It was autumn when she met him. The leaves had started to blush ember and restaurants were advertising their pumpkin flavored appetizers. She thought he was a simple man that she could share a bench with. She didn’t know that he was a man that would take her breath away. He sat at the opposite end of the bench while she sat on the other. Both of them were breathing in the spiced air and staring at the enchanting leaves.
“Upstate is better,” he commented. She turned, startled by his voice.
“Excuse me?”
“Upstate is gorgeous in autumn,” he repeated. She nodded politely and glanced at him. He had sharp jaw lines, icy blue eyes, and tousled brown hair. His leg was jittering and his whole body shaking with it. He turned and held her gaze; she quickly looked away. He still stared at her. She had fiery red hair, emerald eyes, and pale porcelain skin. He sucked in a breath. His hands fumbled with a crinkled bag he was holding.
“I’ve always wanted to see what it’s like up there,” she murmured. The man nodded and took out a donut from the crinkled bag.
“Do you want one?” He asked.
“Sure.” She put her hand in the bag and grabbed a donut, sugar brushing off her fingers. The man stared at her, amused at how delicately she ate. The woman didn’t notice, she was too intrigued by the delicious taste.

“Did you make these?”

“Yeah.”  They were both silent for awhile.
“They’re really good.”
“Thanks.” They sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to say. A gust of wind blew and leaves went flying. The woman started to tap her fingers impatiently, as if she was waiting for something. The man stared at her; she didn’t notice. Her foot started to tap along with her fingers. Her eyes darted back and forth.
“Is everything okay?” The man asked.
“No. Not really,” she sharply admitted. He sat there quietly, his leg slowing down.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything. Everything’s wrong. I wish I had no care in the world. I wish I could be a leaf,” the woman declared.
“I do too,” the man simply replied. They both looked up and held eye contact with each other. The woman realized that the man understood. She smiled at him shyly and he smiled back at her. That was the moment she knew.

“It’s autumn. You probably know that. It was always your favorite season. Remember when you convinced me to be a kid again and jump in that gigantic pile of leaves? That was probably the best day of my life. Scratch that. The day on the bench was the best day of my life.” The woman had tears in her eyes and was twisting a bright orange leaf in her hand. “Remember me wanting to be a leaf?” She chuckled quietly. “I still do. I wish you could make me another donut. I know you taught me how to bake them but I still can’t get it right. I wish you were here. I miss you.” The woman’s red hair had turned into a dull gray and her emerald eyes were saddened. She had lost all energy to tap her foot or her fingers, and now her eyes could only move slowly. She sat in front of a gravestone covered in flowers. The woman placed the orange leaf next to the gravestone. She knew that was all he needed.