#they're in a little cottage on the outskirts of Villach

[milleniaoffamily]

A Domestic Afternoon

Joe kneaded the dough with a sunny smile on his face. He loved the feeling of flour on his hands and the push and pull of the dough on the board. Nicky stood beside him, cutting vegetables with the rapid style that one could only get through years (or hundreds of years) of experience. They had a comfortable quiet between them that felt safe. Birds sang outside the window and a slight breeze made the drying herbs hanging over the sink sway and wave. They both grinned as they heard the car pull up in the driveway, shooting each other playful smirks.

“How many extra ingredients do you think they bought?” Nicky asked, laughter shining through his tone. Joe smacked him lightly with a dishtowel. He wiped his face with his arm in an effort to get the flour he knew was there off but ended up somehow getting more flour everywhere. They both erupted out into laughter and Nicolo turned from the cutting board to brush some away from his love’s beard.

“Just enough that we have no idea what to do with them until you give up and consult the recipe tome, like always.” Joe’s voice was warm with joy and he kissed Nicky’s cheek before reaching for some extra herbs. He was making a savory-sweet loaf to go with dinner that night - he had found that midday was the perfect time to begin the baking process if they wanted fresh bread with their dinner. Rosemary, he thought, would do nicely with the caraway seed and honey already present in his loaf. 

Nile burst into their cottage with the stars of inspiration in her eyes and Andy followed her with her eyebrow raised, though an undeniable smile painted her face. They both had their arms full of groceries and Nile rushed to put them on the table. She turned on her heel and grinned at the pair in the kitchen over the half-wall that separated them.  

“We went to Tarvisio! Oh, and we got some Cabernet so break out the wine glasses.”  Nile’s enthusiasm was infectious and Joe couldn’t help grinning along with her. Nicky shot Andy an amused look and she rolled her eyes at him.

“How was it?” Nile’s eyes shone as she began to unpack the vegetables and fruits they had bought. Andy stretched and then sat, watching her unpack. It was always clear how much Andy cared in the way that her eyes lingered on the members of her family. So many of the things that Nile had done to help her were things she wasn’t even aware of. She was able to draw a light out of Andy that Joe and Nicky hadn’t seen in years and it brought light to them as well. 

“It was beautiful. The architecture was so amazing, so many buildings on hills - and the forest was beautiful. Oh! We got some fresh canvases, too. I was hoping that we could make something together.” Joe hummed as he split the dough into two halves and made sure the oven was at the right temperature. The time he and Nile spent drawing and painting together was deeply special to him. During breaks such as these when they could afford to settle down Joe loved to paint and he and Nile had created countless works of art together. They’d happily sit side by side for hours, chatting about the color of the light over the horizon or laughing as they complained about the strange texture on the tablecloth. Nile had a keen eye for detail and the way she translated the motion of the world around her onto a canvas was breathtaking. 

“I’d like nothing more.”

They ended up beginning sketches of Andy as she chatted with Nicky while Joe waited for the bread to bake. Nicky continued to prep the meal for the night, dragging out the overfilled binder of recipes for something to do with the pomegranates they had bought. The weather was fair and Nile walked through the fields outside their door while she called Booker to make sure he was still more or less alright. The moments that his loneliness shone through his voice over the phone were difficult but hearing about the old man in the apartment below his and the work he was finally doing to properly grieve made the call worth the hurt. Her skin soaked up the sun outside and the wildflowers danced at her feet. 

There were still moments when her new life was painful. There were still nights where all she could think about was the people she’d had to let go of. But she knew that she wasn’t alone. As she walked back to have dinner with her family she couldn’t help smiling because in that moment she couldn’t be happier to be alive.