Forgotten Path

He had traveled down that road hundreds if not thousands of times.

From the very first moment he could remember to now - it had been a part of his life. Those early morning walks with his parents, weaving in and out of the trees, holding their hands, one of each side of him, to when he used to race down the center, trying to beat his brother to the bus stop. So much of his time had been spent walking along it. Learning it. Getting to know every nook and cranny. Becoming familiar with each tree and their nuances. The patterns of their bark. Where their roots broke through the soil. But at the time, he had taken it all for granted. It was all just part of the daily routine. He had noticed it, but never truly appreciated.

As the years passed and he grew older, the road became more worn. Harder underneath his feet. Until he finally went away to school. It was only a few times a year that he'd return, but only to drive along its curves. Times had changed. He no longer walked it every morning - feeling the frost crunch beneath the soles of his shoes, soaking in the vibrant colors of the leaves that hung overhead. It still was very much a part of his routine, his life, but now it was just another place he passed.

It wasn't until he brought her home for the first time that he paid the road a true visit. His face may have looked different. He may have been taller. A little wiser. A littler older. But he felt like a child again. It felt good to be home. Strolling along with a loved one - hands intertwined. Smiling, laughing. Each footstep kicking up an explosion of the fall foliage littering the ground. Enjoying each other. It all seemed to simple. Growing up he had only shared this with his family, but now it felt so right sharing it with her.

As their relationship budded, their visits back home slowed. It was time for him to move on, find a new place to call his own. Start his own family. With her. And he did, far away, somewhere that offered what both of them needed. Soon he was only driving up and down the road when it was hidden under a blanket of snow - trunk filled with presents, cards, and holiday cheer.

Now it felt different. In the past when he drove along it, a feeling of excitement would well up in his stomach and he'd have to fight back a smile. He was returning home. But today, it only caused sorrow. Each curve brought with it a specific memory - posing for a picture on the first day of middle school, the tree that caused his first broken bone, years of hide and seek with friends. As the car continued along the dirt, the tears were beginning to form along the corners of his eyes. When the first fell into his lap, she squeezed his hand. Looking over to her, he could see his pain reflected in her eyes. He was thankful she was there with him. It was finally sinking in that these were the memories he had to hold onto - that there would be no more. It wasn't his home any longer. They were simply returning to sign the final papers and turn the keys over to the realtor.

As the final curve approached, he took his foot off the gas pedal, letting the car coast to a stop. Although it was lost in the morning fog, he knew the house was a couple hundred yards up ahead. Standing tall, just as it had his entire life. After a moment, he took the keys out of the ignition, opened the door, and slowly got out, breathing in as much air as he could - sliding his feet back and forth in the dirt - feeling its coarseness and grit. He met his wife at the front of the car, took her hand in his, and began walking the rest of the way.

They had time to make one more memory before it was all over.