It was a sunny autumn day, only a few clouds swimming in the bright blue sky. Piles of crimson leaves littered the area, messily covering wilting patches of grass. It was clear that winter was coming: each drift of wind seemed to bring colder air. Children ran around, laughing, playing with each other. A little girl tripped, stumbling into the leaves with a small shriek. Within moments, her father was by her side, gently wiping the tears off her chubby face.

Soft brown eyes lingered on the sweet display of parental affection. It was easy to see the love the two shared. Within minutes, the little girl was jumping around again, more careful this time. At times, she would shoot a bright grin to her father, her toothless grin warming the heart of the observer. Within moments, his gaze brightened as he started sketching, pencil gliding across the white paper effortlessly. Never before had he seen such joy, not even on playgrounds like this. 

For many minutes, he just sat there, trying his hardest to perfect every little line, every shadow. He wanted this picture to be perfect. No work of his was finished before it looked almost like a photograph, a mere snapshot of strangers' lives. Just as his pencil slipped a little, creating an odd, curved line, a heavy hand was laid on his shoulder. 

"This is quite amazing," the low rumble of a man's voice tore the artist completely out of his thoughts, his cheeks flushing a lovely shade of red -  much like the leaves -  as he tilted his head up to see just who had the nerve to distract him. The little girl's father stood behind him, a coy grin playing on his lips. Mirth played in his dark eyes as with long steps, he walked around the bench. He sat by the much smaller male, clear awe in his words as he spoke again."Saw you looking at her, but... This is just amazing..." 

At this, the artist chuckled softly, eyes falling on the somewhat flustered man's hands. They lay on his jeans-clad lap, fidgeting slightly. While at first, he had sounded confident, such little actions spoke more than any word: he was actually quite nervous. Observing people many hours a day had led the other to see behind what they showed wi