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She was going to take his hand, but it was resting on his thigh and assumed if he was this shaken, he would probably let out a yelp and fly from the truck in that moment. Instead, she climbed a little closer and rested her head on his shoulder, leaning over the cooler.
“Nicolette?”
“Shh… just a few moments of peace and understanding…” she urged in a mere whisper. “Listen to the breeze and the water in the distance for a few moments.”
They sat there, just like that, until she could feel some of the tension slip from him. His shoulder sagged slightly where her head was and she glanced up to see his eyes were indeed still closed, noticing the shadow on his chin that she’d never noticed before.
The teenager she once knew had certainly become quite a handsome man without her noticing - until recently. There was a quiet, steadiness to him that was comforting… and she really admired his serene presence. He was like a pillar, a rock, unmovable and strong, but it would take some chaotic weather to finally make an impression or leave a mark on him.
“Now…” she murmured in a hushed voice, trying to really reach him. “Keeping those eyes closed? Tell me what you hear…”
“You talkin’…” he said instantly and choked back a laugh as she swatted at his arm.
It was nice to hear him crack a joke – even if it was at her expense. She couldn’t help but smile at her own reaction, watching his Adam’s apple bob with his laugh and wishing she could touch it without him running away.
“Stop that… and listen,” she urged again, settling back down against his shoulder once more. “Reallylisten, Luke. Breathe, settle in for a moment, and feel the world around you.”
She heard his breath steady as his laughter faded away, both of them silent, and as the minutes ticked by. She felt the moment he tensed with awareness.
“There’s the creek,” she breathed silently. “The trees waving in the breeze, the faint noises the truck makes as it cools down, your own heart beating silently… but if you keep listening… keep feeling…”
She let her voice fade off as she sat there beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, and let the comfort of his presence wash over her in amazement, recognition, and wonder at this blessing.
She wasn’t one of those metaphysical believers with chakras, charms, or gadgets. She never believed in karma or chance… but she did believe that people were led, drawn to each other, for a purpose. You controlled your own destiny and fate – but only by being strong enough to fight for your own happiness in your circle around you.
Her father had taught her the beauty of silence, feeling the world around her, and she had come to recognize that each person gave off a feeling. There was a steady comfort in her daddy, a nurturing feeling from within her mother.
Caspar was annoying, like any pesky brother.
Toby was a dreamer—staring at the clouds and pulled strongly away from the family. She could sense it, feel it, and she thought that was part of the reason her parents sometimes babied the oldest child.
They always encouraged Nicolette to fly, to be strong, to follow her dreams… the same with Caspar – but with Toby? They pushed him to return home every time he went somewhere.
If Toby went flying, he was told to be home at a certain time. If he went to band camp, it was ‘we’ll be here Friday for you’and once she knew about his crush on Samantha – it was ‘stay away from her and focus on growing into the man you need to be’.
The ‘baby birds’were being pushed out of the nest with the most love, care, and support a parent could give – but the eldest ‘bird’had been ready to golooongbefore he could ever fly…
Yeah, she never got those pep-talks because her home was here, in Yonder, near her family, but she needed to make it her own somehow… and wanted it all with a fierceness that was staggering.
… If her parents only knew,she mused slightly.
“What do you feel?” she murmured in a soft, gentle, and encouraging voice.
“At peace…” he breathed softly, his voice full of wonder, so much so her eyes stung with tears.
“And in that peace, there is comfort…?”
“Yes…”
“What else?”
“Is this what meditation is like…” he asked quietly. “I never sit like this or…”
“Shhh…” she urged softly. “Don’t break it. These moments are hard to find sometimes.”
“M’kay…”
They sat there again as he finally settled once more… and was stunned to feel his hand touch hers, without a word. His warm hand lay over her fingers, needing the connection, and she drew in her breath, only to hear him sigh as he seemed to relax even further.
