AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t hesitate to place my hand in his, and the two of us walk side by side down a metal-grate-covered path into the forest. With the sun just a couple of hours from setting, the dimming light casts a golden glow through the canopy of trees, making everything seem like it’s sparkling. I’ve never felt so absolutely in awe in my life.
We walk in silence, taking everything in, from the moss-covered forest floor to the wild ferns that seem to be growing everywhere. It feels like we’ve entered some mythical realm where magical creatures and fantastical beings could be just around the corner.
As we walk, silence settles between us. It’s peaceful, with a quiet hum of contentment floating through the air. The farther we get along the trail, the cooler it gets, so I take my hand from his and put on the flannel, leaving it unbuttoned. He doesn’t say a word, but I don’t miss his smirk.
Going up stairs and down some, we walk deeper into the forest, passing tree after tree, each seeming bigger than the last, until we get to a tree that is so huge I have no possible way to describe it with words. And as a human, I have never felt more insignificant or so small. Walking over to a sign on a raised placard close to the edge of the grate, I read about the Lost Monarch that is over fifteen hundred years old.
“When this tree started growing, we as humans probably still thought the earth was flat,” I whisper to Roman because talking too loud seems disrespectful. Like instead of standing in the middle of the forest, we’re in a church or a library, where people are attempting to gain some kind of knowledge for the greater good of humanity.
“Imagine what we’ll find out in another fifteen hundred years,” he says quietly, letting go of my hand and wrapping his arm around me as we both look up.
“We’ll probably be populating Mars by that time, and Earth will be a summer destination for the rich and famous,” I mumble, and he laughs, the sound wrapping tight around my insides.
“Probably.”
Smiling, I look up at him. “Should we go before it gets dark?”
“Yeah.” He gives my waist a squeeze, then dips his face closer to mine, so even with the trees above us, he’s all I see. “This isn’t the spot?”
Darn. Somehow, he knew I brought my mom’s ashes with us. I shake my head, and his face softens before he turns us and leads us back the way we came.
When we reach the van, I put the small bottle back into the box with the others and get into the passenger seat without bothering to ask Roman if he wants me to take over.
The drive to the campsite I found online is a little over an hour with traffic, and when we arrive, Roman parks at the guest check-in. The two of us get out and walk toward what looks like a small cabin. He opens the door, and I enter before him. It smells like dust and damp wood inside, but something about it is almost nostalgic.
“Hi, how can I help you two?” an older woman with long gray hair pushed back away from her face with a bright pink headband greets us with a warm smile.
“We’d like a campsite for the night,” I tell her as we walk toward the desk.
“Did you book online?”
“No.”
She cringes. “I’m sorry. All of our sites are booked.”
My heart plummets to my stomach. “Really?”
“This is our busiest time of year. I’m so sorry.”
“Do you know of another place that’s close that might have a spot available?”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry. I wish I did.”
“What about a cabin?” Roman asks, picking up one of the brochures from the counter. “Do you have any of those available?”
“Only one. It’s the honeymoon cabin.”
“We’ll take it.”
“Great.” Her smile is wide.
“Roman,” I murmur, but he ignores me.
“Do you know of a place we can get something to eat?” he asks.
“We just started something new a couple of days ago,” she says, sounding excited. “They’re uncooked meals in a bag. We have dinner and breakfast options, and you just choose what you want from the list.” She passes over a piece of laminated paper to him, and he hands it to me.
“You choose.”
