The holidays and my annual trip to the East Coast and Don's to Japan for skiing meant for a bit of a break before our next meeting. But as soon as we were both home, he was eager to get back together - as was I.
It was early February 2020.
When I arrived, he again greeted me outside by the fountain with a hug and peck on the cheek. As he escorted me in, he was full of updates about his travels.
I walked in the front door and followed him to the right past the formal living room, formal dining room and a epically large painting hanging on the wall. It looked like 1.0 of the expansive tree outline on his label. I inquired. One of his daughter's painted it and he loved it so much it became a symbol for his starting over.
We passed through into the kitchen and he already made some dinner preparations. Light charcuterie and cheeses were laid out. Raw salmon fillets, fennel, cherry tomatoes, and baby potatoes were staged on cutting boards on the counter. The Christmas Cactus that I had gifted him was there as well right by the kitchen sink. It brought a smile to my face that he kept it. The fire was roaring. The dusk and warmth in the air was comforting.
He moved passed the island and continued to tend to his cocktail set up. Juicer. Bombay Sapphire. Campari. Fresh oranges from the abundant tree in full bloom right outside the kitchen window.