Jackson wandered around the studio while waiting for Elisabeth to pack. He stood in front of a still life, drinking in its beauty. Whenever he saw her art, new feelings emerged.
The meeting with Claudia had disturbed him. He didn't want to keep anything from Elisabeth, yet felt unable to explain his past. How could he expect her to understand things he did not understand himself?
When Elisabeth entered the studio with her bag, Jackson took her hand. "I don't want to have secrets between us."
She embraced him at the waist. "You and I have plenty of challenges with our present and future. The past isn't important to me."
"Why are you always so easy on me?"
"Because you are so hard on yourself."
He found that puzzling, never considering himself to have much of a conscience. Perhaps when it came to Elisabeth, there existed a higher standard. He kissed her forehead. "I love you."
"Now that is important."
***
At the pumpkin patch, they sipped hot cider while strolling around making their choices and corralling them together, laughing and enjoying the sunshine. They put aside the heaviness of their situation and focused on their feelings for each other, living in the moment. When they had thirty pumpkins, Jackson paid and arranged to have them delivered to Fairhaven the next morning. Elisabeth grabbed a few and put them in the car. "We can get a head start on carving today."
Back at Fairhaven they had lunch, then set out gutting the two pumpkins. "Do you know what these are going to be yet?" Asked Jackson.
"I have a few ideas." Elisabeth started drawing as Jackson cleaned the seeds to bake them. She had brought an array of Exacto knives and tiny saws for carving. The table resembled a surgical tray. She had finished drawing on one and turned it for Jackson to see. "What do you think?" It was a wolf howling at the full moon.
He chuckled, "Perfect." Then put his hand on the other pumpkin. "Count Dracula I presume?"
"But, of course."
He bent and kissed her. "Why don't I start carving that while you draw this one?"
As they cleaned up, Elisabeth broached the subject they had been avoiding. "You know, the full moon is two days before Halloween this month."
"Yes, I know."
"So, I will be gone."
Jackson took her hands. "I've been thinking about that. What if you could stay here?"
"You know that's impossible."
"Maybe not. Come with me." He took her to the holding cell.
"Jesus, what is this?"
"This is where you could stay during the full moon." He explained the construction of the room and its purposes.