4. Cade
Half of My Hometown - Kelsea Ballerini ft. Kenny Chesney
“ U ncle Cade!” A little ball of energy named Madison barrels into my legs. I hoist her up, sending her flying towards the sky, her giggles tugging at my heartstrings. The fresh autumn breeze rustles the leaves and the scent of fresh apple cider permeates the air.
“Mommy said I can have a funnel cake!”
I place Maddie back on the ground and take her hand; the leaves crunch underfoot as we walk along the sidewalk towards the hustle and bustle of the Oak Ridge Fall Festival.
“That’s great, Maddie girl! Are you going to share it with your favorite uncle?”
“No way!” she says, pulling out of my grip to run back towards her mom. Maddie is my littlest niece at 4 years old, belonging to my middle sister, Julie. She also has 8-year-old twins, Olivia and Oliver.
“Hey little brother,” she says, pulling me in for a side hug before returning to her task of setting up the s’mores station .
“Maddie, what did I tell you about running off?”
“Sorry, Mommy. I was just so excited.”
“I know, honey. Next time, let Uncle Cade come to you, okay?”
“Ok, Mommy,” she says, giving my sister an innocent smile.
“Want me to take her?” I offer. Julie has her hands full helping organize the booths and, to be honest, I love hanging out with my niece.
“You wouldn’t mind? I could really use the break.”
“Not at all,” I say, “What do you think, Maddie girl? Wanna come hang out with me?”
Maddie jumps up and down then wraps her tiny hand around 2 of my fingers, tugging me towards the growing crowd. I look back over my shoulder towards my sister, who is waving as we walk away. Stopping near some of the kids' activities, I crouch down so Maddie and I are at eye level. “Ok, kiddo, what do you want to do first?”
“Hmmm,” she says, tapping her little finger on her chin as she purses her lips in an adorably contemplative expression. Maddie’s nothing if not dramatic. “Pony rides?”
“You got it! Let’s go talk to Mr. Hayes.”
Russell Hayes owns the biggest ranch in town and runs a riding program for kids. His family has offered pony rides at the fall festival for as long as I can remember. A few years back, they started hosting it right here at the ranch.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite cowgirl!” Russell says as we approach the corral where a dappled gray pony nudges Maddie from over the gate.
“Looks like Misty here likes you, Maddie!” Russell says, gesturing to the mischievous pony in question.
“Oh my goodness,” Maddie says, her hands flying up to cover her cheeks. “She’s so pretty. Can I ride that one?”
My niece doesn’t have a s hy bone in her body — she effortlessly befriends everyone she meets.
“Sure thing, little lady.” Russell gestures for Maddie to take his hand and he leads her towards the gate, looking back in my direction for approval. I nod.
“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Cade Brooks.”
I turn to find Evelyn, Russell’s wife, at a booth off to the right of the enclosure. I hand her the $5 for the pony ride and stuff another $10 in the donation jar. Evelyn has a private therapy practice here in town specializing in mental healthcare. Every year she raises money for kids’ mental health services in conjunction with the local elementary school.
“Hey, Evie. Good to see you. Russell roped you into manning the booth again, huh?”
“Every year, but I do enjoy getting out of the office to see some familiar faces.”
Glancing around the area, I notice a weathered brown cowboy hat on the chair beside her. It only takes a few seconds of consideration before I make up my mind and ask to borrow the hat. She eyes me warily for a moment before passing it to me, giving me a knowing grin. Evelyn is as kind hearted as they come, but she’s also very perceptive.
Taking out my phone and putting it in selfie mode, I walk a few paces out of direct sunlight, placing a large oak tree to my left making sure the pony rides are visible in the background. Setting the cowboy hat on my head, I snap a few shots, then type out an accompanying text.
Cade: Save a horse …
I head back over to the booth and return the hat to its previous position, giving Evelyn a quick thank you. Maddie has been safely mounted onto Misty’s saddle and she’s grinning ear to ear as one of the teenage volunteers guides them around the pen.
“She’s a natural,” Russell says from the other side of the fence. “Julie brought her out for a lesson last week and she’s taken to it like a duck to water.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second,” I say, smiling at Maddie who waves with her free hand, the other one held in a firm grip around the reins. A moment later, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Paige: Is that another pickup line, Cowboy?
Cade: It could be.
Flirting with Paige is a terrible idea, but I can’t seem to help myself. She’s burrowing herself under my skin and I’m content to let her. When I look up from my phone, Maddie is back on solid ground practically radiating happiness.
“You’re like a real cowgirl, Mads!”
“I know, right?” And modest, too.
“How about some funnel cake?”
“YES!” she says, pumping her fist in the air before all but dragging me along the sidewalk. We’re getting closer to the food trucks when we nearly run smack dab into Julie, who's already got a massive plate with a funnel cake smothered in caramel and powdered sugar. I can see the hearts in Maddie’s little eyes, and I know I’ve been replaced.
Leaving my niece to devour her treat, I make my way towards the apple cider booth, waving at my friend Miles and his latest hookup.
Days like this are a reminder of why I love my hometown so much, but they can also be kind of lonely. Sure, I’m surrounded by friends and family, but sometimes I wish I had someone to walk with me from booth to booth, share candied apples, carve a pumpkin, and take on hayrides. I’m not usually so contemplative, but something was starting to shift in my bones. My phone promptly snaps me out of my thoughts.
Paige: You should come with a warning.
Cade: Yeah? What would it say?
Paige: Dangerous flirt: Approach with caution
I settle on a hay bale with my cider, then tap on her contact. The evening air sends a chill through my spine, the sky painted in hues of orange and pink as the sun sinks below the horizon, bringing to life the string lights overhead.
After a few rings, Paige’s face comes into view.
“Hey, Cowboy! What’s up?”
“I’m hanging out at the fall festival. Thought you might want to see.” I honestly have no idea why I called, but it felt like the next logical thing to do after our flirty texts.
“Yes! Show me everything!” Her face beams with excitement, her dimples are out in full force, and there's a twinkle in her eyes that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. “Fall is my favorite.”
With a quick flip of the camera, the bustling festival scene comes int o view, complete with colorful decorations and lively music.
“Ok, so we’re at Whispering Oaks Ranch. Over there,” I say, pointing towards the food trucks, “is the best place to get funnel cakes, candied apples, and every kind of pumpkin flavored dessert you can think of.”
“My mouth is watering. I would kill for a slice of pumpkin pie,” she says.
“I’m more of an apple pie guy, myself. But at least we wouldn’t have to share.” I tease.
I sweep the camera over to another busy area with the pony rides, sack races, face painting, and pumpkin carving. “This is every kid’s favorite spot. My niece Maddie made a b-line for the pony rides earlier. You should’ve seen the smile on her face.”
Paige gets a nostalgic look in her eyes. “I would’ve loved that as a kid. I have this picture of me and my brother on a pony when we were little. It’s my favorite.”
I take her around to several more areas and she remarks on how lively and welcoming it is. Every few yards, the tour is interrupted by the locals milling about.
“Ok, Mr. Popular,” she snorts after something like the 10th person stops me to say hello.
“The hazards of living in a small town. Everybody knows everybody.”
“I love it. Being a small fish in a big pond isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” she says, and I wonder if maybe she isn’t entirely happy living in Toronto. Tamping down on the urge to ask her about it, I keep moving through the crowd, searching out a quieter spot, the camera now focused back on my face, dimly lit by the string lights.
“Oak Ridge is small, but it has a lot of heart. The people here always look out for each other, ready to lend a hand at the drop of a hat. A cowboy hat, even,” I say with a wink .
Paige smiles but there’s a far off look in her eyes.
“Paige? Are you okay?” She snaps out of her haze, eyes focusing back on the camera.
“I’d love to see it someday,” she says. “Oak Ridge, I mean.”
“Ready when you are, Sunshine.”
A brief silence follows as my words hang in the air. Something heavy passes between us — an unspoken understanding mixed with a shared longing that neither of us would dare acknowledge. We linger in the silence, our eyes locked through the screen, the weight of my words creating a palpable tension, a glimmer of something beautiful just out of reach.