting patiently to be picked from the branch. They were sitting lazily on the dented metal hood of James's battered pickup truck, parked at the highest scenic point of Lookout Ridge overlooking the sprawling, twinkling lights of Cortis down below. The night air was remarkably crisp, carrying the sharp, comforting scent of burning fireplace wood and dry leaves that signaled the true, glorious arrival of autumn in the heart of Texas.