full circle

The car thermometer said 40 degrees Fahrenheit tonight. Walking to the car after dinner we saw our breath, ephemeral wisps of fog. Once we were inside, I touched Damian's cheeks, his skin still cool, air-burnished. The weather is supposed to warm up to the high 60's for trick-or-treating on Monday, which is good, but right now it's autumn in the northeastern US, with a chill that wakes you up and makes you feel alive. I missed this so much all those years in Los Angeles. Every October I'd feel desperately homesick. Every single year. Now we're here and I'm soaking it in, drinking fresh apple cider every day, trying to go for hikes every weekend, walking for miles through the city when I can. Reveling in the crispness of the air, the colors of the leaves, the quality of the light, the faint smell of smoke and pine needles in the air. I know it'll get much colder, I know I'll be cursing the wind in February, but right now it feels delicious.