Claire bushed a hand down the edges of her sundress as the wind lightly blew past her. She forgot how nice the wind felt against her skin. She hadn't paid much attention to such things in a long time. The edges of her hair tickled her shoulders. She was grateful to have left her hair half up with a messy bun holding the red strands together. It was refreshing to feel her hair lightly blowing in the wind.
Claire casually walked up the hill to where Owen was seated. She analyzed him from afar as she carefully made her journey to him. He looked deep in thought, but she knew better. He was probably thinking about fishing or turtles, she joked to herself. The hilltop provided a gorgeous view of the lake and overlooked their cabin. Their cabin. Was it really theirs? Was anything theirs? Claire brushed it off and noticed Maisie playing in the grove. That's what Owen was watching intently. Always the protector. She smiled at the thought.
As she approached him, he didn't move, so she silently sat down next to him. The blue flowers on her dress mixed well with the green shades of the grass. She chose the blue because of Owen, even though she knew he'd never notice such a detail. But she knew they were for him. That's all that mattered right?
Owen saw her coming from the corner of his eye, but didn't move. They have this silent understanding, which they're both secretly grateful for in times like these. The light breeze blew her familiar vanilla scent over to him and it brought him comfort. He always knew that scent meant she was around, and that's all he ever wanted.
"It's nice up here." she said, not looking in his direction. Instead she focused intently on Maisie as she skip passed the dandelions and picked them up blowing their seeds over the field. Claire curiously wondered what she wished for each time.
"You can see the whole valley from here." He motioned with his arm to the outskirts of their property. The sun hitting the lake made the trees sparkle. That sight did not go unnoticed by either of them. It was breathtaking.
She hummed in agreement. He looked over to her for the first time and tried not to show his reaction. "You look nice today, Claire." He said plainly, but his mind wondered. Blue flowers. He loved the blue flowers. He wondered if they were intentional or not. He assumed not, she wouldn't choose her wardrobe based on his opinion. He lightly shook his head at the thought turning his attention back to Maisie.
Claire smiled to herself and entangled her arm in his, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched the sun begin to set over the trees. They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute.
"I wish we could stay this way forever." Claire's words echoed through him. He was silent again, enjoying her warmth on his arm. He reached out with his other hand and gently laced his fingers together with hers. She felt a breath catch in her throat, but tried to hide her reaction. When he didn't speak, she realized that he was trying to comfort her. That, this moment of solace, is just that… a moment.
"But we can't, can we?" She said in a quiet voice. "Realistically we don't know if we can really keep Maisie, or if it will always be safe here, or what's going to happen with us…" Owen was slightly taken aback by her vulnerable outburst, but he just squeezed her hand tighter. What could he say? He didn't have the answer to any of those questions. He lived a life based on spontaneity with no attachments. He wasn't accustomed to trying to guess the future. He lived in the moment and rolled with the punches. Claire was different. She was a certain uncertainty. She required order and precision and a plan.
"Sometimes it's nice just to live in the moment." He said wistfully, hoping she could do just that, at least for now.
"Yeah…" She said raising her head and letting go of his arm. "I wish I could be like you." She paused. "But my mind is always 3 steps ahead. I can't change that." She looked him straight on, not hiding anything. She was who she was, and she knew it.
The evening was warm, but he felt a chill when she left his shoulder. He considered her for a moment, trying to understand what she was thinking. She wanted certainty that he couldn't give her. He could only give her one thing, this moment. "Come here." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder for comfort, but also because he missed her touch. "For now" He whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. "Just enjoy this sunset with me while we still can." He glanced over at Maisie, who was now looking up at them. She smiled for a moment before going back to blowing on dandelions. He smiled back at her. Claire, however, didn't shift her gaze from him. She was lost in his comfort, his scent, his warmth. After a minute, she leaned forward and wrapped both of her arms around his waist while placing her head over his heart. The steady beat calming her.
Maybe, just for now, she can leave tomorrow until tomorrow and just have this.