A narrow, meandering road carved into the mountainside. A myriad of trees stretched to the horizon and beyond. Blue skies held the setting sun and shared its warmth everywhere. Not a soul stirred along the way—just the two of them, their SUV, and the open road.
Angela propped her bare feet on the dashboard and gazed out the open window. The world basked in a golden glow. She smiled—how extraordinary it was to witness nature at its finest.
"You seeing this?" she asked.
Behind the wheel was Fareeha, clad in jeans, a t-shirt, and leather jacket. The constant breeze tousled her hair, yet not enough to deter her from driving. One arm propped on the open window while she hummed with a foreign melody on the radio. She deviated from her stance to peer over her sunglasses in Angela's direction.
"Damn, don't see that every day," she replied before bringing her eyes back to center. "This whole trip has been gorgeous."
Angela hummed. "Yeah, it has."
Both were overdue for a vacation—the understatement of the year. Most of their time off was spent vegging in bed or rushing around to complete forgotten chores and errands. But this? This was an escape from the life they had grown accustomed to. This was a chance to recharge and experience something new. This was everything Angela wanted it to be and more.
She almost didn't suggest it; would Fareeha even agree to a road trip through the countryside of Europe? Upon mentioning it off-hand, Angela found a spark set off in Fareeha's eyes. The prospect of driving interested her, not to mention spending some alone time with Angela.
"So just us?" Fareeha had asked several months ago.
"Yeah. Just us."
Angela had yet to forget that grin she wore. "So when do you want to do this?"
The memories sent a pleasant buzz throughout Angela. My only regret is we didn't do this sooner.
"Well, if it's going to be dark soon," Fareeha mentioned, "perhaps we need to look into a place to settle in for the night."
Angela straightened her posture and sat up in the passenger seat. She dug out the map they bought at a rest stop the other day and unfurled it as best as she could. Scribbles scattered the creased paper with a distinct red marker indicating their intended path along with optional, scenic detours. Their current travels consisted of the latter and while Angela couldn't complain about the view, the lack of motels or even rest stops wasn't promising.
"Unless you want to pull another all-nighter getting to the next town," Angela grumbled slightly, "I'm not seeing any options."
Fareeha sighed. "Was hoping to avoid that."
Quick eyes scanned the map again. "Or maybe..."
"Maybe what?"
"There's a campground just an hour away."
"A campground?" She chuckled. "Angela, we don't have any camping equipment."
"That doesn't have to stop us from camping. We could put the seats down in the back and make a bed. And we have some leftovers from earlier. Not the most ideal, but we can manage, yeah?"
She eyed Fareeha and held her breath. They could have planned better, but what else was there to do than make the most of a sour situation? It pained Angela to imagine Fareeha pushing through sleep deprivation to reach a motel with a mediocre bed. This was a better solution... right?
To her surprise, Fareeha flashed a smirk. "Yeah. Think we can manage."
The sun dipped beneath the horizon when they reached the campground. Nestled deep into the forest was an expansive opening for those wishing to spend the night under the stars. Several others left their parked vehicles behind to pitch tents further into the woods, but Fareeha and Angela stayed by their car and set up their own camp.
Together they folded the rear seats down and cleared out their luggage. Angela procured blankets from a survival kit stashed in the trunk while Fareeha fished out what food remained in their travel cooler. Once she rolled up spare clothes as makeshift pillows, Angela slipped out of the car and perked up at the sharp sound of a bottle cap cracking off.
"Still had some left," Fareeha said, extending a hard cider to her.
Angela grinned. "Can't think of a better way to end the day."
They clinked their bottles together in honor of their spontaneous plans. Sitting in the back of the open hatch, they munched on the remains of their snacks to satiate their stomachs: local cheeses, fresh fruit, day-old bread, and deli slices. Nothing fancy, but Angela didn't need fancy.
All she needed was the company of the woman who claimed her heart.
They laughed over childhood adventures spent in forests—or at least daydreams involving them. They shared the mutual excitement of the journey to come and what was to be discovered along the way. Plates and bottles alike emptied and the sun disappeared from the skies, yet their lively chatter never died out.
A chill trailed down Angela's spine. She fetched a hoodie from her luggage and bundled into her blanket.
"You cold?" Fareeha teased, wrapping an arm around her.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Angela giggled out.
She purred as Fareeha warmed her up, the two of them snuggled together as night claimed the land. Fireflies flickered to life and drifted through the trees. Distant critters and the occasional wind created an ambiance for the forest. And past the trees above were the stars, brighter than Angela had ever witnessed them before.
"I could stay up all night and watch the sky," Angela said at one point.
"I almost forgot what the stars looked like," Fareeha added. "The city has its own lights, but nothing like this."
"Makes you want to stay here forever, doesn't it?"
Fareeha squeezed her closer. "Yeah."
As much as she tried, the weariness from travel enveloped Angela until she yawned profusely with heavy lids. Fareeha chuckled at her persistence to stay up and gaze at the stars, only to drag her back into their bed and tuck her in.
"We have plenty more adventures to have together," she told Angela, "but for now? Get some sleep, habibi."
Warm lips pressed into her own. Angela purred, wishing to prolong that kiss. Instead, she curled up into Fareeha, lulled to sleep by the solace of the night and the reminder that tomorrow was another day.