The crunch of gravel and dirt filled Suzy’s ears as she turned down the long drive. Her music was loud, the windows down, and the perfect August weather made her smile. Tonight was the Perseids meteor shower’s peak, and the clear skies meant they would have a prime view.

She pulled the car to the side of the house and popped the trunk. Suzy pick up and carried two sacks full of groceries into the house, humming to herself. Soon she came back and pulled out a box of firewood. She set it in a nearby cart and closed the trunk, then hauled it up the hilly area to their deck.

They had built a small outdoor storage box next to the deck. She opened it and pulled out the pieces to the double hammock. Soon, the red striped canvas swung securely from its frame. She made sure the wood was stowed, the lighter in working order, then rested her hands on her hips, taking a look around before heading back to the house.

Steve wasn’t expected until the early evening, so Suzy had the house to herself for a few hours. When she got back she put the groceries away except for the fruits and vegetables needed for dinner. She washed those and put them in strainers next to the sink. She looked down and realized her shirt was soaked.

She huffed, looked at her watch, then grinned. Plenty of time remained for her to freshen up and relax. She stripped as she walked to the master bathroom. Standing over the tub, she dropped the stopper and began filling it with water and bubbles.

Suzy finished undressing and slipped into the bath as the water continued to pour in. Soon the tub was full. She turned off the water and relaxed. Her hands floated through the suds and she gently massaged all her tension from the work week away.

When she started to prune, she pulled the drain plug and slipped into the shower for a quick rinse. She could tell the day was ending by the changing light. She thought to herself, Time to prep dinner.

She dried off and slipped into some comfy clothes. Steve wasn’t expected until late, so dinner for one. But, she planned a nice little dessert with strawberries to share when he did get home.

She stood in the kitchen, eating off her plate of eggs, vegetables and béarnaise. She didn’t care about eating alone; it was nice to have a few quiet moments to herself. She hoped Steve wouldn’t be too tired tonight. It had been a long week for both of them and tonight started a long weekend break. Work had kept him up long hours and she hoped he’d finally get a break.

Suzy finished up her dinner, rinsed the plate, then sliced up the strawberries and tossed them in sugar to macerate. Then she mixed up a shortcake to bake and placed it in the oven.

While the cake baked, she caught up on some emails and flipped through photos shared by family across the country. The oven dinged. Suzy set her phone down and made her way back to the kitchen. The sky outside had quickly changed from sunset to midnight blue.

The smell from the shortcake was delightful as she pulled the piping hot joy from the oven. She pulled out a few sealable containers and dished out the berries into two bowls, and placed them and a can of whipped cream into a lunch cooler with some ice packs.

She saw his headlights as he pulled in. Her heart fluttered. She hoped he liked the surprise she’d put together. Steve soon walked into the house.

“What smells so good?” he asked as he opened the door.

She smile and quietly replied, “Shortcake!”

He laughed, “That smells good too,” then winked at her. She slid around the counter that separated them and tiptoed up to welcome him home with a kiss.

She lowered to her flat feet still in his embrace and looked up, “Get on some comfy clothes; I want to sit outside for a bit.”

Steve shook his head yes, released her, and sauntered down the hall. He wiggled his butt at her as he turned into the bedroom. She let out a giggle.

She pulled the throw off the sofa and placed it, the lunch cooler and the cake pan into a tote, then added a spoon and some forks. Last she grabbed some napkins.

Steve came out finally. He’d freshened up, she could smell his cologne down the hall. She grinned…maybe tonight would be even more than she planned.

She took him by the hand and handed him the tote, then led him out and up to their deck. As they came up the path, he saw she had already set up the hammock. He set the bag next to the hammock and sat down, swinging.

“So, what’s the occasion?” He wondered allowed.

Suzy busied herself with putting the wood into the fireplace.

“Honey, I will do that!” He stood up and joined her by the fire pit. Together they got the fire going.

“Nothing special. I thought it would be nice to look at the stars tonight.” She thought he may not know there was a meteor shower tonight.

She moved over to the hammock and invited him to join her. They reclined back next to each other. They shared details about their week and told each other jokes and stories.

Then, Suzy inhaled and pointed to the sky. Streaks of light spread across the sky. Steve looked up, and then turned back to her.

He planted a big kiss on her cheek. “Thank you!” His hand gently swept across her arm.

She looked back at him and saw that look in his eyes. The one that always made her melt. Goosebumps popped up on her arms.

Steve rolled back on his back and pulled out the throw to cover her up. She slid deeper into his warm arms and together they enjoyed their evening under the stars.