WfW ~ with a face like a toad

 I am writing with Words for Wednesday, the words for which can be found here on Mother Owl's blog for July.

The goal of WfW is to take given prompts, words, phrases, photos, colors, or music and create a story from them.

This week's words and color of the month are in bold italics.

If you visit her blog you can also read and cheer on the other writers participating in this weekly fun.

This is a continuing WfW story that started here on April 5th.

I left off on July 11th with some brotherly advice for Jack. 

  "Uh, Simon, should I be worried that you pay such close attention to my little sister?  You two haven't actually gone on any dates that I don't know about, have you?  Or maybe making plans to?"

  I didn't answer.  Until that moment, Rose had just always been Jack's little sister.  Kind of like my little sister too, and I'd never looked at her any other way.  Or maybe subconsciously I had.  Until I had said those things out loud, I wasn't even aware I'd noticed them.

  Overhead, a wedge of Canadian geese passed by with one or two stragglers loudly honking as they tried to catch up.  While it was still hot, seeing them reminded me that the start of fall was just two months away.  It had been Cori Ann's least favorite season after Sage died, and by default I also dreaded it.  She hadn't been able to see the beauty in the color of the leaves, only the fact that they dropped from the trees.  The bare trees signaled death for her, the silence of winter meant there was no laughter to be heard.

  I felt a door close on my past, and maybe a new window opening to the future.  

  For me, fall had always meant laughter.  Family gatherings.  Football.  Fresh crisp air.  Bonfires.  The bright colors on the trees were invigorating, and even shoveling snow in winter was relaxing for me.  A chance to just focus on one thing at a time in the peaceful muffledness of snow.  Silence had been Cori Ann's enemy but not mine.  I would use each huff and puff to breathe in and out my mantra words for that day.  In healing.  Out pain.  In peace.  Out anger.  In serenity.  Out negativity.  My arms would move like clockwork in rhythm with my breath.  Down.  Up.  Down.  Up.  Down. Up.

  I treasured the time I'd had with Cori Ann and Sage.  I always would.  But maybe it was time for me to move forward instead of not moving at all.

  "Houston calling Simon.  Earth to Simon.  You there, buddy?  Your face is all lumped up and you look like a toad.  What's going on in that thick skull of yours?"

  "A knot of toads.  It's called a knot of toads, not a lump."

  "Ah, whatever, dude, further evidence that you weren't paying attention to what I was saying.  I said your face looks like a lumpy toad.  Where'd you go?  Thinking up some new mousetrap invention?"

  "Jack, you know they can't invent a better mousetrap than a regular old cat, right?  Listen, I've got to go talk to Rose about something.  Are we good?"

  "Sure, Simon.  Go do what you gotta do.  It's about damn time you got off your ass and did something about that.  She's been in love with you for only the past five years."

  "Wait.  What?"

  "Nothing, bro.  Nothing.  Just go, get out of here.  I'll talk to you tomorrow."