Ophilia Leflore is a freelance photographer that often watches people in a local park. Her world is flipped upside down when she’s caught taking photos of the handsome, single Navy vet & his son.
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I. I WANNA BE DOWN
Autumn. The season of oversized sweaters, fur boots and warm drinks by the fire. The trees have dressed themselves for the season, donning their brightest hues. A slight breeze whispers along the branches, teasing the leaves to release their tentative hold. As they do, Ophilia takes in the freshly calm air with that hint of earthy aroma, the fragrance of homeliness.
She whips out her Canon Powershot SX540, immortalizing her surroundings in film. A petite woman jogs with her border collie while lovers walk hand in hand along the well trodden path. On a nearby bench, a young man is so deeply engrossed in his mobile device that he neglects to notice a wayward leaf had made his head its new home. Ophilia chuckles softly. Lazy days like this were the reason she loved the season so. After a long week of photo shoots and magazine spreads, it was nice to sit under her favorite Oak tree and watch as the world breezes by her. A nice calm to the storm.
She aims her attention to the left where a child’s laughter rings out as he dives into a pile of discarded leaves.
“Baba, look!” the boy squeals cheerfully, throwing a handful into the air like confetti. She snaps several shots, the little boy’s glee entirely too precious to ignore. She finds herself unconsciously giggling with him until a deeper voice pulls her out of her zone.
“I see you, Bud,” the voice says sternly. “But next time, don’t run off like that. Anything could’ve happened to you,” he scolds lovingly. Ophilia is stuck. She’d seen the little boy in the park several times before, but he was never accompanied by the handsome man.