Sunshine Valley

Hike

     Evie laughed as they sat down, “if we do this often, I’m gonna need a better pair of shoes.” She flopped her pack off her back, laying her head on it. 

     “We can do this as often as you’d like.”

     “I can’t believe you kept all this stuff. Aren’t the sleeping bags dry rotted by now?”

     “They still looked good when I packed them up.” He blushed.

     “Isn’t that cave around here? The one we hiked to on your 16th birthday?”

     He grinned, “yelp. Just over that ridge. If your feet aren’t killin’ you, thought we’d camp there.”  

     She opened her mouth with an O of surprise, “that’s why we didn’t bring a tent?”

     He just grinned.

     She was able to make it to the cave. It was cool and inviting. Even though the temperature outside was nice, this just had a different feel to it. They hiked back inside the cave to a waterfall. “WOW!” She sighed, “this hasn’t changed one bit.”

     “Do you think you will be okay in here?”

     She knew what he meant. A shy grin crawled across her lips, “I think so.”

     “You will tell me if you need to leave?”

     “Of course.” She touched his arm. 

     They worked together spreading a tarp, built a fire, and rolled out the sleeping bags on the tarp. She kicked her shoes off with a sigh. “Yes, must buy better shoes.” He put his shoes beside hers, laying his gun on top of them. “Do you pack a gun everywhere you go?”

     “It’s a habit at this point. Would you prefer I didn’t?” 

     “I’m confident in your skills.”

     A little stream flowed from the waterfall through the room created by the cave. They washed their dishes, had water to drink and for coffee. 

     With their stomachs full, Dillon closed the lantern. The waterfall had created a hole in the roof of the cave. Stars twinkled in the dark sky. They lay in the stillness of the night. The waterfall singing them toward sleep. 

     Dillon scooted closer to her, “why did you leave?”

     She got up to look at him through the light seeping through the hole. “Mom drilled lies in my head all my life. When you left to go to summer camp and didn’t write me, not knowing what I know now, she had me believing that you didn’t care. She had a bucking dying cow when dad let me go hiking with you for your birthday.” Evie took a deep breath. 

     “I saw you you know.”

     “Why didn’t you say something?”

     “I was too scared. That did things to me that,” he sucked air through his teeth. 

     “Coupled with all the lies she told me. In my adolescent mind, you didn’t care. If you cared or were interested, you would have made the first move. I felt so ashamed when I didn’t get a reaction out of you. As soon as I got my first acceptance letter, I ran toward it. When I came back for mom’s funeral, I was so focused on dad and taking care of that. Then when I came back for your dad’s funeral, I actually saw you again. For the first time since before you went to summer camp.”

     “Why didn’t you say anything?” He whispered. 

     “It’s tradition for the man to make the first move. Mom told me so.” She smirked.

    He rose up and kissed her. “I’m sure I have no idea what Lily said to you. I want you to know that the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you.”

     “I know that now.” The light seeping through the hole highlighted her smile. “I know that now.”

     “I wanted so badly to be part of that waterfall.” He sighed.

Sunshine Valley