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He picked up the toy and studied it as he murmured, “Is that what this is?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I think it might possibly be a beaver, except that it’s missing a tail.” He sat up and pushed back his dark hair as he gave me a groggy smile.
“Well, what is a groundhog really, besides a tailless beaver?”
“I’d lecture you on taxonomy, but I haven’t had my coffee yet so I don’t think I can muster the energy.” I produced a cup of coffee with a flourish, and he said, “Neat magic trick,” before taking a sip.
“I know, right? I got us some breakfast, too. Don’t laugh at me, but I was so excited to see grits on the menu at the diner I found around the corner.”
“You’re kidding.”
“About which part?”
“Being excited about grits,” he said.
“Oh no, that totally happened. I’m a southern boy at heart and always will be, no matter how you dress me up.”
After Lorenzo cleaned up a bit in the bathroom and pulled on a pair of jeans, he joined me at the little, round table in a corner of the hotel room. I lifted the lid on his takeout container and said, “I got you biscuits and eggs, I hope that’s okay.”
“Did you get me some grits?”
“I did actually, just because I thought you might like to try them.” I opened the lid on a smaller takeout container and explained, “Yours are the same as mine, loaded with butter. Sadly, they weren’t serving cheesy grits, but I guess they’re more of a dinnertime thing anyway.”
Lorenzo tried a little spoonful, then said, “That’s surprisingly good. Kind of like cream of wheat in consistency.”
“I have no idea what that is, but I’m glad you like it. Had you tried grits before?”
“Can’t say I have. Will there be more culinary adventures waiting for us on this trip?”
“Absolutely. Now eat up. We have a big day ahead of us.”
After breakfast, we packed our stuff, and Lorenzo put the toy in the pocket of his flannel shirt with its head sticking out. Then we went downstairs and checked out, and as we returned our luggage to the rental car’s trunk, he asked, “Where exactly did you find this alleged groundhog?”
“The diner was selling them at the register. It was only one of the fantastic discoveries I made when I went out this morning. I’m about to show you another.”
I started to climb behind the wheel, and Lorenzo asked, “Want me to drive?”
“No thanks.”
“But you hate driving.”
“True, but this is going to be a pretty short trip.”
“I thought it was about eight hours to your hometown from here.”
“It is,” I said, “but we’re not going to Louisiana. Not yet, anyway. We’re already planning to spend over two weeks with my parents, and that’s plenty. Trust me.”
“Then where are we going?”
“Since we’ve found ourselves with a couple of bonus days in our schedule, I decided to treat us to something special. Now that’s all I’m saying about it, because it’s a surprise.” He grinned at me and slid into the passenger seat.
I started the car and pulled onto the street. After I rounded a corner, I said, “Here’s your second surprise of the morning. I’m obviously counting that fabulous groundhog as the first.”
“What am I looking at?”
“The state capitol building.”
Lorenzo asked, “Am I crazy, or does that look a hell of a lot like a cock and balls?”
“It does. Surprise!” He burst out laughing.
For some reason, the citizens of Florida had decided their capitol should consist of a tall tower surrounded by two low domes. As soon as I’d spotted it that morning, I knew Lorenzo would find the humor it.
He rested his hand on my thigh and relaxed as he said, “Today’s off to a pretty great start.”
* * *
We drove south from Tallahassee for all of twenty minutes before I announced, “We’re here.”
“And this is what, exactly?”
“Wakulla Springs State Park. There’s a lodge on site, and I’ve booked us a suite for two nights. Disclaimer, it’s not as fancy as it sounds. It was built in the 1930s and is probably going to be a bit rustic, so ‘suite’ basically just means we’ll have a seating area in our room.”
Lorenzo grinned and said, “You seem really excited.”
“Oh, I am. I’ve always wanted to see this.”
“I’m surprised. A state park doesn’t really sound like your idea of a good time.”
“I know I’m not exactly Sporty Spice, but this isn’t your run-of-the-mill park. You’ll see why.”
The lodge was a beautiful Spanish-style structure that somehow made me think of old Hollywood, even though it was in the middle of the Florida panhandle. Its lobby retained the feel of a bygone era with its painted beam ceiling, vintage furnishings, and tall, arched windows overlooking the natural wonder in its backyard.
I took Lorenzo’s hand and led him through the building as I said, “It’s too early to check in, but after we take a little tour of the spring, we can find a nice spot in the shade and enjoy this perfect day. The great thing about being here this time of year, besides the fact that it’s empty, is that the heat and humidity haven’t kicked in yet. In the summer, this must feel like the devil’s butt crack.”
