In Our Autumn Years Part 6

Norma could remember the first time she met Once-ler's family, on that balmy summer day all those years ago. It had been just like any other morning for her, she had awoken, gone through the usual morning routine of showering, getting dressed, and enjoying her breakfast. It was all so very ordinary, and mundane she could have cried. But, like every other day, what she looked forward to most after working in the local book store was heading out to the valley to visit Once-ler.

By that time of day she would normally find him doing his washing out by the stream, or pegging his laundry on the single line he stretched from his cottage to the nearest tree. On more than one occasion she had come in to find him chasing the bar-ba-loots who had stolen various items of clothing, in particular his underwear. It seemed as though one of them, named Pipsqueak, had taken a fondness to the heart covered underwear.

Why, though, she couldn't rightly understand but a bar-ba-loot's mind was a very tricky thing to understand.

But this time as she approached the cottage she saw something she never thought she'd see; a giant vehicle that was at least twice the size of Once-ler's cottage. It had so many add-ons, so many rooms, and the large shadow it cast was almost impressive if it wasn't so gosh darn intimidating.

Holding the basket she had been carrying, hoping to enjoy a picnic with her boyfriend, a worrying expression on her face. She'd never seen a vehicle like this before, Greenville had always been fairly small and out of the way compared to other towns in the country. But that's the way that they liked it.

Then she spotted him, standing out by his cottage, his back to her. She smiled faintly, and began to walk towards him. "Once-ler?" she called, voice betraying her nerves.

He turned his head to see her, and grinned. "Norma! Hey!" he greeted as he hurried up to her, bending down and kissed her quickly. "Check it out, isn't this awesome?"

"It's something but what is it?" she asked, drawing closer to him, still holding the basket to her chest protectively.

"It's my family!" Once-ler explained, "They just arrived today 'n I got em working the fields already!"

"Working the 'fields'?" Norma asked, arching an eyebrow. "Just what does that mean?"

"You know, harvesting!" Once-ler said brightly before taking one of her hands into his. "C'mon I'm gonna introduce you!" he said enthusiastically as he began to drag her out around the huge vehicle, and Norma cast a nervous glance at the plastic pink bird that had been stuck out in front of the car. A Swomee-swan chick was perched on it, peeping loudly.

"Here, here!" Once-ler said happily as he led her down the slight incline of the hill near his house.

Sure enough she soon saw them, and my what a group they were. There were his brothers, he had mentioned them before, Bret and Chet. They wore matching clothes, overalls, red plaid shirts, and small black hats. One of them was sitting atop the other's shoulders as he reached for the tufts of an orange Truffula tree.

"Keep steady!" the one on top said, tongue sticking out of his mouth, as he stretched.

"I'm tryin' but yer big butt's heavy ta carry!" said the other.

"Bret, Chet!" Once-ler reached them, "Guys, guys. I wanna introduce you to someone!" he said, grinning as he held tightly onto Norma's hand in his own as Chet, the one currently balancing himself on Bred's shoulders, turned his head to look at them.

Bret turned around too fast though, causing Chet to shout out a startled yelp as he suddenly went crashing to the ground, rolling once before ending up in a sitting position. He shook his head as his twin approached Once-ler and Norma as if he hadn't almost just caused an injury to his brother.

"Hoo boy who's this Oncie?" Bret asked, ogling Norma as she moved closer to the taller man. "Ain't she a honey!"

Norma frowned.

"Now Bret she's got a name."

"Cutie pie!" Chet said, having gotten over his tumble relatively quickly, joining his twin to check out their brother's little honey.

"Guys, guys c'mon now." Once-ler frowned. He gestured to Norma, shutting his eyes as he did. "Bret, Chet, lemme introduce you to Norma. My girlfriend."

"Hello." Norma would have said 'nice to meet you' but she wasn't so certain if she was, yet.

"Boy you caught yerself a pretty one!" Chet said to Once-ler, before suddenly punching Once-ler in the arm in what meant to be an affectionate pat but ended up almost sending Once-ler falling over. But that's just the way things were; Bret and Chet tended to forget their strength and how gosh damn twig-like Once-ler was like. How many times, and how many bruises, he'd sustained from them throughout his life he'd lost count.

"Hah! Y-yeah, yeah I. Yeah. Ow." Once-ler mumbled the last part to himself, flexing his poor bruised arm as he did while trying to make it NOT look like he'd sustained an injury.

"Sure is tiny though," Bret commented as he looked down at the little lady. "Do they all grow so small 'round these parts?"

"Excuse me I happen to like my size, buster." Norma spoke up, frowning.

"Guys, c'mon please don't—"

"Oncie? Who is this?" the sweetly sounding Southern belle voice interrupted the conversation, causing the three brothers to turn their heads as one. Norma leaned around Once-ler, still frowning, to see who it was approaching and she could only guess it to be Once-ler's mother.

She looked fairly young for her age, with her hair blonde and seemingly held in place by glue. She wore glasses, and had what she could only assume to be real fur hanging around her neck. The woman walked with the kind of strut you'd expect to find in a woman who knew she was in charge, and may Lorax have mercy on anyone who tried to best her.

"H-hey Mom!" Once-ler said, and no his voice did not shift slightly in pitch to a more slightly nervous tone. "How, how're things going?"

"Slowly." she replied curtly, before looking at the short, auburn haired woman and put on a welcoming smile that somehow didn't sit with right with Norma at all. "And who is this?" she asked again, since body had answered her question.

"This here's Norma!" Chet cut in front of Once-ler who had just been about to speak.

"She's Oncie's special lil' squeeze!" Bret added, clasping his hands together. "Ain't she just the sweetest little thing?" he asked.

Once-ler threw a glare at his brothers, something he was very rare to do, since he was normally pretty understanding of his brothers and their simple ways. "Yes. Mom." Once-ler coughed, before looking to his mother. "This is Norma. My girlfriend." he said as he placed a hand gently to Norma's back.

Norma didn't rightly like the look in her boyfriend's mother's eyes. Being a woman, she knew how to read other women very well and the look that had crossed the blonde one's eyes wasn't a welcoming one. The fur wearing woman tilted her head, and arched an eyebrow as she pursed her lips together for a moment before she smiled. Yet, again, the smile wasn't a rightfully nice smile.

"Oh well just look at you!" she declared as she approached the two, and Norma had to resist the urge to back up. "Well ain't you the cutest lil' doll?"

"Thank you?" Norma asked, really unsure how to answer to that kind of compliment. Doll?

"So you went 'n captured my lil' Oncie's heart now did you?" she asked curiously, tilting her head slightly.

"Mom please," Once-ler started.

"Don't interrupt your Momma, Oncie." she said curtly. "I'm talkin' to your lil' lady." she turned her attention back to Norma. "So how'd you 'n my little string bean meet, hmm?"

"It's really not that good a story—" Once-ler started before his mother's finger pressing against his lips, silencing him.

"Oncie. Momma's talkin'." she said sweetly.

"What's goin' on over here?" another voice, another woman, though a very gruff one, spoke up and Norma turned her head to see a woman like no woman she had ever seen in all her life. She was almost perfectly round, clad in purple fur, a hair-style that made her think of both devil horns and pastries. If Norma had thought Once-ler's mother was a piece of work, well this woman was a masterpiece. "Who're you?" she asked abruptly of Norma, "What are you doing here?"

"Aunt Grizelda," Once-ler said through his teeth, trying to be nice but even his ends were being torn by how 'great' this first meeting was going. "This is Norma."

"She's Oncie's girlfriend!" Bret and Chet said as one, both seemingly finding the art of announcing this to be the most hilarious thing on the face of the planet because to them, the idea of their brother having a girlfriend was down right hilarious. Once-ler shot them another glare, missing how his aunt approached Norma as well.

Norma had the sinking sensation that a stray zebra got when it was being surrounded by lionesses. But she refused to show her fear, or even take a step back, when the two women were now in her personal space. The woman Once-ler had said was his aunt suddenly reached out and lifted the tea towel covering off of the basket Norma was still holding. "What's this then, lunch?" she asked, "Don't mind if I do I am starved." she said before unceremoniously taking the whole thing from Norma.

"What— Hey!" Norma started but Once-ler grasped her shoulder, pulling her back.

"Why yes that's so nice of you Norma," he said, voice strained, "of you to bring us something to eat like that…!"

"We been workin' up a sweat all day we rightly appreciate it." his mother said in that sickly sweet tone of hers as her sister was already inhaling the sandwiches that Norma had made for Once-ler.

He pulled Norma away as his brothers converged upon the basket as well, and it was very much like watching a group of lions rip into a zebra. Norma stood there, arms by her sides, and eyes wide before she looked up at Once-ler. "You know that wasn't for them!" she said in a hushed tone. "I brought that here for us!"

"I know, I know." he said, gripping her shoulders and actually getting down onto one knee in front of her so they were more eye to eye on the matter. "But this is how my family works. It isn't easy I know, but… but it's my family."

"I see no resemblance whatsoever." Norma said as she glared at them, and watched as a short, balding man in a bowler hat attempted to join them but kept being pushed out of the way. That had to be his uncle, what was his name again? She couldn't really remember, she was that upset by how this first meeting of his family had gone.

"H-hyeah Chet 'n Bret used to joke I was adopted." Once-ler said on an awkward laugh as he scratched the back of his head. He'd never tell anyone that the idea of being adopted and not being a blood relative to these people would be like a dream come true for him. He sighed, before quickly kissing her cheek. "Don't worry, we'll have a picnic tomorrow. I promise."

Norma nodded, but was unaware that this was the first of a long line of empty promises that she was going to have to deal with.

~*~

"You know Grammy you're making it kinda obvious to everyone what's going on around here." Ted said as he rode his bike out over the roads, already leaving Thneedville behind.

"Oh?" Norma asked as she held onto him. "What's going on?" she asked in her sweetest most innocent old lady voice.

"C'mon I'm not stupid. I know why you're having me drive you out here." he smirked as he watched the road. Today was a fairly bright day, with a few clouds that dotted the blue skies but unlike a week ago, there were no signs of rain. Which was good, since there had been an increase of rainfall a lot lately. Ted had never driven on a wet road before and the prospect was a little daunting.

"I'm sorry dear I don't know what you're talking about," Norma said. "What's so peculiar about meeting up with an old friend, hm?" she asked.

"Well, nothing…" her grandson replied. "I guess."

"Well there you go, now stop being a snoopy snoop." she replied, and Ted rolled his eyes but continued along his way.

It wasn't long before the view of the Once-ler's house came into view, and Ted felt a great swelling of joy in his heart at the sight of it. How it had changed over the past few months. When he had first come across the house it had been under the cover of night, shrouded with fog, withered and old, worn by the harsh weather it had been left out in. Now, though, thanks to himself and Audrey it was painted a nice crisp white color. The tiles were painted, there was grass growing on the ground, and it was refreshing to see the old man actually out and about around his house compared to lurking in his lurkim at the top of his house.

He looked up when he heard the approaching sound of the motor, and Once-ler smiled, raising his hand and waved as the two approached. "Ted, Norma!" he greeted as he approached them, smiling still. "How nice of you to come drop your Grandmother off, Ted." he said, looking down at the young boy who was his grandson, but had no idea of this fact.

"Yeah, you two really need to get yourself your own means of transportation though. I'm not some taxi!" he joked as Norma got off of the back. "I'm a busy guy, I got things to do, homework to study, places to hang. You know." he replied with a smug grin.

"Oh well we would hate to keep you from such important matters!" Once-ler said with a chuckle. "But do you want a drink first before you head on back?" he asked, pointing towards his house.

"Well I dunno," Ted said as he slowly got off of his bike. "I might need a drink."

He had just stepped away from his bike when Norma suddenly moved with a speed of a woman over half her age. She jumped onto the bike, grabbed Once-ler by the front, and hauled him on behind her. Ted, startled by this turn of events, took a step back as Norma revved up the bike loudly, kicking dirt and grass up as she did.

"Thanks Ted we'll catch ya later!" she shouted before suddenly tearing off, Once-ler having no choice but to hold onto he with one hand whilst the other went to his hat, not wanting to lose it. Once-ler looked over his shoulder at the shocked expression on Ted's face as it shrunk into the distance, before turning to peer down at Norma, eyes still wide. "Hah!" she laughed triumphantly, "My plan worked perfectly!"

"You are absolutely crazy, Norma!" Once-ler shouted as he held onto her, coat tails flapping in the breeze behind him as she continued to ride down the road. "I love it!"

"You needed a little more excitement in your life, Oncie!" Norma called as she went off road, expertly driving the bike with an ease one wouldn't expect of a woman her age. But Norma was just the kind of woman to be full of surprises, ones you least suspected. "Walking everywhere, that isn't right for someone like you and you needed an escape!"

"Always thinking of me, how kind you are." he chuckled as he bent closer to her, and pressed a quick kiss to the back of her head.

"Oh stop it." she laughed.

She drove for quite a while, across the valley that used to be known as the wasteland. No more would it be called that, though. Now life was beginning to return, the grass growing, water flowing, the skies bright and blue… it was as if successfully planting that one, singular seed and making the people of Thneedville finally care about the trees had some kind of magical effect on the land. Once-ler couldn't help but think back to his friend, the Lorax, and how he had told him that his powers all balanced on how strongly people and animals believed in him. Was he tied to the land, as well? Was the simple act of caring about the trees sending strength back to the Lorax, wherever he was, and in a way affecting the valley he had once guarded?

It was all so deep and mystical Once-ler got quite a headache when he thought about it for too long.

He did wonder where his friend was, now. If he was safe. Was he looking after the animals? Or had he really just sent them off? Just how much could a guardian of the forest do without a forest to guard? Sometimes he wondered if he was still floating around up in the sky somewhere, or if his magic had petered out and he was hiding underground once more. Would he ever see him again? Had he done good? He honestly didn't know, but he hoped he had. Having Norma back in his life again, it felt like no time had passed at all. How many times they had caught up in the past few weeks, taking walks together through town, sitting and enjoying the park together, or catching up for meals. Smoothies were a big thing for them, though, they had shared them together so often in their youth it was now a staple for them in their later years.

It wasn't long before they were standing in front of the billboard that depicted the young Once-ler, holding his thneed out proudly, with that maniacal grin on his face. Norma set her hands on her hips, and scowled. "I never did like these things. They popped up everywhere." she said.

"Yeah I don't know what the PR people were thinking when they came up with it. I look like I'm jacked up on sugar or something." Once-ler commented as he stared up at himself, feeling very uncomfortable. The eyes just seemed to follow you no matter what, and that in itself wasn't a comfortable feeling.

Norma crouched down, picked up a stone, and threw it at the billboard. It sailed through the air and struck the wood smack bang on the nose and she laughed triumphantly. "Yes! Thirty points!"

"What—hey! That's my face!" Once-ler said, as she picked up another.

"It sure is!" Norma said, grinning, as she hurled another rock at the billboard. This time it got him in the hand. "Shoot, five points."

"You've already got a point system?" he asked sourly, but was grinning none the less.

"Of course! Thirty points is the nose, forty are the teeth and mouth. Fifty for right between the eyes. Five points go to the hand, ten to the arm, thirty to the chest and forty if you get him right in the neck." Norma explained as she handed Once-ler some stones. "Come on, let loose! I know you want to."

The old man stood there awkwardly holding the stones, looking down at them, before looking up at the billboard. He took a deep breath, gripped one in his hand, and hurled it at the sign. His aim was terrible, his throw bad, and he missed the face area entirely and ended up hitting the thneed. "Shoot!" he grumbled as he picked up another rock, and threw it again.

He lost track of time fairly quickly. Just how long they had spent hurling rocks at the billboard, shouting points out loud at one another, and laughing every time one of them would manage to hit the hat. For being heritage listed, the billboard now had a fair amount of scratches and dents on the aging plaster and wood.

Once-ler hadn't laughed this hard in a long time.

Soon they were sitting in the shade of the billboard, leaning against one another. Once-ler had an arm around Norma's shoulders, holding her close, and she too had an arm down around his waist. Her eyes were shut, allowing herself to just enjoy the moment more, of having him close again, feeling his presence and his warmth. He was still incredibly skinny, maybe even skinnier than he had been when they had been young, but that's what happened with some people, didn't it? While she had gotten shorter, and plumper, he had just gotten skinnier.

Would he have gotten so skinny if he hadn't left? If they had tried harder, would it be any different or was he destined to be a skinny man for the entirety of his life? Probably.

"We're going to be in so much trouble with Ted." Once-ler finally said, his smile partly hidden by his mustache.

"No doubt." Norma chuckled.

"Wonder what Helen will say."

"She's getting nosy, you know." she informed him.

"Well of course, she's our daughter. I'd be ashamed if she was anything but." Once-ler said, his tone distant, soft. "…what was she like, as a little girl?"

"The naughtiest little thing you've ever seen!" Norma said, pulling back gently to look up at him. "She was everything I used to be as a little girl but worse! She would give me awful cheek as a little girl, sneaking out of her room even after I would try to punish her, wouldn't do her chores… I swear, my Mother said it was all fair, since I had been a trouble maker for her. And don't even get me started on her teenage years."

"Uh oh. Bell bottoms?" Once-ler asked gravely.

"Bell bottoms." Norma said flatly. "I swear, they only wore bell bottoms to cover up their swollen ankles after twisting them so many times with those big clogs they'd go around in!"

Once-ler laughed, unable to stop himself. Which he was grateful for, since hearing about how his daughter had been growing up had been almost enough to cause tears to prick at the corner of his eyes. He had missed out on so much, hadn't he? Just like him, his daughter had grown up without a father in her life. It just wasn't fair, not fair at all. But laughter, oh yes, that helped. That helped alleviate the guilt he was feeling so much.

"Oncie," Norma said, after his laughter had ended, "We should tell her."

He sat there, his hand moving in slow, lazy motions against her back, taking in her words. Slowly, he sighed through his nose, and shut his eyes. "I don't know. Who would want a father like me?" he asked. "I ruined so much. I disappointed so many people. Everything I did, who… who'd want to be related to me?"

"Now stop that talk!" she snapped, prodding his side with a hand. "You may have made your mistakes but you've atoned for them now! You're the one who held onto the last seed, you're the one who convinced Teddy to open his eyes and in the end bring about the change of Thneedville. You may have ruined things, Oncie, but you've helped fix them just as much. Sure, Helen may be grown up, but she still needs her father. And Ted, his dead beat dad is never around for him since the divorce. He needs a father figure, and you know he looks up to you so, so much."

"Does he?" Once-ler asked quietly.

"You bet your mustache he does!" Norma said, forming a fist and shook it to emphasize the point. "He respects you, as anyone in their right mind should!" she then reached and took his hand into hers, unsure if she felt a ring beneath the folds of material in his left glove or not but this wasn't the time to ask about that. "Once-ler, please. They both have a right to know who you are."

The old man, the man who had spent over forty years living in solitude, held the woman's hand tightly in his grip as he stared out at the horizon of the valley. As far as he could see in his advancing years, he could see green. He never thought he would see that again. Once-ler thought he would live out the rest of his days surrounded by the mistake of his past, the destruction, the pollution, his scar upon the world. But it was healing now, slowly, surely…

…so why shouldn't he let his heart finally heal, too?