Then it runs too quickly. Passing through our fingers with no pause to weigh options.
Ethan’s smile greets me as he notices me approach and reaches toward the mug offered.
“Thank you. You’re right, this place is perfect. When the sun hits the water, it’ll be spectacular.” He sips his coffee and groans. “Oh my god, this is perfection. Why does this taste so good? It’s better than the Laughing Fork.”
I can’t help the laugh that slips out. “Don’t say that back in town.” Sipping from my mug, I stand next to him near his tripod setup. “It’s percolated over a fire, and it’s cowboy coffee. The eggshells take out the acidity. Makes it smoother.”
Ethan smirks into his mug. “A smooth cowboy. Go figure.”
“Give me your mug. Look.”
Ethan turns as he offers his mug to me and watches the sun break through the trees and catch the water below. The sky takes on a pinky-purple hue that’s always my favorite. He snaps photos for a few seconds, then abruptly turns to me.
“I don’t want to watch this through a lens. I want to watch it with you.”
Ethan gently takes the mug from my hand, and we stand together with the other campers in the clearing, our arms around each other’s waists as we sip coffee and watch nature paint in real time.
It should fill me with joy, but I’ve never felt so sad.
Chapter 16
Ethan
“You should have seen it, Mom. It was just so…God, it was gorgeous. I’m so happy I went.”
My feet are up on the coffee table at Colt’s as I talk to my mom on the phone. Fresh back from the trip to Belize, they’re now talking about Greece because Mom can take a contract that pays for their airfare.
“So no more fear of tent camping?”
“Well, yes, but with Colt, it was different. I’m glad I went.”
“How are you doing with that? When you last emailed, you said you’d moved into his place and seemed happy, but now that I hear your voice, I’m not sure.”
With a sigh, I lean my head back on the sofa and stare at the ceiling. Mom has always been my rock and reads me better than anyone…until I met Colt, that is.
“Funny thing,” I begin, and clear my throat. “Iamhappy, Mom. I’ve made friends with townspeople, and I went to a paint class not knowing Colt was the teacher.”
“He teaches painting? That’s amazing. I didn’t know he was an artist.”
“Well, he’s not really. He likes to paint and teach people, even if he thinks he’s not good. I think he’s incredible.”
I think he’s more than incredible, but as each day passes that brings me closer to the end of my contract, I find it harder to share that with him.
“Ethan, you’ve always been a man with a plan. You never sat still for too long. Remember when you worked at the newspaper? You were never happy with just the scraps they assigned to you. It was always what’s next and what’s bigger. What are you thinking, son?”
“Well, the thing is…I don’t have a plan, Mom. Not a solid one, but I’ve been thinking about what I can do to stay here or close to here.”
“You can get a remote contract that wouldn’t require you to move. That’s easy for you. I can send you a list of places looking for marketing help.”
“I don’t want to do that anymore. The marketing all the time thing, I mean.”
There’s a pause before my mom speaks again.
“You love marketing…. don’t you?”
The question I knew she’d ask and the question I’ve been asking myself recently.
“Maybe at one point I did. I don’t hate it, but since I’ve been here, there’s something I used to love that I’ve rediscovered.” Drawing a breath, I voice what I’ve been thinking. “I miss photography. Not for advertising, but for capturing moments.”
