Love Story

I was a Scarlet Letter

The sun shone down on the fields and pasture, unobstructed by any clouds. The only thing that made the heat bearable was a light breeze that made the hayfield seem to roll like a golden ocean. Chickens scratched the ground in search of tasty morsels while the sheep grazed under the watchful eye of an old hound. All was well on the farm, but there was work to be done, as always.

Alex raised the axe high above his head and brought it down, watching the huge log split in two. Setting the axe aside, he repositioned one of the halves, preparing to split it again, and again until they were small enough to fit in the fireplace.

Sweat gleamed off his bare chest as he continued chopping wood, his father collecting and stacking the finished pieces beside him.

"Ugh, this is so boring!" Alex said, setting the axe down again. "Why can't I just..." He raised his hand to snap, but his father stopped him.

"That's enough o' that now. It does a body good to get some hard work in." The older man said, tossing few finished logs up onto a tall stack. "Besides, it gives us a chance to have some father son time. After all, you ain't been around all that much lately."

"Dad..." Alex grumbled as he went back to chopping. He didn't really want the lecture he knew was coming.

"I'm just worried about ya, son." The man said, moving to start a new stack of wood in front of the old one. "Now you're a grown man, and I respect that, but I don't like the idea of you runnin' 'round partyin' and such."

Alex rolled his eyes and swung again, splitting the log wide open. "I'm not partying, Dad..."

The old farmer turned to his son, setting his hands on his hips. "Well were've ya been, then?" He asked, the gentle anger only parental worry can cause in his voice. "Every time yer mother and I turn 'round, yer nowhere to be seen."

The axe continued to swing, and Alex was grateful for an excuse not to look at his father. "I've just been out..." He said, desperate for the other to let it go.

"You doin' drugs?"

Alex growled in frustration at the question. "Of course not." He said.

"You runnin' 'round with the ladies?"

"Dad..."

"'Cause if you get some little gal pregnant, you—"

"Dad!" Alex yelled, stopping to turn to the man in anger.

"What's all this now?" His mother's gentle voice cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter, and Alex immediately relaxed. He turned to see the shorter woman in a lovely sundress holding two full glasses of iced tea.

The old man took one gratefully, taking a drink to help him cool down. "We were just havin' a talk, man to man, about him takin' responsibility if he goes out and gets some girl pregnant."

There was a thunk as Alex buried the axe in a log, leaving it there. "Oh my God, Dad, stop!" He said with an exasperated sigh. "I'm not having sex with anyone, ok?"

"Alex." His mother chided gently, handing him the other glass. "Your father and I are just worried about you is all. We miss you when you're gone so much."

Alex sighed, taking a drink and enjoying the sweet taste. "Fine..." He said, rolling his eyes a little. He looked back at his mother and took a deep breath. "I'm seeing someone, ok?"

"Oh, baby, that's wonderful!" The woman said, smiling warmly at her son. "When do we get to meet her?"

"Them." Alex gently corrected. "And I don't know. Things are... complicated with their family and I don't know that they are ready to start the whole 'meet the parents' deal just yet." He didn't want to do anything Morgan wasn't comfortable with, and while he was sure his parents would love his quirky partner, he also knew they could be a lot to deal with.