ROCK PARTY

I had just pulled into the driveway, grabbed all of my work bags from the back seat of my car and was walking up the front sidewalk when I saw the beautiful bog iron rock sitting on my front step.

Stepping over the rock I let myself in the house and dropped my bags on the nearest chair before excitedly going back outside to marvel at the present someone left for me.

“Alex!” I called back into the house. “Did you see who dropped this off?”

Alex came to the front door and saw me sitting next to the rock. “Someone left you a rock?”

“I know!” I couldn’t help but smile. “Isn’t that the sweetest thing?”

“Well, it’s a rock so I’m not sure I would consider it the sweetest thing. At least for me.” Alex was leaned against the doorjamb.

“Well, it is for me! Someone knows I’m still working on lining my path through the woods to the shed.” I began inspecting the rock and could see some moss was growing on one side. “So, did you see who dropped it off?”

Alex shook his head. “Nope. I didn’t see anyone come up to the door.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” I picked up the rock and began carrying it around the house to add it to the path, with Alex following me. “I was hoping you saw who it was so I could thank them.”

I walked into the woods and dropped my new rock where the rock border had stopped. I listened as it thud into place. “Perfect!” I looked at the shed only a few feet away. “We’re getting closer now!” I called to Alex who had stopped at the beginning of the path.

As I wove my way back to him I stopped and adjusted some of the rocks that had gotten out of place.

Standing next to Alex I looked down the path. “It’s really coming along now.”

Alex looked over at me with a confused look on his face. “I don’t understand why you don’t just buy some bog iron and finish the path?”

I looked over at him with a confused look on my face. “What fun would that be?”

“Fun?”

“Yes, fun.” We began walking back to the house. “It’s the hunt that’s fun. Seeing when someone leaves some at the curb, or finding them in our yard when it freezes then thaws and a few are pushed to the surface.”

Just then my husband Steven came around back. “Did you find the rock I left you on the front steps?”

“It was you!”

“Yeah, I was at a clients house and I saw it in their front yard.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It didn’t look like it was a decoration so I asked if I could have it. They were thrilled to get rid of it.”

I went over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Well, I love it!”

“I thought you would.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked over at Alex. “Your Dad is so thoughtful.”

Alex looked at Steven and then back at me. “You know it’s still just a rock.”

I took Steven’s hand as we walked back to the house together. “No, it’s not just a rock. Your Dad was thinking about me when he saw the rock and knew how happy it would make me.”

“Exactly.” Steven said as he opened the back door. “Some people like to be given flowers while your Mom’s happier with a rock.”

I stopped for a second. “Wait a minute. I never said I didn’t like getting flowers.”

Alex started to laugh and he patted Steven on the shoulder and began walking out of the kitchen. “Well, you walked right into that one.” He called over his shoulder.