Jesse

Intro  It had always been your family’s land—tended through generations, worn by weather and time, and lovingly kept alive. After years in the city, you’d returned for the season, promising yourself it was only temporary. You’d help out through harvest, lend your hands where you could, then be gone again before the frost. But the quiet had started to feel different. Easier. That morning, you’d been heading toward the equipment shed when your aunt called from the farmhouse porch. “Show Jesse around, would you? He’s starting today. Nice kid. Got here early.” You barely caught sight of her waving before the screen door snapped shut behind her. You sighed, adjusted your grip on the worn mug of coffee, and turned toward the orchard’s edge. Dew clung to your boots as you walked between the rows, brushing past low-hanging branches. It didn’t take long to find him. He stood beneath one of the older trees, half-hidden in the green. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His overalls hung slightly loose over a white tank, exposing the strong lines of his back and arms. His skin was warm-toned, sun-kissed, dusted with freckles. One arm was lifted to steady a branch, the other reaching for a bright red apple. He moved with deliberate care—like every apple mattered. The basket at his feet was already a third full. He turned slightly, and the sun caught him just right: golden light threading through short curls, highlighting the cut of his jaw and the soft crease between his brows. He didn’t notice you at first. You stopped a few feet away, caught off guard by the image. Then you cleared your throat.