Iris pushed herself away from her desk and stretched. Her muscles were sore and achy after being on the job for sixteen straight hours.
Buzzing her secretary as she packed up the essentials to take home, she said “Lori, I’m beat. I’m heading home. I’m not on call but if something urgent comes up, as usual have the team call if they need my assistance. I’m taking tomorrow off as well.” Her husky voice was laced with exhaustion and lack of sleep.
“Sure thing Iris. Get some rest and we will see you Monday.” Lori replied.
Iris finished packing her briefcase and then grabbing her purse headed for her car, waving goodnight to colleagues as she did so. As she emerged from the basement which housed the State of Arizona’s forensic offices and pathology departments, Iris immediately relaxed realizing she had yet missed the sunset.
March sunsets were a thing to behold in Arizona. They ranged widely in colors from deep reds and flaming oranges to light pink. Hot weather was rare for March, but warm days weren’t unheard of and the sunset promised a warm tomorrow. The sky was a riot of navel orange and blushing pink tinged with puffy white clouds.
Iris stopped and just let the sunset rejuvenate her for a couple of minutes. She waved goodnight to friends and colleagues as they rushed to their cars and their waiting personal lives. Iris was content to just tune out the city noise around her and enjoy the splendor of the evening sky for a couple of minutes.
As the sun sunk lower in the sky, a slight breeze picked up and Iris shivered slightly. Shaking herself back into the present, Iris headed for the car suddenly eager to be home and out of work clothes. Finding her car, she tossed her briefcase and purse in the backset and slid behind the wheel.
She turned the engine over and had that same momentary thrill she got every time she got in her beloved Jaguar. It was British racing green with tan interior and it was her pride and joy. Sure, she knew the upkeep on the car was outrageous but it was worth it to drive her dream car.
Pulling out of the parking garage, Iris headed for home. Luckily her place in Phoenix wasn’t overly far from the office and she was home much faster than those that worked downtown and lived in the surrounding communities. Iris was lucky enough to find a house in the the old part of Phoenix when the house market bubbled burst a couple of years ago. The house had been sold by an elderly couple that had purchased it new right after the war. They made a tidy profit for their sunset years on the beach in Maui and Iris got a great house that needed some work.
Walking into the house, Iris greeted the cat who was waiting for her by the back door. He angrily expressed his displeasure at her extended absence and his empty food bowl. Iris bent down and petted him apologizing in the process, “Sorry Buckey but it was one of those days. How about dinner and cookies?” Only response was louder purring and winding through her legs. Quickly handling Buckey’s empty food bowl, Iris headed for a hot shower.
Half hour later, Iris emerged from her room clean, relaxed and in a comfy shirt and yoga pants. Pouring herself a glass of water, she quickly assembled dinner and grabbed a beer. Carrying dinner to the patio, she flicked on the outside heater and sat down to eat. When she had moved in, the first thing she had tackled was the backyard. Now it was an oasis of old growth palm trees and a two large, shade providing Arizona Ash trees. She had planted a large variety of roses when she moved in several years ago. Her backyard was her retreat from the stress and emotional drain of being the head of forensics for the state.
The backyard was brimming with life. The flowers attracted birds and in the summer months the water feature was always popular with the hummingbirds. She ate most meals out here, enjoying the smells and sounds.
Dinner complete, Iris sat there and just enjoyed the slow, fragrant night all around her. Her cell phone buzzed and she looked down, silently praying it wasn’t the office. Her prayers answered, she said, “Evening Mom, how’s life in Smithson?”
“Same as any small town in the country I imagine, peaceful. Just calling to see how you are pumpkin pie.”
Her mother’s voice was husky like her own and sounded like home and apple pie to Iris. “Tired but otherwise fine,” Iris replied.
Cathy listened to her daughter and heard the weary in her voice. “Are you coming up this weekend?” She asked, suddenly feeling the need to pamper her eldest.
“Wasn’t planning on it Mom. I would love to but I need to get some work done around here and I have a trial starting Monday that I need to prep for.”
“Well, the offer stands. Your father would love to go golfing with you and I am making apple pie tomorrow. And there is a sauerbraten without your name on it waiting to be roasted.”
Involuntarily Iris groaned and then laughed when she caught herself. “Not fair Mom. You are tempting me with some of my favorite foods on the planet that you make better than I do still.” Cathy laughed and Iris knew there was a sly smile on her face. “I can’t make any promises tonight but I will call tomorrow and let you know.”
“Can’t ask for more than that,” Cathy replied. “Sweet dreams pumpkin. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. We both love you.”
Iris returned the family evening sentiment and hung up the phone. Buckey wandered onto the patio and jumped into her lap. As she petted the contented orange fur ball, Iris planned out what she wanted to finish over the weekend. The yard needed some attention she didn’t trust the gardeners to do properly and she needed to get that final coat of paint up on her office walls. Maybe, if she got that accomplished tomorrow she could retreat to her parents home for the weekend with Buckey and avoid the unpleasant smell of drying paint.
Satisfied with her plans, Iris headed back into the house and found her book. Curling up in her favorite chair on the patio Iris lost herself in a good book until it was time to retire for the night.
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