The Lavender Fields | Provence

     You and two of your besties decided to travel together on holiday to beautiful Provence, France. You booked a room in a luxurious chateau in the country. There are endless fields of lavender as well as vineyards on the grounds of the chateau. You and your friends spent some time together enjoying good food and wine. On occasion you'd go to the quaint town nearby to do some shopping and sightseeing. You'd enjoy a luxurious bath with lavender infused soap in the evenings after a long day. You'd have breakfast alfresco in the morning and dinner out there in the evenings. One evening, after dinner, you excused yourself from your friends. You needed a moment to yourself to walk in meditation. It was dusk, and you enjoyed the scent of lavender in the air at that time of the day. The sky had a hint of orange and purple glow, which blended well with the lavender fields. The sound of the gravel beneath your feet was the soundtrack, along with the gentle breeze rustling the shrubbery. As you walked toward an ancient stone wall, you noticed the rustic wooden gate open. When it did, that's when you saw him. He noticed you too and smiled. You smiled back, trying not to blush. He looked so angelic, ethereal. You wondered if he was a marble statue that came to life. He walked up to you to introduce himself. You snapped out of your daydream and composed yourself quickly so you can acknowledge him. He reached out his hand and said in a calming voice in French, "Bonjour, je m'appelle Timothée.  Je ne vous ai jamais vu par ici auparavant.  Visitez-vous?" He noticed you had a glazed look after you shook his hand and said "bonjour" back. He was still holding your hand and looking into your eyes when he asked, "Do you speak English? I'm sorry, i assumed you could speak French." You were relieved when you heard him say that, with a slight accent which was so cute. You told him that you're visiting from the States and only know a few basic words to get by. He smiled and welcomed you. He said he lives nearby and sometimes comes here to help in the gardens. The chateau is owned by some friends of his family, so at times, he walks on the grounds whenever he gets a moment. You were intrigued. He then asked if you'd like to take a stroll with him, that is if you didn't mind. You said sure, you couldn't resist taking a stroll with a seemingly kind and handsome stranger. You talked about your trip and things about yourself. Talking to him felt easy, as if you already knew each other. He had a calming effect on you. It was perfect since the goal of your walk is to feel calm. You walked along the lavender. He pulled a little sprig and handed it to you. You put it up to your nose. It smelled divine, you thought to yourself. As you continued to walk, he asked you how long you're staying. You said you have 2 more nights left. He has a slight pout for a millisecond. He then said, I know you don't know me, but I'm hoping to see you more before you have to leave. You were shocked because you didn't expect that, but you wanted to see him again too. You told him that you'd love to, but that it also depends on your friends. He said, no worries. I walk here every evening. If I see you again, that would be great, if not, I understand. It was getting dark. You told him that you need to get back. He smiled and wished you good night as you were both back to where you first met. After you parted ways, you couldn't hold back the euphoria. You had to tell your friends, and that's just what you did when you got back in the room. They were so excited for you and said that they will plan their stuff accordingly so that you could meet him again for the rest of the trip. You were excited and felt so fortunate to have such great friends in your life. You went to bed and dreamed about him. The next evening, you met him again, in the same place. He had a big smile upon seeing you. This evening you learned more about each other. You even shared a hug when you parted ways later that evening. On the final evening, you met him again, this time he had a small bouquet of lavender tied with a hemp chord. You held it as you walked, sniffing it occasionally. He held your hand as you found a bench on a hill overlooking the vinyard. The paper moon was shining full overhead. He leaned in to kiss you. You felt it was going to happen before it did.

     You felt a connection the moment you met him, and now you sensed that he did too. Your heart was bursting, yet you were sad because this was your last night, and you knew that you were going to miss him. You ended up staying longer than the previous nights, talking under the dim glow of the moon. You can see the chateau in the distance, with the lights in the window and lanterns on the terrace. It was late and you didn't want to leave, but you had to so you could rest before your trip to the airport. Before you parted ways, you exchanged information and shared your last embrace, with tears in your eyes. He had tears, too. When you got to your room, your friends were asleep, and you were relieved that you packed before you met him tonight because it would've been hard to do it now. You got ready for bed and went to sleep. The next morning, the van picked you up, and you looked around the field, hoping you saw him before you went in, but he was not there. You talked about him to your friends during the flight home, and deep down, you missed him so much. You missed his calm voice and demeanor. The way the breeze played with his hair, the way the moon sparkled in his eyes the last night. You dreamt about him later as you slept during the rest of the flight home. Fast-forward to 3 months later. You had both been in touch online, and one day, he had a surprise. He said he's moving to America. He found a photography job for a magazine in New York. You were excited about the news, especially since you live in Soho. You're a designer and have an amazing loft there. You both planned what to do when he arrived. When the time came, you were inseparable. You helped him design his apartment and spent time exploring all the various museums, shops, and cultural centers in the city. After 2 years had passed, you got engaged on the bridge in Central Park during autumn where the trees were gold and crimson. He moved into your loft. Over time, he had an established career in photojournalism, and you had a successful design firm. As you both sat on your rooftop terrace, you reminisced about how you first met in Provence. He smiled as he looked at the Big Dipper constellation. He reached over and picked a sprig of lavender from the potted plant next to him and handed it to you. In that moment, you knew exactly what love was because you have it now.

Lavender Fields