I shake away the old thoughts, realizing I’ve fallen behind on the trail.
“You don’t have to say anything, Ani,” I say, jogging to catch up. “I’m just happy to spend time with you. I can talk enough for both of us. Or sing. Or…” The breath leaves me in a nervous rush. “Or I could just zip it and give you a little peace and quiet. Goddess, you’d think I’d learn how to read the room by now, what with my empathic gifts and all. I’m sorry. I’m just—”
“Stevie.” He grabs my hand and stops, turning to me with the barest of smiles. “I like it when you talk. I missed it.”
“Yeah?”
“Your voice was the soundtrack that got me through some of the darkest days of my life. I willneverget tired of it. Never. In fact, I’d really love it if you’d just keep talking. About anything. Just… anything.”
I take a deep breath, basking in the glow of his smile, however faint. “Okay, I can do that. How about I tell you everything you never wanted to know about brewing tea?”
“I wouldlovefor you to tell me everything I never wanted to know about brewing tea.” He presses a kiss to my cheek, his energy washing through me.
Gratitude. Love. Shame. Fear. All of it.
But one thing is certain. He reallydoeswant me to talk. Maybe he just needs the distraction, but that’s fine. Like I said, as long as we’re together, I don’t care who’s doing the talking.
So I start in on the tea. And slowly, step by step, we make our way.
I’ve just transitioned from black teas to greens when we spot a familiar sight drifting overhead.
“Looks like we’ve got a hitchhiker,” Ani says.
I wave at Jareth, but he seems content to ignore us for now.
“He’s just making sure we’re okay,” I say. “My little guardian owl. He’s quite protective.”
Ani surprises me by dropping my hand and putting his arm around me instead. “Relatable.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
The trail turns steeper, and by the time we reach the top, we’re both huffing and puffing.
“Remind me again why you didn’t want to take the air bikes up?” he says.
I flash him a wide grin. “Because pushing ourselves to the brink of exhaustion is all part of the experience.”
“I’m going to remember you said that,” he teases, this time kissing me on the lips. It’s short and sweet, but still. Progress.
“You get us set up,” he says. “I’ll find some wood for the fire.”
Half an hour later, the blankets and sleeping bags are set up, and we’re sitting on them side by side before a small campfire, the wood hissing and popping.
The sun has set, casting the top of the Cauldron in shadow. It’s a near moonless night, and overhead, the stars are just beginning to peek out.
The silence is stretching between us again. I’ve run out of tea topics.
And I’ve got nothing left to say but what really matters.
I reach for his hand, holding it tight. “I love you, Ani. I need you to know that. I love you so much that just being with you makes my heart feel full and whole in a way I never thought possible before I met you.”
I feel the pulse of his love, but he doesn’t speak. Not for a long, long while.
By the time he utters a word, the fire has dimmed to glowing embers.
I’m still holding his hand when he whispers, “Why?”
