Jesse was in high spirits when he returned from work, the rush and panic
all over. "Let's go running!" he said, bounding into Ana's room, where she
was curled up in bed reading.
Ana groaned. "Running? Jesse, it's five o' clock, if you haven't noticed. It's dark. It's winter, for goodness sake!"
Jesse pretended to be offended. "So, you'd rather stay in bed with a book and not emerge from this room until dinnertime? Boy, you're going to get fatter than you already are. And then you won't ever be able to get a boyfriend, and you'll never get married and have kids."
"I'M NOT FAT!"
Jesse chuckled at the sight of Ana's red face, her book snapped shut. "You're going to be if you don't go running with me. Come on, it'll be fun. We could have a picnic or something. Mae has a nice basket; we could put the food in there and eat whenever and wherever we want. We won't get lost or anything, I promise."
Ana sighed, looking at her book. It was a good book, but Jesse's proposition sounded good too. She had never done something like that before. Besides, she could read anytime, but how often did you find yourself in New Zealand, with some nice guy volunteering to go running with you? It could be quite an adventure. Who knows? It could even be a lot of fun. "All right."
"WOOHOO!" Jesse left the room triumphant, leaving Ana to get ready. Mae, from her place in the kitchen, smiled to hear that joyous whoop. It had only been four days, and there was already such a remarkable change in Jesse. No longer moping for Winnie as he had done for all those years. Finally, he was young again, happy again.
Mae gladly packed Jesse and Ana a picnic dinner. They asked Miles along too, but he refused in his usual gruff manner. "I'd rather be in my room. I have some letters to write," he told them.
"Liar!" was Jesse's reply.
"Yeah! We'll just let YOU be fat and then you won't have any girlfriends and you'd never get married and have children," Ana added as they left the house.
Jesse knew better than to say more, and they left without seeing the hurt in Miles' eyes, that stinging reminder of his past, coming from someone so ignorant about the sadness and pain that he had gone through.
Jesse led the way, and they ran as fast as they could without spilling everything in the picnic basket. Perhaps Jesse went running like that very often, but to Ana it was magical. It seemed like she was running towards the mountains, every step bringing her closer, and that in a few moments she would be at the summit. It felt like nothing was impossible, that she could fly if she wanted to. And that freedom was something she had not felt for a very long time. A very long time indeed.
They stopped a distance from the house, panting but satisfied. Jesse gave her a grin. "See, told you that it would be good!" Ana smiled back, having no breath for words, and nodded.
They spread out that blanket that Mae had given them, and sat down on it, peering into the basket to see what food they had to eat. Mae had definitely overestimated their appetites, for there was enough food to feed an army. Yet there were no complaints from both as they helped themselves to the food, a battery-operated lamp between them, as it was really dark now.
Ana looked around her. Away in the distance the lights from the house were on, and she knew that the rest of the Tuck family were having their own dinner. It was cold, but she felt warm from the running. She couldn't see the mountains anymore, but she knew they were there. They would be there, no matter what. She smiled to herself as she ate.
"What are you thinking about?" Jesse asked, looking over at her. His face was illuminated by the feeble light of the lamp, and Ana stared at it, taking it all in. He looked almost nothing like Miles. He wasn't as rugged, and looked much younger, much more innocent. Somehow Jesse looked as if he had been through a lot, but was still a little boy. She felt lost in his eyes. There was so much in them, so many mysteries and secrets that she was dying to discover.
"Ana? What are you thinking about?" Jesse repeated.
Ana shook herself, and turned her attention to Jesse's question. She laughed and looked into the darkness, not very sure what she was staring at, but staring anyway. "Nothing much. I was just thinking that I should be terrified, in the middle of a field in the darkness, with just a pathetic little lamp, stranded in the darkness with a guy I've only known for four days. But I'm not afraid at all. In fact, everything feels so right, so beautiful. And I feel so free, like I could do anything I want to do, and get away with it. Like everything's okay. And I haven't felt this way in such a long time." Something blurred her vision, and she was surprised to find that she was crying. She sniffed, trying to wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm so stupid."
Jesse remained silent, then shifted closer to her. Gently, he pulled her hands away from her face, revealing her tear-stained face. Ana sat in stunned silence as his face came closer to hers. "You are beautiful," Jesse whispered.
And everything was lost, for she was drowning in a kiss.
Ana groaned. "Running? Jesse, it's five o' clock, if you haven't noticed. It's dark. It's winter, for goodness sake!"
Jesse pretended to be offended. "So, you'd rather stay in bed with a book and not emerge from this room until dinnertime? Boy, you're going to get fatter than you already are. And then you won't ever be able to get a boyfriend, and you'll never get married and have kids."
"I'M NOT FAT!"
Jesse chuckled at the sight of Ana's red face, her book snapped shut. "You're going to be if you don't go running with me. Come on, it'll be fun. We could have a picnic or something. Mae has a nice basket; we could put the food in there and eat whenever and wherever we want. We won't get lost or anything, I promise."
Ana sighed, looking at her book. It was a good book, but Jesse's proposition sounded good too. She had never done something like that before. Besides, she could read anytime, but how often did you find yourself in New Zealand, with some nice guy volunteering to go running with you? It could be quite an adventure. Who knows? It could even be a lot of fun. "All right."
"WOOHOO!" Jesse left the room triumphant, leaving Ana to get ready. Mae, from her place in the kitchen, smiled to hear that joyous whoop. It had only been four days, and there was already such a remarkable change in Jesse. No longer moping for Winnie as he had done for all those years. Finally, he was young again, happy again.
Mae gladly packed Jesse and Ana a picnic dinner. They asked Miles along too, but he refused in his usual gruff manner. "I'd rather be in my room. I have some letters to write," he told them.
"Liar!" was Jesse's reply.
"Yeah! We'll just let YOU be fat and then you won't have any girlfriends and you'd never get married and have children," Ana added as they left the house.
Jesse knew better than to say more, and they left without seeing the hurt in Miles' eyes, that stinging reminder of his past, coming from someone so ignorant about the sadness and pain that he had gone through.
Jesse led the way, and they ran as fast as they could without spilling everything in the picnic basket. Perhaps Jesse went running like that very often, but to Ana it was magical. It seemed like she was running towards the mountains, every step bringing her closer, and that in a few moments she would be at the summit. It felt like nothing was impossible, that she could fly if she wanted to. And that freedom was something she had not felt for a very long time. A very long time indeed.
They stopped a distance from the house, panting but satisfied. Jesse gave her a grin. "See, told you that it would be good!" Ana smiled back, having no breath for words, and nodded.
They spread out that blanket that Mae had given them, and sat down on it, peering into the basket to see what food they had to eat. Mae had definitely overestimated their appetites, for there was enough food to feed an army. Yet there were no complaints from both as they helped themselves to the food, a battery-operated lamp between them, as it was really dark now.
Ana looked around her. Away in the distance the lights from the house were on, and she knew that the rest of the Tuck family were having their own dinner. It was cold, but she felt warm from the running. She couldn't see the mountains anymore, but she knew they were there. They would be there, no matter what. She smiled to herself as she ate.
"What are you thinking about?" Jesse asked, looking over at her. His face was illuminated by the feeble light of the lamp, and Ana stared at it, taking it all in. He looked almost nothing like Miles. He wasn't as rugged, and looked much younger, much more innocent. Somehow Jesse looked as if he had been through a lot, but was still a little boy. She felt lost in his eyes. There was so much in them, so many mysteries and secrets that she was dying to discover.
"Ana? What are you thinking about?" Jesse repeated.
Ana shook herself, and turned her attention to Jesse's question. She laughed and looked into the darkness, not very sure what she was staring at, but staring anyway. "Nothing much. I was just thinking that I should be terrified, in the middle of a field in the darkness, with just a pathetic little lamp, stranded in the darkness with a guy I've only known for four days. But I'm not afraid at all. In fact, everything feels so right, so beautiful. And I feel so free, like I could do anything I want to do, and get away with it. Like everything's okay. And I haven't felt this way in such a long time." Something blurred her vision, and she was surprised to find that she was crying. She sniffed, trying to wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm so stupid."
Jesse remained silent, then shifted closer to her. Gently, he pulled her hands away from her face, revealing her tear-stained face. Ana sat in stunned silence as his face came closer to hers. "You are beautiful," Jesse whispered.
And everything was lost, for she was drowning in a kiss.