Rosegarden Week 2023🌹Day 2: Stay Late
@rosegardenweek
The rain wasn’t letting up. And probably wouldn’t for another few hours.
Oscar switched off the radio as he toweled his hair. His Aunt Em walked into the room, carrying a half-full basket of vegetables from their personal garden.
“Date put on hold, huh?”
Oscar paused at his Aunt’s words as she walked into the kitchen.
“It wasn’t… a date, Aunt Em.”
It really wasn’t. Ruby had brought her whole team to visit because they were on a mission nearby.
They were just being friendly. Not a date.
Except then Yang had started fixing up the old tractor in the barn, Weiss had to return to the boarding house where they were staying to sort out their finances, and Blake had gone to check out the selection at the library somewhere in town.
Leaving only him.
And Ruby.
Still not a date.
And then the rain had come. A heavy thundering storm, that soaked both Oscar and Ruby as they ran to take cover in the farm house.
Aunt Em had furnished the two of them with towels and was currently heat up hot cider for them, allowing Ruby to dry off and change into some spare clothes in her room.
“A guy and a girl alone together? Sounds like a date,” Em called from the kitchen.
“We were feeding chickens!” Oscar cried, following her.
Em sat at the table, peeling the vegetables, probably for supper that night.
“I’ve taken one or two sweethearts with me during farmwork,” Em said slyly.
“Aunt Em!”
Before his aunt could heckle him anymore, Ruby walked into the kitchen, changed and as dry as she could manage without using a blow dryer.
He couldn’t put his finger on why, but Oscar felt that he plain flannel shirt suited her, as did the sweat pants she was wearing.
“Thanks for the clothes,” Ruby said, sitting down at the table.
“Wasn’t a problem,” Aunt Em said, her eyes not leaving the carrot she was peeling, “but you’ll need to stay over tonight.”
“But I’ve got a room at the boarding house,” Ruby said.
“The levy broke,” Aunt Em continued, “so, unless you want to slog through a mile or two of mud and waste deep floodwater, I say you’re staying.”
Ruby looked at Oscar.
Oscar looked at Ruby.
Well, Oscar thought, worst things could happen.
