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We did what I suggested and took naps on the plane and in the hotel after we arrived in Texas. She napped with me but then went to her own room. As much as I would love it if she stayed with me, I understand needing your own space.
It’s our third day in Texas, and we are traveling down to the Rio Grande where we will trek over a hundred miles to eight different birding sights. This is one of the biggest birding hubs in the states.
“You ready to do a lot of walking?” I ask her, resisting the urge to reach across the space in the van and hold her hand. She stayed with me last night and read to me until we both fell asleep. I’m invested now, I need to find out how this story ends.
It was nice, just being with her, no pressure. It felt natural and almost familiar.
She lifts her foot to her opposite knee and points to her shoes.
“I brought my good walking shoes just for this part of the trip.”
“Good.”
“Oh, also, I packed anything anyone might need if they get blisters, need new socks or if they get a hole in their shoe.”
“Wow, very prepared. I appreciate that.”
“Well, you just never know. And I know that if that stuff happened to me, I would be miserable and then I wouldn’t enjoy myself.”
“True.” I say and smile at her. I love how she is ready for everything. She put more thought into it than our coordinator did. They should ask her for a list of suggested items.
We start to lose the radio station, so Sarah plugs her phone in.
“What do you want to listen to?” she asks me.
“Hmm, how about ninety’s hits? I love ninety’s music.”
She stares at me with wide eyes.
“You do?”
“Yeah, why? You don’t?”
“No, I do. I mean yes. I love ninety’s music, too. More of the ninety’s rock, but yeah.”
“Same.”
She picks a station and Good Riddance by Green Day plays.
After each beat, when there are two brief moments of silence before the song plays, we both turn our heads towards each other and back. Then our heads sway with the tune, and we both start singing with Billie. Every time he sang, “I hope you had the time of your life,” we made brief eye contact.
I can’t help but wonder if she is thinking the same thing I am. I do hope she is having the time of her life on this trip with me, and that she’s doing what she came on this trip to do.
When the song ends, we both laugh and continue listening and singing along to some of the best rock songs ever made.
Two hours of driving later, we are at our first stop. Everyone piles out of the vans, and we meet up with an expert on the area.
“Welcome everyone to the Rio Grande. Today we will visit five of the best birding sites. Then tomorrow we will visit three, the last one being a river float.”
I’m standing behind Sarah. I am wondering if anyone has noticed how close we have gotten. It seems like we are always together. I can smell the amazing vanilla scent of her perfume. She always smells like baked goods. A snack that I want to devour every time I see her.
She turns her head and looks at me, her hair flowing with it. She’s left it down the last few days and all I’ve wanted to do is run my hands through it and pull her close to me.
“I’ve never floated down a river before,” she says.
“It’s easy peasy. But don’t worry, we will have life jackets, and I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
I wink at her, and that small giddy smile she gets crosses her face. I love it.
