Maybe it was Memphis

By Lydia Mitchell

Maybe it was Memphis, the smell of honeysuckle wafting through the open windows late at night. Maybe it was the warm summer nights and the hum of crickets and the flickering of lightning bugs. Beck and Jade had promised themselves that they would never again break up. They also promised that they wouldn't go more than a week without seeing each other. That's how they ended up in Memphis on this warm June night. Beck's mom and dad had needed to go on a business trip to New York, and had offered to pay for beck and jade to go on a trip of their own. Since their daughter Marilyn was born, they hadn't really had time to themselves. So, it was just the two of them in this tiny hotel room. Beck rolled over.

"Psst Jade, are you still awake?"

"No, what do you want?"

"Well, I was wondering what you wanted to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know"

"Okay, how do you think Marilyn is doing?" Beck asked, obviously not wanting to end the conversation.

"I'm sure she's fine, it's me I'm worried about?"

"Why? What's wrong!?" Beck was getting nervous.

"Calm down, it's just that this is the longest that we've been apart."

"Well, maybe we can video chat with your mom and Mary tomorrow."

"Alright, let's just get some rest."

" Kkay, night."

"Night... I love you." Beck said adoringly.

"I love you too." Said jade as she rolled over and kissed Beck's cheek.

It was almost seven o'clock in the morning when the sun finally woke Jade. It was clear that she wasn't a morning person... But it was also clear, by the smell of bacon, that Beck was.

"Good morning, sunshine." Beck said all too cheerfully for this ungodly hour.

"Uuuhhhh." Jade said as she slumped back on to her pillow.

"Too early?" Beck questioned sarcastically.

"Ya think?" Jade retorted

"Hahaha." Beck was too happy to let any one, even Jade, bring him down.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Jade was just beginning to slide off the covers, and pull on her slippers.

"I don't know, it's a beautiful day, we're together, and we are gonna have fun."

"Oh really?" Jade said with a sly smile.

"Yeah... Really" Beck immediately ran full speed and grabbed Jade in his arms, swirling her around and around. He ended this by abruptly tossing Jade onto their bed. They both giggled like kids for a while, until Beck went back to cooking.

"All right, hot stuff... What are we going to do today?" Jade said in an uncommonly giddy tone.

"Well, I guess we could start with breakfast. How's that sound?"

"Great. What are we having?"

"Bacon, eg..." Beck was cut off.

"Beck, you know I hate bacon." Jade whined.

"I know... Now let me finish. I also made eggs, toast, and some blueberry muffins."

Jade didn't even say a thing... Only smiled as Beck carried her dinner over to her in bed. He leaned over and gently kissed her lips, which Jade fully returned with a little more. They sat their, just like that, lips entwined, as Jade's hands slowly move up to Beck's soft, curly hair. Finally they parted, both grinning wildly. Beck starring at the floor.

"I love you, B. You know that don't you" She said it so softly, Beck thought he had imagined it. He slowly raised his head to make sure she had actually said it. When he realized that she had her replied.

"I love you too." And he leaned in for a hug.

After they had finished eating, Beck and Jade got dressed and headed out. They didn't really have any intention of going in anywhere, this was mostly just a trip to get some exercise (after a 5 day car ride), and to make a list of places that looked interesting. What topped the list was Graceland, obviously. They strolled around town for maybe a half an hour before Beck made his move.

"Hey, Jade that little bench over their looks pretty comfy, how about we go sit down and work on our list?"

"Um, okay?"

The bench was on the edge of the park. It was surrounded by blossoming fruit trees, with a small koi pond about ten feet away.

"Alright, let's see that list." Beck said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Jade pulled a folded sheet of paper out of her back pocket.

"Let's see Graceland... The zoo... The pink palace... Sounds good to me."

"Well, it's not a very long list maybe we could go to a travel place and..."

Jade continued talking but Beck was no longer listening, he was beginning to pull something out of his pocket, while Jade rambled on about tourist attractions, and all the people she would soon start to despise. It was a small box, but Jade still hadn't noticed, it was covered in black satin with a small black bow on top. Beck knew it was now or never.

"Jade." She looked at him.

"Jade, since I first saw you, I knew that you'd be a handful. But I still wanted you. You and Marilyn are the best things that have ever happened to me. I love you both and I don't want to lose either of you. Jade, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Jade's face had gone from frustrated to shocked to ecstatic in less than a minute. She clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Almost immediately she burst out into tears.

"Well?" Beck questioned curiously.

" Yes? Yes... YES!" Beck and Jade leaped into the air and, for the second time that day, Beck pick Jade up and twirled her around, they were as happy as they could be.

Maybe it was Memphis, maybe it was the air, maybe the smell. Maybe it was just timing, but Beck and Jade knew that this was the beginning of something that they couldn't understand, something they couldn't believe, but they knew it was something that they both wanted desperately. Maybe it was Memphis.