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Lucy made comments. Angela and Nyla cracked jokes. Genny and Tamara teased him endlessly. But Tim denied it at every single turn. Every mention was met with an eye roll and a strong denial that he was going soft. It just simply wasn’t true. He was still the same hardass he’d always been. It didn’t matter that he was dating the best woman he’d ever known. It didn’t matter that he was head over heels for her. And it didn’t matter that she was undoubtedly the love of his life.
He was not going soft.
Except…
Maybe he was.
The Tim of five years ago… hell even the Tim of one year ago would have never been contemplating what the Tim of today was. Maybe he was going soft. But it was for Lucy. If he was soft for Lucy Chen he could handle that. He might still try to deny it to their friends. But maybe he might roll his eyes with a little less annoyance when she brought it up.
It was his turn to plan a date night for them and after a few months of dating, it wasn’t that they were bored of the routine that they had created, but they like to switch it up every now and then and the flyer that was currently in Tim’s hands was definitely switching it up.
The event was more Lucy’s speed, than his. As a matter of fact, he didn’t think he’d ever be caught dead at something called:
An Afternoon of Art and Atmosphere
But the more he read, the more it sounded like something Lucy would enjoy. And if he got to see her face light up with that beautiful smile that came when she was really excited about stuff, then that was a mark in his win column. He could endure amateur artists of all varieties, nature enthusiasts, and overpriced food if it meant making his girlfriend happy.
So Tim folded up the flyer and stuffed it into his uniform pocket to save for this weekend.
Saturday came quickly, accompanied by several inquiries from Lucy about what they were doing today. But Tim was tight lipped—wanting it to be a surprise. He told her to dress comfortably because they would be outside but that is the only information he was going to divulge.
When they were both dressed in something comfortable yet casual, they hopped into Tim’s truck and headed toward the park where the event was being held.
Pulling up, they saw the way the park was lined with numerous tents. Vendors and artists and food trucks lined the grass and then there was the oversized banner hanging near the entrance.
Lucy looked out the window in awe. She turned back to look at Tim then back out the window and then at Tim again with a wide smile. “Baaaabe,” she cooed. “This is really what we’re doing?”
“This is really what we’re doing,” he echoed matter-of-factly.
Her grin grew as she took in the sights around her. She was looking back and forth between the festival and Tim, while he circled the block looking for a parking spot. Warmth blooming in her chest.
“Are you sure Tim?” Lucy asked. “I mean this isn’t exactly your cup of tea,” she added.
“No it’s not. But it’s yours and in the spirit of switching things up, I thought this would make you happy. And seeing you happy makes me happy, so…” he trailed off smiling at her.
He shut the engine off and they both climbed out of the car. Tim made his way to Lucy’s side and she bounded up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders and kissing him soundly. He stumbled back for a minute, caught off guard by the action but steadied himself, placing his hands on her hips and eagerly returning the kiss.
When she pulled back, her face was glowing with affection for the wonderful man standing in front of her.
“You’re kind of amazing, you know that?” she mused, lacing her fingers with his and heading toward the entrance.
Tim shrugged nonchalantly and squeezed her hand. “Been told a time or two.”
She playfully nudged his shoulder and he dropped her hand in favor of wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He placed a tender kiss on her temple and let her lead the way.
They decided to get lunch first, opting to order something from two different food trucks so they could share more of a variety. As they sit at one of the nearby picnic tables, Lucy’s head is not still as she looks around, trying to decide what she wants to do first.
“So what do you want to do first?” Tim asks, as if he can read her mind.
She turns back around to face him and smiles. “I don’t know. There’s so much. Should we just walk and stop if something looks interesting to us?” she suggests.
“Sounds good.”
They throw their trash away and Tim’s hand finds Lucy as they begin their trek between the canvas forest. The first tent they stop at is manned by an older woman—in her fifties or sixties Tim would guess—selling jewelry. She smiles at them and Lucy strikes up polite conversation asking her questions about a couple pieces.
“See anything you like?” He asks, rubbing her back gently as she holds a bracelet between her fingers.
“Isn’t this beautiful?” she asks, holding it out so he could get a better look at it. It was a simple piece adorned with black and white beads, each separated by a silver bead with a star on it.
Tim nodded and smiled. “Do you want it?”
Lucy looked up at him, eyes sparkling and he smiled down at her, pulling out his wallet. He handed the lady his card and she wrapped the piece up and put it in a tiny bag for Lucy.
“Thanks babe,” she murmured, wrapping her arm around his middle.
“You’re welcome,” he kissed her head as they continued to walk.
They stop at a few more tents, admiring some of the local artist's works. Lucy buys Tim a handmade coffee mug with the Rams logo branded into it, despite his protests. The day is winding down but they continue walking, finding themselves in front of an interactive art wall complete with 4x4 blank canvases and an array of paints.
Lucy settles into one of the stations and quietly gets to work, while Tim stood off to the side watching her with a soft admiration in his eyes. From what he could tell she was painting a sunset. She expertly brushed strokes of deep reds and oranges and soft pinks onto the canvas like she’d been doing it for years. And Tim couldn’t help but smile, watching her beauty mirror that of her artwork.
“Tim, come here. Do you want to do one?” She asks, waving him over so he was standing next to her.
“No baby, I’m good. You’re the artist here.” he stated, kissing her crown. “I’m going to find us something to drink. I’ll be back.”
Lucy watched him go and then turned around to continue working on her masterpiece.
When Tim came back, the vendor was carefully putting Lucy’s painting into a small box. She thanked him and handed him a ten dollar bill. She turned to him and he smiled, handing her a cup of her favorite tea. She returned his smile and took a sip, closing her eyes as the warm liquid ran down her throat.
“Is there anything else you want to do or see?” Tim asked, gesturing around them.
Lucy shook her head, moving into his space and wrapping her arms around his middle, the best she could with the tea and souvenirs in her hand. “No, I’m ready to go if you are,” she answered, looking up at him.
“You sure?”
Lucy hummed softly, letting Tim move so he could wrap his arm around her, tucking her gently into his side as they began walking back to the truck.
The drive home was peaceful. The low hum of the radio filling the silence. Lucy’s hand rested in Tim's, his thumb tracing slow and soothing circles over her knuckles..
“Hey,” she said quietly, turning slightly in her seat to face him.
Tim glanced over at her, giving a low “Hmm?” to let her know he was listening.
“Today was really fun,” Lucy commented, breaking through the quiet.
He didn’t say anything at first. Just gave her a warm smile and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you had a good time baby.”
“I mean it. Thank you Tim. Even though it was your idea, I know that probably wasn’t your first choice for a date, but knowing you picked it because you knew I’d like it… that’s— I—,” she trailed off, not able to find the words to describe what the day and the gesture meant to her.
He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her fingers. “Anything to make you happy, Luce.” he said with a grin, his tone sincere.
Lucy’s face lit up and she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re going soft on me Bradford.”
Tim felt the urge to roll his eyes but he knew she was right. He was absolutely soft for Lucy Chen. “Maybe just a little… for you.”