“Why do you do that?” I asked.

“Do what?” She replied, slowly spinning on the spot as her scarf flapped lazily in the breeze.

“Try to catch the leaves.” I said. “You only hold on to them for a second then let them go, so I don’t see the point.”

“Does everything have to have a point?” She said, eyes fixed on the canopy of orange and brown splotches that masked the cool autumn canvas above.

“It would certainly make things easier.” I said, scuffing a pile of leaves with a boot. I noticed one of the laces had come undone but my hands were too entrenched in my pockets to do anything about it.

“I do it because it’s fun.” She said, drawing attention away from my wayward loose end. Her eyes were on me now, wide and searching. “Isn’t that reason enough?”

“I suppose so.” I said. “Personally I just need one that’s a little better.”

“And that’s why you’re standing around with your hands in your pockets.”

“My hands are in my pockets because it’s cold. Now that’s a good reason.”

“You know what I meant.” I did. “Anyway, if you’re looking to warm up why not help me catch some leaves? I can’t grab them all on my own.”

“But it’s stupid.”

“Charming! Come on, there’s no one else around and your secret is safe with me.”

I toed the leaves once more hoping to unearth an excuse, but all I found was a sigh and a sense of resignation. “Fine.”

“Come on then!” She said with a bemittened clap. “Get over here and lend me a hand.”

I shuffled through the undergrowth towards her, a flightless forest bird. “So what is it I’m looking to catch?”

“Leaves.”

“Any leaves?”

“Yes!” She replied in an exasperated tone. “Come on, it isn’t rocket surgery.”

“I just thought—“

“Stop thinking!”

I followed her lead, eyes trained on the canopy overhead so as to catch the telltale dance of a dislodged leaf. The sun flitted through the rustling sea of brown, obscuring my view and forcing me to squint. There, a stray! I cupped my hands and held them out beneath it, but a sudden breeze snatched it from me sending the leaf spinning forlornly to the ground, melding into the thick carpet of missed opportunities.

“This is harder than it looks.” I said.

“You can’t wait for them to come to you,” she said “you have to reach out and grab them.”

“But what if I crush them?”

She shrugged. “At least you won’t just be standing there like a lemon.”

“I quite like lemons.” I said under my breath.

“So do I,” she said, smiling “but you can’t be sour all the time.”

I shrugged, shifting my attention to the shivering boughs once more. My fingers were almost numb from the cold, but I was determined not to be left empty handed this time. So I watched. And waited. And waited some more. There! Almost hidden by the rippling of the canopy there was the delicate shimmer of a twisting, tumbling leaf. I jumped to reach it, clasping with both hands. “Got you!”

“Let’s see!” She said, clinging to my arm and resting her chin on my shoulder.

I opened my hands. “Oh.” They were empty. “Where did it go?”

“Sometimes,” she said, letting go of my arm and turning to leave, “we don’t reach out fast enough.”

“So now what?” I called after her.

She stopped and turned to face me again, a thoughtful expression on her face. “There’s always next time.” She gave me an apologetic smile. “Goodbye.”

“I’m sorry.” I said, although she didn’t seem to hear me. “Sorry I couldn’t catch you.”