"And that, kids, is the kind of stupid thing you say before you've met the person who hits the reset button on the world, who makes everything new again, who makes it seem ridiculous that you even considered settling."
- Ted Mosby, "The Lighthouse"
It takes a pretty special person to share your most special and favourite place with.
Tracy knew Ted was a rather special guy. She wasn't quite sure when she realized Ted was "the one", but she knew he was someone special, someone different, almost from the start. His sudden appearance on that train platform was surely a sign from the universe, one she had been hoping for, telling her that, yes Tracy, you can move on. You can let Max go.
You can fall in love again.
And after being with Ted for nearly seven months—having said their I love yous, having met one another's parents, having gone through many firsts together—it was almost time for Tracy to share an important part of her with Ted.
She could've taken him there during the summer, when they spent many afternoons strolling through Riverside Park together. But, no. She had to wait for winter, to showcase that spot's natural beauty, its magic.
It was a haven for Tracy, a place she and Max had stumbled upon shortly after they came to New York City for school.
Young and curious, they spent every free weekend exploring their new home, from downtown to uptown, from the east side to the west. And when they came upon the iconic Riverside Park on a snowy November, hand-in-hand they followed the pedestrian walkway before veering off-course and into the woods. (Tracy wasn't going to lie. They definitely were searching for a private makeout spot at the time!)
And they eventually stumbled upon a clearing with a stunning view of the Hudson River. It was like a tiny winter wonderland that had taken both their breaths away. They sat on a large, snow-covered rock and peered out across the river at their home state of New Jersey. And for the two of them, it quickly became a wintertime tradition.
After Max passed away, that secret spot became Tracy's refuge. Every winter, after a heavy snowfall, she'd trudge to her hideaway to cry and remember Max, or to sit and contemplate things, or to simply enjoy this quiet and untouched part of Manhattan.
She even occasionally pondered whether to selfishly keep this place to herself, or if someday—and it hurt to even secretly wish it—she'd be able to share her special place with someone again. It'd be a shame to keep it for herself; it was a spot simply made for two.
Tracy did try to share it with Lewis once. In a step to really try and put an effort in her relationship with him, she led him there the previous winter, hoping he would see what she saw in that place. She needed him to fall in love with it, because Tracy really needed to believe, needed some proof, that Lewis was somehow worth it. He already didn't come support her at Superfreakonomics' shows, and only just tolerated her morning English muffin routine. She needed this, the one last reason to stick with him.
He gave her an appeasing smile at first as they sat down but, unfortunately, after a few moments of silence, Lewis had started to get restless and complain about the cold. He wasn't the "sit down and contemplate" type of guy, and as they walked away and back onto the busy pedestrian path, Tracy thought herself silly for actually thinking he'd appreciate her special place.
Anyway, that moment was likely the beginning of the end of her relationship with Lewis. Tracy forced it, dragged it out for a few months longer—it was hard to give up the security of another person, after all—but when that wedding weekend came along, it became a turning point.
And then came Ted.
When a significant snowfall hit Manhattan in December, Tracy was itching to head back to her winter haven. The snow-dusted trees, the icy Hudson, the tranquil surroundings... She just had to show Ted.
After the Lewis incident, Tracy had been dejected. Her special place, it seemed, was going to remain hers and hers alone. Not one to bring someone special, not one to share a romantic winter moment with. She'd figured it would remain a place to remember Max. A place stuck in the past, not one with a future.
But that line of thinking was pretty ridiculous, she thought now as she led Ted towards Riverside Park by the hand.
All she had said to him that Saturday morning was, "I need to show you something." No questions asked, a curious Ted got dressed and eagerly followed her out the door.
They sidestepped kids playing in the snow, toddlers being pulled on plastic sleds by their parents, holiday shoppers ducking in and out of stores... The busy city street eventually led to the park's entrance, and they leisurely walked as Tracy took the route she knew like the back of her hand.
Ted's eyebrows shot up as she took him off the path and pulled him into the woods, Tracy laughing at what he was very likely thinking.
"It's not like that, Mosby," she said knowingly.
He gave her a sheepish shrug. "Can't blame a guy for assuming," he teased, still following her as they swept bare tree branches out of the way.
They trudged through the freshly-fallen snow, and Tracy could see the clearing up ahead.
She briefly thought to build this moment up, to let out a "ta-da!"'as he stepped into her corner of the world. But Tracy figured she'd just let the place do the talking. She knew it'd speak to Ted the way it had first spoken to her.
All she did was watch him look around, his eyes widening at the pretty little oasis. Sunny and secluded, snowy and still, she sat down on her favourite rock as he stepped around, getting a feel for the place. He looked out at the shining water, flat shards of ice floating close to the shoreline. He breathed in the crisp air, nodding his head slowly in approval.
He turned to her and she gave him an eager look. Scooting over on the rock, she sweeped away the snow next to her as Ted walked over and sat down.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments (yes, Ted was most certainly the "sit and contemplate" kind of guy) before he put an arm around her and pulled her close.
"This is nice," he said simply, softly.
She smiled at him and then looked out at where the bright winter sun shone down on the Hudson.
And Tracy's beloved place now, finally, felt new again. And it very quickly became Ted's special place—their special place—too.
END