Sorry I've been away for so long. I fully intended on only taking a break for a couple weeks but, in my infinite wisdom, I forgot July is second only to December in terms of hellish busy-ness for me. It's crazy. Anyway, thanks for the new followers and notes asking me if I died. I did not. Though I feel like it since I have a sucky head cold and other health maladies that just serve to tire me out and piss me off.
I will get on an update schedule again now that it's August (where has this summer gone?). So that's good. And I'm really plagued about the show's plotline of Paige going to Stanford. When I was writing I wanted to send one of the girls to Stanford but felt it was kind of unrealistic. I guess that's why the writers write the show and I write fan fiction, eh?
With this being the off-season Paige and Emily are fortunately able to dodge any would-be European shoppers as they wander around Walmart. They run across a few customers in questionable attire (moose slippers - really?) but are still able to get in and out of the store in a few minutes.
Paige throws their purchases onto the truck seat and jumps behind the wheel. Emily soon follows on the passenger side and dives into the bags like a kid on Christmas morning, making Paige smile broadly. With everything she's been through Emily still maintains an air of innocence about her. She makes people believe in themselves because she believes in them so much – gaps of low self-esteem fill quickly with her faith in them. It was a heady feeling being loved and trusted by Emily Fields.
Spying a black hat amongst their Walmart booty Paige grabs it and tears the tag off with her teeth. She bends the bill and holds it up admiring her handiwork. "C-R?" Emily asks. "Colorado Rockies," Paige says. "The sun is bright today and it might get a little windy so I figured a hat might be a good idea for you."
Emily eyes the cap with revulsion. "There's no freaking way I'm wearing a hat," she says. Paige is nonplussed. "Those fancy pants sunglasses ain't gonna cut it, Fields. They distort the colors and believe me you will want to see the blue sky today." Emily doesn't look quite convinced. "Also, I think girls in ponytails and hats are sexy." A second barely passes before Emily tears the hat from Paige's hands, throwing it on the dash as she knots her hair into a loose ponytail. "I hate you," Emily mutters.
A sign for the Frisco Bay Marina greets Paige and Emily a few minutes later when they approach the lake. Emily thinks Paige wasn't exaggerating – the sky above rippled with robin's egg blue and the occasional cotton candy wisp of a cloud. She turns to Paige who is occupied with sorting items in their Walmart bags. She glances out the windshield at the view and back at Paige. Her heart skips a beat when she realizes the view inside the claustrophobic U-Haul was a thousand times more breathtaking than the towering Rockies surrounding them. Emily gives herself a shake and jumps out of the truck.
As she looks toward the marina office Paige's approach is marked by crunching gravel. She feels Paige's hand grasp her own, the touch of their palms and fingers bringing a rush of memories to Emily. It's so overwhelming she can hardly stand it. God, this girl – woman – in front of her. It's hard to figure out what she wants most from Paige. That look only Paige gives her? Maybe a kiss? Possibly followed by a night of unbridled, crazy passion? She's so confused right now. Oh, her feelings are crystal clear – but what should she do about them?
They enter the marina office and Paige hands Emily the Walmart bags she carried from the truck. "I made reservations last night so I'll check in and see when we can go." Paige turns to a woman behind a counter and Emily shoots a glance around looking for a seat. As she makes her way to a chair a booming voice blasts behind them. "Paige McCullers, you little shit! Thought you'd come to my lake and steal a ride without me knowing?" Emily starts but her memory soon recognizes that voice.
"Uncle Bob?" Paige utters with surprise.
Bob McCullers is an imposing man. Paige once thought they used him as the model for the Brawny paper towel man but in time she realized Uncle Bob is too much humanity to be contained on a simple roll of paper towels.
Since they were boys he and Paige's dad were at each other. Complete opposites in temperament they bashed heads in every conversation and took competitiveness to another level in every arena – school, sports, life. Only when Bob lost his wife to cancer did he take stock. He had a son in college he hardly knew. He had a job he despised and a home with too many memories. So he did the most logical thing in the world: he went to truck driving school and began long haul trucking. He loved seeing the country and was thrilled when his son Liam joined him on the road during his breaks at college.
Due to his heart attack Nick McCullers is learning to take stock, just like his brother. And as Paige watches Bob guide them toward his sailboat she hopes her dad can be as light-hearted in a few years as her uncle is now.
Bob jumps on board his sailboat, named "Jewel of the Mile", and offers a hand to Paige to help her board as well. With Emily, though, he grabs her around the waist and swallows her in a bear hug as he spins and drops her to her feet on the deck.
"Aw, Emily, I've missed your funny face," he says. Emily blushes at this, after a rocky start Bob was always her favorite McCullers at holiday gatherings. "I've missed you, too," she replies. "Where's Liam these days?"
Paige guides Emily to the front of the boat as Bob prepares to launch. "Where isn't he is a better question," Bob states. He unmoors then tosses lines onto the deck that bind the boat to the dock. The boat immediately starts to drift. He expertly aims the boat into the wind causing the sails to snap – but this isn't his first rodeo and he quickly gets the sails under control as the boat slowly skips out further into the reservoir.
"Li is down in Denver these days," Bob says. "He was laid off from his job and is now trying to 'find himself'. That's fine for now. The economy sucks and I don't want him to waste his skills in a crap job – plus, if he did take a job like that he'd leave in a second once something better came along and loyalty means something to him."
"He's his father's son," Emily smiles. Bob laughs. "Maybe so."
Bob turns his attention to navigating the boat through the reservoir traffic leaving Emily to survey her surroundings. It is breathtaking – the water is clear and reflects the blue sky and clouds that dot the horizon. Mountains rear up offering a black and green contrast to the sky – nature's perfect way of color coordinating. She slides down next to Paige on the boat deck, adjusting her cap to block the sun's intense rays.
"Man, it's bright," Paige says squinting into the distance. Emily shakes her head. "You were all concerned about getting a hat for me that you forgot your own?"
Paige shrugs. "No I didn't forget."
"Well, why don't you put it on?"
"Because you'll probably make fun of me."
Emily laughs. "I don't need to see a hat to make fun of you. You pretty much handle that without assistance."
Paige smirks and aims her left elbow at Emily's midsection. "You will never change." Deciding humiliation is preferable to a sunburn, Paige reaches inside her jacket and pulls out a white hat. She pulls it on and, sure enough, Emily bursts into hysterical laughter.
"You look like Gilligan!" Emily roars. Paige expected a bit of laughter and teasing but Emily's current state of hysteria takes her by surprise. "Are you all right?" she asks.
Emily slows her laughter and grabs at her stomach, aching after laughing so intensely. "Oh yeah, I'm fine, little buddy!" This launches her into even more laughter and Paige decides moping at the back of the boat by her uncle is preferable to Emily's laughter, as beautiful and melodic as it is. As she gets to her feet Emily grabs her hand. "Where are you going? I was just funning with you."
Paige looks down at their joined hands. It seems every time they touch, either intentionally or in passing, her brain turns to oatmeal and her sense of direction gets turned around like a broken compass. It's always been that way for her – just a single touch or smile from Emily sends her heart into overdrive and she can't really decide if that's a good thing or not.
It's a beautiful day to be on the water, though. A great day to take in the mountain air and relish the time she has left with Emily, for as much as they ignore it, once this trip is over they will ultimately go their separate ways. It hurts Paige's heart to think of that, however, so she decides to just take it as it comes as she sits back down on the boat deck next to Emily.
"I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?" says Emily. "I didn't mean to. It's like, you know you look kinda goofy so it wasn't really shocking that I laughed."
"Emily, you didn't just laugh – you projectile vomited your amusement all over me."
She knows Paige isn't angry – but Emily still wants to make sure she didn't hurt her feelings. "I'm sorry, honey." Paige turns to Emily and offers a tiny smile. "It's okay, and on the bright side I know my ears aren't going to burn again."
"You burned your ears?"
"Yeah, when I was a kid I went out on a boat with my dad and burned the crap out of my earlobes. They hurt but it passed until I took a shower a few weeks later and they just started to randomly peel. Scared the crap out of me, I thought I was molting or something."
Emily offers Paige a grin and grabs her left hand with her right, intertwining their fingers as she rests her head on Paige's shoulder. They sit quietly for a few moments before Emily whispers, "If I am honest it's kind of a cute hat." Paige smirks and leans her head onto Emily's, trying desperately to seal this moment in time.