“I’m having trouble planning. The we’re going to do this, and then we’re going to do this, and then that will happen, and we’ll… it kind of freaks me out. It’s easier for me to just follow my instincts and let them lead me,” Cristie said honestly. “I do want to be near you. I find myself looking out of the window at home and over toward your house, wondering what you’redoing. I keep finding excuses to go into the storage room at work to look out of the window to see your house, and the waiting room to look over at the restaurant. I don’t run into the store to grab breakfast anymore, I come to you in the restaurant. And you always have it ready and waiting for me. And it’s more than food — it’s a reminder, a reinforcement of the fact that you’re always going to be there, even for the little things, quietly making sure I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing what I want to be doing, and supporting me every step of the way. But still, I struggle when I begin to think of planning for a life beside you and making all the steps the world thinks we have to make. And I don’t understand that, because when I don’t think about all the formality, when I let my Panther take the lead, everything falls into place. Everything feels right. So, is it okay if I don’t want to verbally lay everything out on a schedule and deadline? It feels...”
“Overwhelming,” Remi said.
“Yes! Can we just move forward as we move forward?”
Remi let go of her hand as they reached the tree they’d left their clothes under. He picked up the soaked bathrobes and helped Cristie into the smaller one before putting the larger one on himself.
“Instinct, huh?” he asked, looking at her as he picked up their shoes.
“It’s how I got here. It had me moving my favorite books, and collectibles over to your house,” she said exasperatedly as she picked up their clothes.
“And your shampoo and soap in my shower? And the matching bathrobes?” he asked.
She shrugged sheepishly, with a little grin on her face.
“And all the changes you made in my house,” he said.
“I wanted it to feel like mine, too,” she whispered, looking to him for approval.
“Me, too,” he said, leaning forward to peck his lips against hers.
“So, it’s okay?” she asked.
“It is. We’ll just follow our instincts and see where they take us,” Remi said.
“Is it enough for now?” Cristie asked.
“I think that’s all any of us can do. We fit into society because we feel we need to. Even that is instinct. Everyone has an innate sense of instinct — whether they listen to it or not, is their choice. But for us, I think it’s the right thing. We’re finding our way. It’s what we’ve been doing all along,” Remi said, taking her hand in his again as they started toward his house.
He fidgeted a little in the heavy, wet robe covering his body. “This is heavy when it’s wet, but it’s so much better than forcing your wet body into your even wetter clothes,” Remi said, looking down at his bathrobe.
“See? I have good ideas,” she said.
“Yes, you do,” he said.
It was still pouring, though not as torrentially as it had been, and the darkness and stillness indicated the electricity was still out everywhere. Remi looked at the other homes as they walked past, his gaze wandering out beyond the trailer park as far as he could see. “Electricity must still be out.”
“Yeah. It’s dark everywhere,” Cristie said.
He joking held up his hands, her hand still clasped in one of his. “Let there be light!” he said jokingly.
The lights flickered on and off a few times, then stayed on as they walked through the trailer park.
Cristie stopped in her tracks, pulling Remi to a stop as well.
Remi looked at Cristie questioningly.
She looked at him wide-eyed. “Something you want to tell me?” she asked, wearing the hint of a grin.
“I swear it wasn’t me,” he said, looking around them again.
“I’m going to pretend I believe you, but we’re going to have to test that soon.”
Remi laughed.
“For now, I’m just glad you turned the power back on.”
“It wasn’t me!” he said on a laugh.
