The Year I Almost Drowned

Chapter 2

I dropped my dad off at my grandparents’ house and drove to Lilly’s Diner, my grandfather’s restaurant. I had worked there as a waitress for over five months and I loved everything about it–the food, the people who worked there, the customers, and the fast pace of it all. It was the first job I’d ever had and after my horrible first day, I would have never thought I’d still be working there months later. Working at the diner had become as natural as breathing.

The roads were jammed with carloads of people who had flocked to Graceville to see the changing leaves. The area was beautiful this time of year. Tourists from surrounding towns and nearby border states came to town to see the colorful show that nature put on during fall. Business at the diner was even busier than it had been the year before which made my grandfather happy. He thrived on its success.

The last of the customers exited the diner. It was closing time. The red awnings flapped in the wind. Lilly’s Diner was freshly painted on the large glass window in perfect red script. Inside, it smelled like heaven: fried chicken, bacon, and maple syrup. Hannah and Meg danced and sang along to an old song that played on the juke box as they wiped the red shiny tufted booths and cleaned the glittery cobalt blue bar stools. The diner was reminiscent of something from the past with its brightly painted turquoise walls and vintage signs hung sporadically throughout.

“It’s the birthday girl!” Meg squealed, dropping the wet rag from her hand and running over to me. “I can’t wait to do your hair!” She was giddy. Cutting my hair was what she had wanted to do for a very long time. She had begged me for months. Meg’s hair had recently been cut into a cute, short pixie style and bleached a very light blonde. It looked good on her. “I’ve been looking through magazines and have found the perfect style for you.”

“Just don’t do anything crazy,” I warned.

She scoffed, “Finn, please, just trust me, okay?”

Hannah’s long dark brown hair was pulled up into a neat, chic bun. The pink waitress uniform hung loosely against her waif-like figure. Hannah was the type that could eat whatever she wanted and still weigh next to nothing. And, she was stunningly beautiful. “It’s all she’s been talking about today,” she said with exasperation. “So, how’s your birthday been so far, Finn?”

Meg and Hannah were sisters, but that’s where the similarities stopped. They were opposites in all aspects: looks, tastes, and behavior. While Meg was a fashionista and into the latest styles and eager to tell you exactly what was on her mind, Hannah tended to stick to classic fashion ensembles and was typically more reserved.

“Great,” I lied.

“What’s with all the racket?” my grandfather shouted from the kitchen. He came out to greet me in the dining area. Each step he made was loud and thunderous. My grandfather was enormous, not fat, but tall and big, and intimidating if you didn’t know him.

“Hi, Grandpa,” I said.

He smiled. “Thought it was your day off.”

“It is. I’m going out with Meg and Hannah for a while. Meg is going to do my hair.”

He touched his stark white hair and said facetiously, “I could use a new do. Can you do something with this Meg?”

“Yeah. I work on old people’s hair all the time in school,” Meg answered with a dead panned expression.

Hannah and I both snickered. He pursed his lips and sighed through his nose. “Y’all almost through cleaning?” he asked them.

“Just about,” they both said simultaneously.

“Jinx,” Hannah said and hit Meg’s arm.

“Ow.” Meg grimaced.

“Silly girls,” my grandfather said, shaking his head. He glanced at Jesse, who had just entered the room. Jesse worked at the diner only on Saturdays, since he was in firefighting school five days a week. I missed seeing him all the time. With his hectic schedule, we didn’t get to see each other that often. “Finally, another man. Jesse, three girls are too much for one man to handle.”

Jesse replied with a smile and then whispered in my ear, “There’s something for you in your locker.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Go find out,” he said.

We had been officially dating a few months, since the middle of summer, and his presence alone could still make me feel like it was our first date. Jesse was the first guy I had ever dated, ever fallen in love with for that matter, and when I was around him, my breathing increased and my heart beat a little faster. He held onto my hand and walked with me to my grandfather’s office.

My grandfather’s office had probably once been a storage closet. There were a few lockers, a chair, a desk and a computer and that was it. The computer had been my Nana’s idea. Had it been up to my frugal, technologically challenged grandfather, he would have continued to do his book keeping using an adding machine.

I opened my locker door and saw a small box wrapped in white paper topped with a pink ribbon. I picked it up and took it out.

“Open it,” he urged.

I gently unwrapped the paper, doing my best not to rip it. I wanted to save it and put in my Jesse box–an old shoe box full of anything that reminded me of him. I had started to collect things when I fell in love with him, which was almost immediately. I even had an empty can of Coke in my box. It was the first Coke he’d ever bought me, and I couldn’t get rid of it. I folded the paper into a nice, neat square and opened the box. Inside were two cream colored knitted mittens.

“They’re beautiful.” I put them on my hands. They were soft and warm. “Thank you.” I rubbed them against my face. The soft thread felt like silk against my skin.

He shrugged. “You’ve been complaining about your hands being cold. Now they’ll be warm. This isn’t your birthday present, Finn. You’ll get that tomorrow night.” He pulled me closer to him and then kissed me.

He tasted good, like vanilla wafers and chocolate milk. I could have kissed him for hours. I loved kissing Jesse Quinn.

“Get a room!” Meg shouted, interrupting us.

I abruptly pulled myself away from him. My face was warm and flushed. “Meg,” I growled.

“What? Like I haven’t seen it before. I’m just saying, all this kissing you guys are doing is gonna make me sick,” she said.

“Then quit watching,” Jesse quipped and leaned in to kiss me again. This kiss was long and hard, way deeper. It left me feeling flustered and dizzy when he pulled away from me.

Meg took her purse out of her locker. She made a disgusted face and then heaved forward, making gagging sounds. “I’m gonna puke.” She tilted her head and puckered her lips. “You okay, Finn?” She placed her palm on my forehead.

I flicked it away in annoyance. “Cut it out. I’m fine.”

She laughed and said, “Let’s go. I’ve got a masterpiece to create.” She wrapped her fingers around my arm. I took the folded wrapped paper out of my locker and placed it in my free hand, giving Jesse a desperate look as I followed her lead.

***

Meg and Hannah’s bathroom was a confined, cramped space with Pepto Bismol pink tiles. Meg’s make-up and hair products took up all the room on the solid white counter. She forced me to sit on an uncomfortable folding chair facing the ugly tiled wall. She said that I might peek at my reflection in the mirror, and the only way to keep me from doing this was for me to face the other direction. The only thing I could see were pieces of my red hair falling to the pink tiled floor.

I gulped nervously. “Meg, how much hair are you cutting off?”

She sighed. “All of it, Finn. I’m going to cut it just like mine,” she said sarcastically.

“That’s really funny, Meg,” I huffed.

“Just be quiet and let me work my magic.” She forcefully grabbed a hold of my head and continued to clip away.

Strands of my hair continued to fall to the floor, and I wondered how different she was going to make me look. I’d had long hair since I was a little girl. I could already feel the weight of the hair being lifted; it was definitely shorter. She stopped cutting and turned the blow dryer on. Warm air blew on the surface of my head. Meg combed through my hair methodically, drying each section while she brushed it. The low, dull hum coming from the blow dryer was making me sleepy. She doused my head with lots of hair spray and evaluated me one more time.

Her eyes squinted, her lips puckered. “There. All done,” she said confidently. “You can look now, Finn.”

I stood up and turned to face the mirror. Several inches of my hair were gone–she had cut it into a cute, shoulder-length layered bob. I touched my hair; it was bouncy and soft.

“Meg, I love it!”

“I knew you would.”

I touched my hair again, ignoring her smug comment. Hannah stood at the doorway appraising me and said, “It looks good, Finn.”

I faced Meg. “Thanks. I really like it.”

“Good. Now sit back down so I can do your make up. It’s your birthday and you need to look gorgeous so Jesse won’t want to stop kissing you.” She grinned mischievously. I blushed. “Oh, now you’re all shy about it. Whatever,” she grumbled. “I’ve seen you guys kiss and you definitely don’t want him to stop. I wouldn’t if I were you, either.” She winked at me.

***

Meg loaned me a pair of her tight fitting skinny jeans. I poured myself into them and borrowed a pair of her dark brown leather boots to wear over the jeans. I wore a jade green fitted cowl neck sweater that hit me at my waist. With my new hair cut and trendy outfit, I felt really pretty–I guess like anyone should on their birthday for their last teenage year of their life.

We were all dressed up, ready for a night on the town, only we weren’t really going anywhere. The plan was to go to my grandparents’ for cake and ice cream and then go to Matt’s house, Hannah’s boyfriend and Jesse’s cousin, for a bonfire. Even though it didn’t sound like much in terms of celebrating, it would be better than my eighteenth birthday by a long haul. That was just another unmemorable day where my mother and I shared a slice of grocery store cake with no friends to help celebrate and no other family in attendance. It was like every other birthday, quiet and uneventful. I told myself I didn’t ever want to have another birthday like any of those again.

The décor in my grandparents’ dining room was inundated in all things pink: pink streamers; pink balloons; a large pink Happy Birthday banner hung on the wall. There was lots and lots of food–more than enough food to feed an army. Everyone was gathered around the table singing the lyrics to Happy Birthday while I stood there awkwardly turning three shades of red because all the attention was on me. I blew out the candles on the cake and everyone cheered in ceremonial fashion.

Nana cut slices of the pink-frosted, cherry-filled cake and handed each of us a plate with a slice on it. Everyone devoured theirs within a matter of minutes; some even went for a second helping. After we finished eating, we all meandered into the living room to watch me open my presents.

I opened the gift from my grandparents first. Inside of a beautifully wrapped box was a navy blue pea coat with shiny silver buttons. “Thank you,” I said to them, admiring how stylish it was. I tried it on and it fit snug as a bug, warming me instantly.

“You can’t wear Pete’s sweater in the winter, you’ll freeze,” my Nana said. “We’re glad you like it. Your grandfather helped pick it out.”

“Thanks for the coat, Grandpa,” I said.

He nodded in approval. “We had to go to four stores to find it. Glad it fits you.”

“I love it!” I hugged my Nana and then reached over to hug him.

I chose to open my dad’s gift next. Carefully, I unwrapped the parchment paper, tearing the tape off and unfolding the paper as gently as I could. I didn’t want to hurt it by prodding it with my clumsy hands–it required a delicate touch. I stared at the beautiful richly painted landscape with its warm earth tones and intricate details, marveling at my dad’s talent, taking in his stunning creation.

He yawned and muffled, “You can hang it up at your dorm.” He sounded and looked sleepy. The medication he took made him drowsy at night.

“Thanks, Dad. I love it,” I said and hugged him. He responded with a warm, heartfelt smile.

I saved Meg and Hannah’s gift for last. Hannah had added Matt’s name on the card, but I knew it was her handwriting. There was no way he had gone shopping with them to buy my present. I picked up the large yellow gift bag. It was heavy. A printed ribbon full of bold greens, blues, yellows and reds was tied in a neat bow around the thin white handles. I pulled out the present. It was wrapped in aqua green tissue paper. I slowly began to unwrap it, revealing its contents.

Meg tapped her heels against the hard wood floor. “Just rip it, Finn,” she said impatiently.

“Fine,” I snapped and tore at the paper, pulling out a sea blue-colored purse.

“Now we don’t have to see you carry that ugly blah pocket book of yours,” Meg said.

“I like my black purse,” I replied defensively. I’d had it for years. It was the only purse I had ever owned.

“You’re the only one,” she retorted.

“It’s a good color for you, Finn,” Hannah added. “It’ll look good with those pretty green eyes of yours.”

“Thank you.” I hugged them. “Thanks, Matt,” I said facetiously.

“Yeah, it was fun picking it out. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to get you pink or blue,” he raised his voice an octave higher.

Nana began to clean up all the torn wrapping paper that was scattered throughout the living room floor. I collected the dishes and took them to the kitchen. Jesse followed me, taking most of the plates from my hand.

I leaned against the counter. Jesse stood in front of me, leaning toward me. “You’ll get your gift tomorrow.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything. The mittens are enough.”

“Finn, really,” he said agitated. “As if I wouldn’t get you a gift.”

“Well, it’s not necessary,” I replied.

“We’re going out tomorrow night. You’ll want to dress up a little for the occasion.” He smiled mischievously.

I squinted my eyes and tilted my head. “Why?” I probed.

He laughed and said, “Not gonna tell, just dress up.”

“Fine.” I pouted, folding my arms against my chest.

He moved closer to me and ran his fingers through my hair and I instantly got a fresh, tingling sensation. “Your hair looks really good,” he said.

“Thanks.” My face felt hot.

He put his hands around my waist, pulling me toward him. “I like this sweater, too,” he whispered in my ear, tickling it with his soft lips.

“Uh hmm,” Meg cleared her throat. “I can come back.”

“No, it’s fine,” I answered, my face was beet red.

“You sure?”

“Yes, Meg.” I scowled at her. “Let me say goodbye to my dad and grandparents,” I said to Jesse.

Dad was still sitting on the couch, half asleep, his eyes kept closing every few seconds and would open when someone laughed or spoke louder. Grandpa held the newspaper in his hands, sitting on his chair–no one else dared to get near it–reading under the dim light that shined above him. Social politeness wasn’t a concern of his. When he was done socializing, he was done. Nana was near the staircase, talking animatedly with Hannah and Matt. Being social was her forte’, not my grandfather’s. That was obvious to anyone who was in the room.

I sat on the worn couch cushion–the springs needed to be replaced–and nudged my father with my elbow. He shook his head, waking himself from his slumber. “I’m getting ready to leave,” I said to him.

“Oh, okay.”

“I wanted to thank you for the painting. I love it, Dad. It’s amazing.” I leaned my head against him, smelling the pipe tobacco.

He patted me gently on my arm and awkwardly pulled me closer to him. When he embraced me, it was always like that, like he had just read an illustrated manual on how to show affection for your daughter and this was example number five. I kissed him on the cheek and whispered “Thank you” to him once again.

“I’m glad I got to spend your birthday with you, Finn. I wish I could’ve spent them all with you,” he said with a sad expression.

I didn’t want to go down that road and have a philosophical discussion about my fatherless birthdays prior to this one, so I gave him a simple, “Me, too,” and stood up, kissing him on the cheek again.

I pushed my grandfather’s newspaper down, my eyebrows furrowed. “Reading anything good?”

“Nope. The whole world is crazy, except us, of course.”

“Except us,” I said. “Thanks for the coat and the party.”

“You’re welcome. Be careful tonight.” He lifted the paper back up and began to read again.

Everyone waited for me by the front door.

“Y’all have fun,” Nana said.

“Thanks for the party,” I said to her and hugged her. “It was the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

“Oh honey, it was nothing,” she said, waiving her hand down, brushing off my compliment.

“It was perfect.” I hugged her again. “Well, I’ll see you all later,” I said.

“We won’t wait up,” Nana said.

“She won’t, but I will” Grandpa answered. “Better get her home at a decent time, Jesse.”

“Yes sir,” he said and grabbed my hand, taking me out the door.

***

I called my mom on the way to Matt’s house. It had been a while since we talked, and I knew it would be devastating to her if we didn’t speak on my birthday.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Happy birthday, Finn. Did you get my gift?” She sounded relieved to hear from me, which made me feel a little guilty. I had been neglecting to call, mostly just sending her short texts, so I didn’t have to have a long conversation. I wasn’t avoiding her. I was just so busy and wanted to spend as much time as I could with my grandparents, my dad and especially, Jesse.

“I did, that’s why I’m calling,” I said. “Thanks. It’s absolutely perfect.”

My mother had bought me a gift card to the bookstore at Harrison College, one of the best women’s colleges in the nation and the school I’d be attending in a couple of months. I received a full scholarship and had deferred admissions until spring so I could get to know my dad and grandparents better.

“I’ll use it up quickly, I’m sure,” I said.

“Good. So, we’ll see each other during your spring break, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” I tried to sound upbeat, but the idea of going to Florida during spring break didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I’d go regardless of my lack of excitement.

“I can’t wait. It’s been way too long, Finn,” she cooed. “What’d you do for your birthday?”

“Lots. Nana and Grandpa threw a party for me. Meg cut my hair. I’m actually on my way to another party.”

“That sounds like a busy day. Did you see your dad?” she asked. I knew that question was coming. She had acted like she was fine not seeing him when she came to Graceville in the summer, but I knew that deep down she was curious about him. They had never had any closure. She hadn’t seen or talked to him in seventeen years. In the eyes of the state, they were still legally married, but neither one of them had started the divorce proceedings. I think they were both hoping it would just go away, but it was there, staring them right in the face, and would never go away until they actually did something about it.

“Yeah. He came, too. He gave me a painting.”

“That’s nice,” she said and paused. All I could hear was the sound of music coming from Jesse’s CD player.

“Are you still there?” I asked. I could hear her breathing on the other end.

“I’m here. I’m just,” she started. “I’m just glad you got to spend your birthday with him,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Me, too.” I know she still had a lot of guilt for lying to me about him and my grandparents. “Mom, I’ve got to go. We’re at the party.”

“Oh, okay,” she said with disappointment. “Don’t wait too long to call me back next time.”

“I won’t.”

“Happy birthday, Finn.”

“Thanks, Mom. Bye.” I hung up.

Matt lived in a small two-bedroom cottage style home that was painted in a beautiful shade of Williamsburg blue. It was an older house and probably had been built in the 1930s or 40s. It had a welcoming front porch and a beautiful front door made out of oak with bubbled glass windows in the center. Matt’s house was quaint and charming. There wasn’t much furniture, just a futon, recliner chair and a 42-inch wide screen television–all the necessities for a twenty-one year old guy to have. The floors were oak, and all of the walls were painted pale blue. Matt was renting the place for next to nothing from a family friend of his.

We got to the party too early, hardly anyone was there. Jesse and I ventured outside to Matt’s backyard. It wasn’t much of a backyard; it was more of an open field. Nothing surrounded the spacious field except cow pastures and vast farmland. I could hear the cows mooing. A faint odor of cow manure could be smelled every so often. Matt and Hannah held hands, standing around the bonfire.

I watched as the flames got higher and higher and higher. A funnel of smoke filled the air. “That is huge!” I said to Jesse.

“Yeah, tell me about it. I think Matt burned anything he could find.”

We walked closer to the fire, letting the heat warm us. It was a cold night. I buttoned up my coat and stared at the dancing flames, the fire illuminating the night sky. People started to trickle in as the sky became darker and the temperatures continued to drop. A lot of them I had never met before but had seen either in the diner or at You Bowl Me Over, Graceville’s most popular place to hang out. Most of the guests were people that Matt, Jesse, Hannah and Meg had gone to high school with. It seemed like anyone within the ages of eighteen to twenty-five, in the confounds of Graceville, was at the party.

Jesse wrapped his arm around me. “I haven’t been to a bonfire since high school.”

“I’ve never been to one,” I confessed. “They had them every year at homecoming, but I never went.” My participation in school events was pathetic. If it wasn’t academic, I wasn’t involved.

“Well, at least now you have.” He pulled me closer to him.

Lawn chairs and blankets circled the bonfire. Matt sat on a chair. Hannah was on his lap. Some people were drinking beer while dancing mindlessly around the fire. One guy played his guitar. A girl sat next to him, singing along to the unknown folksy sounding tune. A few others within close proximity, hummed along. The mood was mellow and relaxing.

“So is this the girl you can’t shut up about?” asked a tall, very muscular guy.

“At least I have a girl to talk about,” Jesse quipped and then laughed. “Hey man, glad you could make it. Finn, this is Noah, my friend from the academy.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. I guess all firefighters in training had to be well-built since they had to be able to carry all that heavy equipment.

“You, too. He mentions you so much I feel like I already know you,” he said.

Jesse looked embarrassed. “Yeah, whatever. You’re just jealous because you can’t talk about anything except your cat,” he joked.

“Don’t knock my cat, she’s purrfect.” He laughed.

Meg poked me in the back. “What?” I snapped.

“Who is he?” she whispered.

“Jesse’s friend,” I answered in a quiet voice.

She looked him over, bit her lip and raised her eyebrows. “Introduce me.” Her fingers jabbed me in the back more than once.

I sighed in annoyance. “Noah, this is my friend, Meg.”

“Hi, Meg.” Noah smiled.

“Hi,” she said in a giddy, girly tone.

Meg liked hot, muscular guys and he fit that description. Once she found out he was in firefighting school with Jesse, she’d be ready to run off and elope with him. Meg had a weakness for men in uniform. Anytime Army guys passed through the diner, Meg insisted on waiting on them.

Noah and Meg continued to talk to each other, forgetting that Jesse and I were standing there. Tired of their two-way conversation, Jesse and I left them to carry on without us. They didn’t even notice.

We grabbed one of the blankets and sat close to the fire. I leaned back against Jesse’s muscular chest and listened to the music playing in the background.

Jesse ran his fingers through my hair. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Be right back.” He kissed the top of my forehead. I watched as he went inside Matt’s house and then turned back around staring into the fire.

Meg’s squealing broke my relaxed trance. “Everett!”

I turned my head in her direction. It was the cop–the one who had given me the ticket–and they were hugging. Hannah ran over to them and embraced him with just as much enthusiasm.

Hannah beamed. “I’m so glad you came! Matt, look who made it to the party.”

Matt shook his hand.

Meg glanced in my direction. “Finn, come here.” She gestured.

I shook my head and mouthed “no,” but she wouldn’t budge.

“Come on.” She motioned. I sighed, stood up and went over to them apprehensively. “This is our favorite cousin, Everett. Everett, this is my good friend, Finn,” Meg said.

“Hi,” I said, feeling embarrassed because he had witnessed my ridiculous breakdown.

“Hey.” He smiled. He was playing it cool, like we hadn’t met earlier, or maybe he didn’t remember me. I wasn’t sure.

“Everett just graduated from the police academy. He was in the Marines for six years before that,” Meg announced.

“We’re really proud of him,” Hannah added.

Everett rolled his eyes. “Cut it out.” He playfully punched Meg in the arm.

“What? We can’t brag about our favorite cousin?” Hannah said.

“I get it from Mom. I don’t need it from y’all, too,” he said.

“Fine,” Meg said. “We’ll leave you alone then, won’t we Hannah?”

“Yep, no more bragging from us,” she said. “You should go socialize. There’s plenty of single girls here, Ev.” Hannah nudged him and smiled encouragingly.

He laughed and shook his head. “Now you’re match-making for me. Do they harass you like this?” he asked me.

“Um, no,” I answered, feeling really awkward.

“We just make fun of her for being all googly-eyed over Jesse,” Meg said.

Everett nodded his head. “He’s a nice kid.”

“Kid?” I questioned.

“Well, I guess he’s not a kid anymore.” He corrected himself. “I keep forgetting everyone grew up while I was gone.”

“Oh, I guess it’s hard to come back after being gone so long.”

“No, not really. I’d rather be here than where I was,” he said with a pensive expression.

It was like it was just the two of us talking and no one else was around. The eye contact he made with me was intense. All I could see was the dancing flames from the bonfire reflecting in his warm-colored eyes.

“Here’s your drink.” Jesse handed me a Coke–interrupting the unspoken tension. “Hey, Everett,” Jesse said. His tone was not overly friendly, more reserved, and his lips were semi-pursed. It wasn’t the usual way Jesse greeted people.

“Jesse. Good to see you,” Everett said and shook his hand.

“Yeah, you, too,” Jesse said. I could tell by his voice and body language he didn’t mean it.

“Everett, come on, there’s lots of people here you haven’t seen in a long time.” Hannah pulled on his arm.

“Okay.” He laughed. “Well, it was nice talking to you,” he said, looking directly at me. “I’ll see you both around.”

***

It was the type of day to spend outdoors instead of being cooped up inside. The temperature was perfect–not too hot or cold–just right. I had another day off of work and wasn’t going on my special date with Jesse until later that night. But I wanted to see him again, even though we had hung out the night before. With his school schedule and me working all the time, any time we had together was precious, and I missed him so much.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted him.

Me: “What are you doing?”

Him: “Studying. What’s up?”

Me: “Let’s go hiking.”

Him: “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Jesse was prompt. Exactly fifteen minutes later, he was at my grandparents’ house. I ran outside to meet him and literally jumped into his idling car.

“You’re hyper this morning,” he teased.

“I am, aren’t I?”

“It’s cute.” He pinched my cheeks. I leaned against him and placed my hand on top of his. This was what I wanted–him and me together–like it was in the summer.

Jazz music played on his radio; the windows were all the way down. I stuck my head out the window, allowing my hair to blow in the breeze, trying to capture the last of autumn as the leaves fell and flew away never to be seen again.

Dixon State Park was our favorite place to hike. It was also the first place we kissed. It would always hold a special place in my heart. Jesse grabbed his backpack from his back seat, and we exited the car. “Which trail?” I asked, looking at the three trail signs posted in front of us.

“Let’s do the lazy man’s hike today,” he said.

We started up the trail, holding hands. We weren’t in a hurry and took each step slowly, enjoying the silence that surrounded us. The park was isolated and the trail was empty of people–it was just the two of us taking advantage of its spectacular views. On every turn and every bend, there were gorgeous, majestic mountains with patches of orange, yellow and red leaves on the trees that would soon go dormant for the winter.

“I’m glad you called,” he said, still holding my hand, our arms swinging back and forth in motion. “I needed a break from studying. Don’t expect me to go too fast today, though, I’m pretty sore from school.” That was a first for him. Anytime we went on a hike, I was always the one that had to keep up. I was the one who struggled.

“Maybe a hike wasn’t a good idea.” I worried, moving at a slower pace.

“No, it was.” He stopped and faced me. “Carrying a heavy ladder day after day with all your bunker gear will wear you out. There’s even one instructor who likes to hang onto the end of the ladder while we’re carrying it.”

I scrunched my face and formed a scowl. “That’s mean.”

“Yeah, well, he’s kinda a jerk that way. I guess he figures we need to be strong so we can carry a two-hundred and fifty pound body. If we can’t do that, someone could die,” he said seriously. “I’ve never been in better shape, though.”

That was true. His arms and chest had bulked up since the summer, and his stomach was as flat as an ironing board. “I don’t know how you do it,” I said.

“It’s what I want.” He looked directly into my eyes. “When you want something bad enough, you find your inner strength to do it.” Sometimes Jesse could be so deep and philosophical that I felt completely inept around him.

We reached a point in the hike where a creek of water flowed directly in the middle of the trail. I bent down and stuck my finger in the water. “It’s cold,” I screeched, instantly retracting my finger. Jesse began to take off his shoes and socks. “What are you doing?” I asked him.

“Here,” he said. “Carry these.” He handed me his shoes and socks. “Get on my back, Finn.” I got behind him, and he lifted me into a piggy back. “I can’t believe you eat as much as you do but still weigh nothing.”

“I don’t eat that much.” He chuckled under his breath, and I wrapped my hands around his neck. “Take it back,” I demanded.

“No way.” His feet pounced onto the water and created a splash.

“Jesse! You’re getting me all wet!” I groaned.

He laughed as he continued to tread through the water and moved to the dry land. I jumped off of his back and gave him a dirty look.

“I’ll get you back for that,” I threatened.

“I’m really scared right now. Can’t you tell?”

I held up his shoes and socks and taunted, “I bet you’d hate it if I dropped them in the water.”

He folded his arms against his chest and said in an arrogant, challenging tone, “You don’t have it in you.”

“Watch me.” I stomped off toward the creek.

He suddenly came from behind me, securing his muscular arms around me, and kept me at an absolute stand still. He took his shoes and socks out of my hand and whispered in my ear, “Got you.”

“Humph,” I mumbled angrily.

He kissed me on my earlobe and laughed. “Come on, Finn, let’s finish this hike.”